Amberley imprint: 2705 books

In the 1940s, Doris Day had a No. 1 hit record with Sentimental Journey. This would indeed be an apt alternative title for this book, for within its pages the reader will be taken on a sentimental journey back to the days when the residents of Portsmouth could board a steam train, glide through the...

The river Thames has always been a strong element of Gravesend's history. A port was established close to London, which became the embarkation point for overseas visitors before Tilbury Dock was built. From 1800 to 1830 the population doubled as it became a fashionable resort for Londoners. Day trippers...

Wales is known for its green hills and valleys, narrow gauge steam railways and medieval castles, but not, it appears, for its pleasure piers. This is a shame, as the country has some of the finest surviving piers in England and Wales, with three particularly fine examples. Llandudno, 'Queen of the...

Hythe is situated on the south-east coast of Kent, just 25 miles or so from France. One of the famous Cinque Ports, Hythe also became a popular seaside resort in the Edwardian era, providing fetes, fairs, donkey derbies, and bathing huts for its many visitors. Like all settlements, Hythe has had to...

Despite their popular association with fun and frivolity, the function of piers as both an amusement centre and landing stage was varied, and nowhere was this better illustrated than on the coasts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and east Dorset. The area's association with piers dates right back to...

Ind Coope & Samuel Allsopp Breweries: The History Of The Hand charts the fortunes of two Burton upon Trent brewing giants: Samuel Allsopp, founded in the town in 1742 by Benjamin Wilson (Senior) and Ind Coope, who expanded to Burton upon Trent from Romford in 1856. Events detailed include the...

Commercial Cars Limited was the name of a new company set up in 1906 in south London to build a motor lorry, using what was then known as the Linley gearbox, which had degree of pre-selection in its use. The design was successful enough to require a relocation of the company to Luton and larger premises....

Hub van Doorne and his brother Wim set up a transport engineering company at Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in 1928. The official name was to become Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagenfabriek, which translated as ‘Van Doorne’s trailer factory’, and the company was subsequently known as DAF. In 1948, DAF’s...

Car production at Volvo began in 1926 in Stockholm with a prototype. By 1927 small goods vehicles based on the car designs were in production at Gothenburg, and heavier three-tonners were being produced by 1928. Already known for their robust cars, Volvo lorries first came to British roads in 1967...

AEC Lorries explores the story of lorry use in the last fifty years, showing the diverse use of the vehicles and their configurations for many different types of work, with a focus on one of the great British manufacturers – AEC. AEC lorries have always been held in high esteem at home and abroad...

The history of Dartmoor extends to several centuries BC, with surviving prehistoric remains dating back to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, and the largest concentration of Bronze Age remains in Britain. It has been a hunting ground for the Kings of Wessex, a royal forest, and home to farmers...

Ivybridge, South Brent, and their surrounding villages and hamlets, occupy that part of South Devon which borders the outskirts of Plymouth to the west, and the southern slopes of Dartmoor to the north. Now the most heavily populated town between Plymouth and the Torbay district, Ivybridge has developed...

HMS Royal Oak was a Revenge-class battleship of the British Royal Navy, infamously torpedoed at anchor by the German submarine U-47 on 14 October 1939. Royal Oak was anchored at Scapa Flow in Orkney, Scotland when she became the first of the five Royal Navy battleships and battle cruisers sunk in...

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys small boat cruising, or anyone considering taking up the sport. Ian Nicolson is a renowned nautical author who has always been particularly keen on open boat cruising. Here he imparts the benefits of many years spent investigating and indulging in this fun,...