The Royal Flying Corps Handbook 1914-1918

Peter Cooksley • £15.99
The History Press

During WW1, Britain’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) fought alongside one another in the greatest conflict mankind had ever experienced. This period was also one of dramatic technological advances, in which both air arms made significant contributions to the development of air interception and strategic bombing. The RFC and RNAS were the precursors of arguably the finest, most efficient, and certainly the oldest, independent air arm in the world – the Royal Air Force.

This book explores a wide range of subjects, from aircraft, airships, balloons and motor vehicles to pay, rank, the women’s branches, uniforms and even the origins of the RAF’s eagle badge.

Peter Cooksley’s authoritative text is complemented by many previously unpublished photographs, line drawings and maps.

Shell-Shocked Britain

Suzie Grogan • £19.99
Pen & Sword

We know that millions of soldiers were scarred by their experiences in the World War One trenches, but what happened after they returned home? In this new book, Suzie Grogan reveals WW1’s disturbing legacy for soldiers and their families. How did a nation of broken men, and ‘spare’ women cope?

In 1922 the British Parliament published a report into the situation of thousands of ‘service patients’, or mentally ill ex-soldiers still in hospital. What happened to these men? Were they cured? What treatments were on offer? And what was the reception from their families and society?

Drawing on a huge mass of original sources, Suzie Grogan answers all those questions, combining individual case studies with a narrative on wider events. Unpublished material from the archives shows the true extent of the trauma experienced by the survivors. This is a fresh perspective on the history of the post-war period, and the plight of a traumatised nation.

Death in Disguise

Gary Powell • £9.99
The History Press

Victorian Chelsea was a thriving commercial and residential development, where violent crime was unheard of. The double murder of an elderly man of God and his faithful housekeeper in two ferocious, bloody attacks in May of 1870 therefore shook the residents of Chelsea to the core. This volume examines the extraordinary case, one which could have leapt straight from the pen of Agatha Christie herself: the solving of the crime relied on the discovery of a packing box dripping with blood, and the capture of a mysterious French nephew. Compiled by a former detective, it looks at all the facts and invites readers to solve the mystery themselves.

Life in the Victorian Kitchen

Karen Foy • £12.99
Pen & Sword

Have you ever wondered what life was like for domestic servants, the etiquette involved during upper class banquets, or simply wished for a glimpse of day-to-day life in the Victorian kitchen? During the 19th century, the kitchen was a place where culinary worlds collided, bridging the gap between social classes.

From the rural cottage to the well-staffed country house, Karen Foy takes readers on an entertaining and informative journey through a lost culinary world, uncovering the customs and traditions surrounding some of Britain’s best loved dishes.

Discover 19th century tips, techniques, stories and superstitions. Try your hand at foretelling the future using an egg or test recipes for everything from apple wine to sheep’s head pie. Step into the world of the Victorian kitchen.