It Runs in the Family

Ruth A Symes • £14.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

What can mementoes tell us about our families in the past? This unique book answers such questions as: why didn’t my ancestors smile for the camera? why is my great-grandfather wearing a beard while his sons remain clean-shaven?

After sifting through census returns and other formal records, family historians can also make use of their existing family mementoes such as photographs, written records and keepsakes, to discover more about their ancestors and their way of life. Genealogical writer and historian Ruth Symes shows how to interpret these personal effects to build a more thorough and rounded picture of their owners. In particular, the clues given by family photos such as facial expression, clothing, uniforms, hairstyles and facial hair, and even tattoos, are explained in full. Jewellery can also convey meaning through its symbolism and value. Even the choice of family pet may tell researchers something about the occupation, wealth and status of its owners.

The book includes numerous photographs and line drawings, as well as references for further reading in each chapter.

The result is a unique new angle into your family history and how your forebears lived and thought. Look out for an exclusive extract from It Runs in the Family in the next issue of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical.

The Grand Fleet 1914-19

Daniel Ridley-Kitts • £19.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

During the First World War the reputation of the British Royal Navy was put on the line in its defence of the country, and, crucially, it was in those years, 1914–19, that the Grand Fleet became the single most potent weapon of war of any nation.

In this comprehensive, illustrated history, Ridley- Kitts tells of the creation and development of the Grand Fleet under the drive of the energetic and charismatic Admiral of the Fleet ‘Jacky’ Fisher, who modernised the navy with the introduction of the revolutionary Dreadnought battleship. This type of vessel in particular made other nations’ battleships obsolete, created a powerful weapon for the defence of the British Empire and its trade, and finally defeated the machinations of Kaiser William II. Using unique illustrations rendered by the author, the story of the Grand Fleet is told in accessible narrative style, with outstanding technical detail that will satisfy naval enthusiasts.

Tay Bridge Disaster

Robin Lumley • £14.99
thehistorypress.co.uk

One hundred and thirty-five years after the event, the Tay Bridge Disaster remains the single most catastrophic collapse of a British engineering structure. The fateful day in 1879 shook Britain and the world of engineering to their core and sent a nation into mourning for the 75 souls lost. Here Robin Lumley gives the collapse a much wider perspective by delving into the lives of those lost to the disaster, both passengers and railway workers, against a background of a wider Scottish history.

Merchant Adventurers

James Evans • £25
orionbooks.co.uk

In the spring of 1553 three ships sailed north-east from London into uncharted waters. Drawing on the latest navigational science and the new spirit of enterprise and discovery sweeping the Tudor capital, they sought a northern passage to Asia and its riches. When the ships became separated in a storm, each had to fend for itself. Their fates were sharply divided. One returned to England, to recount extraordinary tales of the imperial court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The tragic, mysterious story of the other two ships has to be pieced together through the surviving captain’s log book, after he and his crew became lost and trapped by the advancing Arctic winter. Although the ‘merchant adventurers’ failed to reach China as they had hoped, their achievements would lay the foundations for England’s expansion on a global stage. As James Evans’ vivid account shows, their voyage also makes for a gripping story of daring, discovery, tragedy and adventure.