In Somerset's Skies

In Somerset's Skies

Author: Colin Cruddas

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited

Published: 2010-08-15

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1445623544

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The fully illustrated history of Somerset's aviation industry.


Neil Armstrong in North Somerset

Neil Armstrong in North Somerset

Author: Jack Lethbridge

Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

Published: 2017-11-24

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1788039467

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A wonderful collection of ‘flash fiction’ - stories typically of less than two pages. Including the Fish Flash Fiction prize-winning ‘Passing Over Paradise’ - described by judge Chris Stewart as a “satisfyingly artful conceit.” The visit of an astronaut to a Somerset pub, an Indian waiter struggling to live up to his review, a boy who is born without a heart, a man who waits for a taxi he knows will never come, a carpenter who seeks to profit from the fall of Troy. These are just some of the eccentric and poignant characters who inhabit these short, often very short, stories. David Gaffney, a master of the genre, describes a flash story as “a nimble, nippy little thing that could turn on a sixpence and accelerate quickly away”. In this fine collection of ‘nimble nippy little things’, Jack Lethbridge offers us succinct but satisfying stories designed for those with fast lives, offering us something to consume and contemplate in those short quiet spaces in otherwise frantic lives - a coffee break at work perhaps, or in the dentist’s waiting room, sitting in a carwash, waiting for a pizza delivery. As Jack says in the introductory story, “let me share my voices with you, these lives on the winds that I listen to while I wait. Keep me company for a while, and we can listen together.”


The Sky is Always There

The Sky is Always There

Author: Camilla Carr

Publisher: Canterbury Press

Published: 2013-08-15

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1848255861

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In April 1997-98 Camilla Carr and Jon James set off as volunteers in a £500 Lada stacked high with toys, games, footballs, paints and a parachute. Their destination was Chechnya and their aim was to work with children who had been traumatised by war. After working for two months setting up and teaching in a rehabilitation centre and watching the children begin to smile and play again, they were kidnapped by Chechen guerrillas. There followed fourteen months of incarceration in homes that varied from a concrete box with no natural light or fresh air, to a pink trompe la oeil bedroom via a sauna and various cellars. They experienced everything from rape and mental torture to moments of compassion and kindness. They survived by using tools such as tai chi, yoga, meditation and humour; and through creating a dialogue with their captors, looking beneath their masks of fear and anger to reach the small flame of love and laughter unquenched by the demonising nature of war.


Beyond a Broken Sky

Beyond a Broken Sky

Author: Suzanne Fortin

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-07-21

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1800243790

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Some secrets are better left buried... 2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is called to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian prisoner of war during WW2. It should be a quick job but when she and the owner's son, Nate Hartwell, discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing – her twin brother disappeared just before their eighteenth birthday, and she has been looking for him for nearly a decade. But when the threats start, it's clear someone doesn't want the secrets of Telton Hall to come to light. 1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Pregnant and alone she is sent away to hide her shame and taken in by Louise Hartwell who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. As the weeks pass, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it. Even though peace has been declared in Europe, the war at home is only just beginning... Perfect for fans of Ellie Midwood, Suzanne Kelman and Suzanne Goldring. Readers love Beyond a Broken Sky! 'Compelling historical mystery... You'll be turning the pages as fast as you can and falling in love with (most of) the characters.' Jera's Jamboree, 5 stars 'Huge fan of this author... An immensely enjoyable novel and highly recommended!' Pickled Thoughts and Pinot, 5 stars 'Wow, there was a lot going on in this book! A lot of effort has gone into making this story as powerful as it was.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars 'Wonderful book, completely addictive! A fun read and cleverly crafted. Highly recommend.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Suspenseful with an underlying menacing ethos... I enjoyed the female protagonists and the plot twists.' Jane Hunt Writer, 5 stars 'Thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline book... Another winner from this talented author. Highly recommend.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Beautifully written dual timeline story... Absolutely loved this story. I was captured from the very beginning.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Suzanne Fortin has done it again' Tweedvale Girl Book Reviews, 5 stars 'Soothing, escapist, and well worth reading... A moving story showcasing that love can conquer all... A very nice mystery.' Goodreads Reviewer, 4 stars 'Very well written book, great plot, moved along fast and kept me engaged... Could easily have read it in one sitting if other things didn't get in the way!' NetGalley Reviewer, 4 stars 'Heartfelt and moving... Each experience and influence adds together to make something uniquely beautiful.' Lotus Writing Therapy, 4 stars Praise for Suzanne Fortin: 'The story brings a warm sense of hope and is moving and joyful in equal measures. A triumph' Celia Anderson 'This story has great depths of emotion, highs and lows, and I found it utterly gripping!' Christina Courtenay 'A deeply moving story of love in all its forms – I adored it' Mandy Baggot 'Five stars' Poppy Alexander


