Taking you through the year day by day, The Isle of Wight Book of Days contains quirky, eccentric, amusing and important events and facts from different periods in the history of the Island. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of the Isle of Wight's archives and covering the social, criminal, political, religious, industrial, military and sporting history of the Island, it will delight residents and visitors alike.
Taking you through the year day by day, The Southampton Book of Days contains quirky, eccentric, shocking, amusing and important events and facts from different periods in the history of the city. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of Southampton's archives and covering the social, criminal, political, religious, agricultural, industrial and military history of the region, it will delight residents and visitors alike.
Reprint of the original, first published in 1863. A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in connection with the calendar. Including anecdote, biography, and history. Curiosities of literature and oddities of human life and character.
The classic postapocalyptic thriller with “all the reality of a vividly realized nightmare” (The Times, London). Triffids are odd, interesting little plants that grow in everyone’s garden. Triffids are no more than mere curiosities—until an event occurs that alters human life forever. What seems to be a spectacular meteor shower turns into a bizarre, green inferno that blinds everyone and renders humankind helpless. What follows is even stranger: spores from the inferno cause the triffids to suddenly take on a life of their own. They become large, crawling vegetation, with the ability to uproot and roam about the country, attacking humans and inflicting pain and agony. William Masen somehow managed to escape being blinded in the inferno, and now after leaving the hospital, he is one of the few survivors who can see. And he may be the only one who can save his species from chaos and eventual extinction . . . With more than a million copies sold, The Day of the Triffids is a landmark of speculative fiction, and “an outstanding and entertaining novel” (Library Journal). “A thoroughly English apocalypse, it rivals H. G. Wells in conveying how the everyday invaded by the alien would feel. No wonder Stephen King admires Wyndham so much.” —Ramsey Campbell, author of The Overnight “One of my all-time favorite novels. It’s absolutely convincing, full of little telling details, and that sweet, warm sensation of horror and mystery.” —Joe R. Lansdale, author of Edge of Dark Water
Did you know?A new species of cat-like dinosaur, yet to be named, was discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1988.Darwin began his world famous ‘On the Origin of the Species' while staying at the Kings Head Hotel.There are 21 tourists to every Island resident.The Little Book of the Isle of Wight is a funny, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no one will want to be without. The Island’s most eccentric inhabitants, blood-curdling murders and literally hundreds of facts combine to make this required reading for locals and visitors alike. Illustrated with humorous cartoons and delivered with wit and flair, this captivating compendium is almost impossible to put down.
The Musical Book of Days celebrates this harmless obsession with a kaleidoscope of compositional events, experiences expletives for every day of the year.
This is a comprehensive study of the early history and inhabitants of Isle of Wight County. It begins with a graphic description of the early settlers--including accounts of Quakers and Cavaliers--and is followed by detailed histories of the various Isle of Wight families. Nearly 200 pages of this voluminous work are devoted to abstracts of deeds, land records, and quit rents. Besides a place and subject index, the work further includes a 38-page name index of several thousand entries.
Once renowned as a place to dump criminals, and with a past steeped in smuggling, the Isle of Wight provides copious tales of corruption, violence and delinquency. From the customs officer who had both his hands severed by smugglers, to Bembridge witch Molly Downer who embarrassed the vicar by making him her heir, this book contains a vast array of misdeeds and miscreants. Featuring criminals such as Michael Morey, who butchered his grandson, and thirteen-year-old John Leigh, who strangled his father and, caught in the act by his sister, threw her from a window, Isle of Wight Villains details the darker side of this island paradise.
