Derek Tait: 27 books

Cornwall has a rich and diverse history stretching from prehistoric times to the Norman Conquest and beyond, including the turbulent Tudor period, the English Civil War and the First and Second World Wars. Neolithic settlements and Bronze Age dwellings have been found at Carn Brea in Redruth and Rough...

Flowing between Devon and Cornwall, the beauty of the River Tamar is ever changing. Every turn brings something new; deer, otters, seals, stoats and, in the past, even the occasional dolphin. Rich with trees, flowers and insects, there is something wonderful to be found with every season. Spring brings...

Very few buildings that stood in the centre of Plymouth before the War still remain. The city was devastated by enemy bombing especially during 1941. Many of the old, narrow, congested streets were destroyed completely, changing the face of Plymouth forever. After the War, a new modern City Centre...

When war was declared on 1 September 1939, the people of Devon pulled together in a way that they hadn't done since the Great War of 1914-18. This book covers the people of Devon's contribution to the war effort, from the commencement of the conflict in September 1939, to its end in September 1945....

Saltash has seen many changes over the years. The waterside area beside the River Tamar has been occupied for over a thousand years and was the home to fishermen plying their trade for much of that time. A ferry ran between Plymouth and Saltash for over 600 years before coming to an end when the Tamar...

When news of the war broke out in 1914, nothing could prepare the citizens of Glasgow for the changes that would envelop their city over the next four years. The story of Glasgow in the Great War is both an interesting and intriguing one. This book covers this historic city’s involvement from the...

This fascinating collection of over 200 archive photographs and postcards - many not seen before - illustrates the history of Plymouth from the late 1800s to the early 1950s, including the early days of horse-drawn trams and early automobiles through to the blitz of 1941 and the reconstruction of...

The Rame Peninsula is a beautiful part of Cornwall. Known as 'The Forgotten Corner' it stretches from Torpoint to Cremyll and includes the villages of Kingsand, Cawsand, Millbrook, St John, Sheviock, Antony and Crafthole together with the sandy beaches of Whitsand Bay. Also included is the Mount Edgcumbe...

When the Second World War commenced on 1 September 1939, the people of Cornwall rallied together in a way that they hadn’t done since the Great War of 1914–18. Young men in their thousands enlisted in the army while older men joined the country’s home defense force, the Home Guard. Women took...

With today's constant stream of busy traffic, it's hard to imagine a time when Plymouth had no cars, lorries or buses. With the dawn of photography, the only vehicles in the area would have been horse-drawn wagons or hand-carts and the occasional bicycle. Horse-drawn trams were introduced in the later...

The face of Plymouth changed forever during the Second World War. Heavy bombing destroyed most of its buildings and left the city devastated. Many people found themselves homeless with their only belongings being possessions salvaged from their destroyed homes. Many children were evacuated away from...

Houdini and beyond: a historic magical mystery tour of the great showmen who inspired the likes of David Blaine, Penn & Teller, and Siegfried & Roy.   Today, Harry Houdini stands as the most famous illusionist and escape artist in history. But from the late nineteenth century to early twentieth...

This fascinating biography “brings to life the excitement and thrills” of the master escape artist’s legendary turn-of-century tour in Great Britain (Lancashire Post).   Between 1900 and 1920, a century before endurance artist and street magician David Blaine, Hungarian-born Harry Houdini traveled...