I Chose the Sky

I Chose the Sky

Author: Leonard H. Rochford

Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

Published: 2015-07-19

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1910690902

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A fascinating, insightful, and nail-biting account by a World War One veteran—a Grub Street Classic previously out of print for more than thirty years. In these exciting memoirs, “Tich” Rochford writes about his two action-filled years as a World War I fighter pilot with the famous No. 3 (Naval) Squadron when he flew planes such as the Sopwith Pup and the Sopwith Camel. While flying many hundreds of hours in operations he was credited with many single-handed victories or driven out of control, and he vividly recalls these engagements in the air and the exploits of the pilots with whom he flew, names that include other fighter aces like Raymond Collishaw, who has written a foreword to this book, T. F. Havell, R. H. Mulock and L. S. Breadner. A member of his flight, Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick said of him, “I always had the impression that what he did came naturally to him. If he saw an enemy aircraft and decided to attack, that was that. He went screaming down on it and we all had our work cut out to keep up with him. One could be pretty sure of the victim going down in flames.” “This excellent autobiography is highly recommended.” —Over the Front


Under an Amber Sky

Under an Amber Sky

Author: Pamela Evans

Publisher: Headline

Published: 2010-01-07

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 0755372824

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Two sisters manage to escape their tragic beginnings, but heartbreak is never far away. A wonderfully eventful and colourful picture of life in wartime London, Under an Amber Sky is a compelling wartime tale from much-loved saga writer, Pam Evans. Perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry and Dilly Court. For the Porters and the Mills, family and friendship are the glue that binds everything together. So when the Porters' home is destroyed in the Blitz and only seventeen-year-old Nell and her little sister Pansy survive, all their lives are shattered. Peg Mills is determined to look after her best friend's daughters and, in time, the girls begin to thrive - Pansy, evacuated to the countryside and to Peg's loving mother, and Nell in her new job at the local newspaper. But trouble is on its way. Nell discovers her handsome suitor Gus Granger is hiding a dangerous secret. And, just when she needs him the most, her closest confidant Ed Mills is declared missing in action. Nell suddenly realises that Ed means much more to her than just a friend. But will she ever see him again to tell him her true feelings? What readers are saying about Under an Amber Sky: 'Brilliant read, couldn't put it down, you really feel for the characters in the story and can imagine vividly what it must have been like to live through those dark days and the lengths people went to' 'Brilliant book, keeps you guessing from the beginning to the end. The best book I have read in a long time' 'A lovely, easy read in true Pamela Evans style. Her characters are totally believable and you can't help but get involved in their lives'


Just Sea and Sky

Just Sea and Sky

Author: Ben Pester

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2013-08-04

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1408151219

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This charming account of the voyage of two men in a small boat half way round the world from Plymouth to New Zealand in 1953 is a rare insight into a time, not long ago, when sailors had no GPS, electronics, radio or any of the mod cons that we take for granted today. Without lifejacket or a liferaft, they 'just took what came along', hand steering all the way, navigating by sextant, hand-cranking their engine and using oil lamps for light at night and for navigation. Sailors will be staggered how primitive conditions were only a few decades ago, even though it was the norm at the time. Part travelogue and part adventure story, the two friends encountered drunken harbourmasters, the mafia, the legacy of slavery and lost civilisations in the Pacific. Beautifully written, vivid in its descriptions of the two men's exploits ashore and on board, this quirky and entertaining book will be a fascinating read for sailors and non-sailors alike. 'A compelling story - I feel like I have sailed with them.' Yachting Monthly


The Night Sky, Updated and Expanded Edition

The Night Sky, Updated and Expanded Edition

Author: Richard Grossinger

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2014-09-30

Total Pages: 841

ISBN-13: 1583947116

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Ever since Homo sapiens first looked up at the stars, we as a species have been looking for meaning in the mysteries of the night sky. Over the millennia, as our knowledge, science, and technology developed, the stories we told ourselves about the universe and our place in it developed as well. In The Night Sky, Richard Grossinger traces those developments, covering multiple aspects of humanity's complex relationship to the cosmos. Covering not only astronomy but also cosmology, cosmogony, astrology, and science fiction, he offers us a revelatory look at the firmament through his own telescope, fitted with an anthropological lens. Throughout his explorations, Grossinger continually reflects on the deeper meaning of our changing concepts about the universe and creation, offering insight into how each new discovery causes us to redefine the values, moralities, and aesthetics by which we live. He also calls into question the self-aggrandizing notion that humanity can and will conquer all, and injects our strident confidence in science with a healthy dose of humility and wonder. Filled with poetic observation and profound questions, The Night Sky is a brilliant reflection of humanity's relationship with the cosmos--a relationship fed by longing, doubt, and awe.