Battlefields of England and Scotland

John Kinross • £14.99
Amberley Books

The battlefields of England and Scotland are a strongly neglected but important part of our national heritage, and what remains today and the current usage of the sites is very varied. Some like Bosworth and Culloden have modern visitor centres, shops and cafes, and others such as Homildon Hill and Edgecote have nothing at all.

From King Alfred’s victory over the Danes at Ashdown in 871 to the defeat of the Jacobites in the April show at Culloden in 1746, this book covers 70 battles that took place in England and Scotland. The author gives each battle its historical context, describes the action in relation to the landscape and discusses the remains of the site and what can be found today.

Forgotten Songs and Stories of the Sea

Caroline Rochford • £14.99
Pen & Sword

Stirring tales of heroism at sea have been engrained in the annals of maritime history since time immemorial. Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World, Queen Elizabeth I’s defeat of the Spanish Armada, and Horatio Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar are just some of Britain’s most memorable naval triumphs. But what about the lesser-known tales from our seafaring past?

The Victorian who invented a swimming machine in order to cross the English Channel; the capture of a ‘real-life’ mermaid; the lost pirate treasure of Alborán; the ghost of a murdered sailor who still haunts the streets of Portsmouth; and the daring explorers who vanished into the blue yonder, leaving behind nothing but a cryptic message in a champagne bottle – these are just some of our quirky naval stories that have been chronicled in verse and archived in newspaper clippings, and forgotten with the passage of time. Historian and genealogist Caroline Rochford has compiled 200 traditional songs and stories into this book, which offers an exciting, entertaining and eye-opening glimpse into our long lost maritime past.

Where Did That Regiment Go?

Gerry Murphy • The History Press
The History Press

Everyone has heard of, say, the Irish Fusiliers, the Glorious Glosters, or Royal Scots Greys. But where are these regiments today? What are they called? And what were they called a hundred years ago?

Anyone trying to follow the name changes of a particular regiment soon gets caught up in and confused by different histories in different books. By using clear family trees, Gerry Murphy sorts out all the confusion in one indispensable volume. The appendices alone are invaluable, showing the number of regimental antecedents, honours, colours and insignia.