32 War Memoirs WAR MEMOIRS


73770 CHANGING COURSE by Roxane Houston Roxane Houston was a lively talented girl raised in a comfortable home excited to be gaining a place to study singing at the Royal Academy of Music. Except that Hitler decided to invade Poland and everything changed. By August 1940 she was in the Navy, and by the time the war ended, she had travelled the Mediterranean and the Middle East, survived shot and


shell, and lost her young brother when HMS Neptune sank off Tripoli. In those short six years she survived grief, love and danger and it was a very different young woman who arrived at the Royal Academy in the autumn of 1946 to begin what would prove to be a distinguished career. Here she revisits those momentous days which tested her to the full giving a fascinating insight into service life when, determined to ‘do her bit’ she volunteered to join the Wrens. Under constant attack from the Luftwaffe, she was moved around Britain and then to Ceylon. 271pp with eight pages of photos.


£8.99 NOW £4.50


73765 ARISE TO CONQUER by Wing Commander Ian Gleed


The authentic atmosphere of the life of a fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force, the book was originally published during the war in 1942. It is the other side of the mirror from the philosophical flight records of authors such as Antoine de Saint Exupéry. It is a gripping and almost breathless daily record


of an English fighter pilot of 23 years old, fighting in the Battle of Britain. Gleed details his first sortie in 1939, his serious injury not so long after, his return to the RAF and battles over France, becoming an ace, downing Messerschmitts, and eventually being awarded the DFC for his service as leader and fighter. This candid, likeable record of a job done has since become a classic. 214pp in paperback reprint with eight pages of photos and line art.


£8.99 NOW £4


73522 CRASH DIVE: In Action With HMS Safari 1942-43


by Arthur P. Dickison Unusual in that it is written not by an officer but by a rating, this personal diary offers a compelling view of life beneath the waves. The author of what turns out to be a gripping eye-witness account joined HMS Safari on her first commission in March 1942 and


remained with her as the boat’s Leading Telegraphist for 18 months of war patrols in the Mediterranean. Here, he conveys the full range of the submariner’s experience as he offers a unique and important historical record of his time of service. With access to all signals traffic - and reporting, as he did, to the Navigation Officer - he was afforded secret insights into daily operations. Strictly against the rules, he kept a personal diary of life aboard, recording daily events ranging from the tedium of long sea passages to stalking enemy convoys and from crash dives to fighting it out on the surface. 288 paperback pages with b/w archive photos, list of abbreviations and glossary.


£7.99 NOW £4


73519 CHILD FROM HOME by John T. Wright


Plans to evacuate children from Middlesbrough started even before war was declared, and in October 1939 young John Wright with his brother George climbed aboard a train with six other toddlers, all bound for Sutherland Lodge near Pickering, the ancestral home of the Stancliffe family. John’s mam went with them as a dinner lady at the nursery, and for a few years


they lived an idyllic existence as they explored the countryside, blackberrying in autumn and watching the birds nesting in spring. Then John is transferred to Haxby near York in order to go to school with his cousin Jimmy. His host, Mrs Harris, is a sadist who beats the children under her care, although her husband tries to make amends. John and Jimmy run away but they do not get very far before they have second thoughts and are rather relieved to be rounded up. When Hitler’s “Baedeker” air raids start they watch York burning in the distance. Gran makes the occasional visit but she is showing the strain of life in Middlesbrough and at the end of the war John has to cope with a tragedy that makes these recollections particularly poignant. 252pp, paperback, black and white photos. £14.99 NOW £5


71355 DEAR JOAN: Love Letters from the Second World War


by Tony Ross and Joan Charles Tony describes the challenges of life in the desert, his increasing responsibilities in the RAF as he is promoted to the rank of Wing Commander - eventually being awarded the DFC - and his breathtaking experiences in the numerous countries he visits throughout the Middle East. Joan’s letters reveal the problems of daily life in wartime Britain and give an insight into her voluntary work for the Fire Guard, the Land Army and the Red Cross, as well as the bureaucracy she hated in her job with the Civil Service. 304 pages, photos. £17.99 NOW £3.50


72737 PEOPLE’S WAR


by Felicity Goodall A fashionable wedding at St George’s Hanover Square takes place amid piles of debris. Censorship was an important feature of life in Britain and an archive photo shows the censor’s department at the Post Office, unusually staffed mainly by men,


meticulously checking the contents of letters abroad. Mea Allen was the first woman to be appointed to a Fleet Street news desk, but she was hauled over the coals by the police when she revealed a particularly juicy story in a letter to a friend. This outstanding book uses archive photos and text to recreate a picture of life on the home front with amazing vividness. The progress of the war is also recounted, including bombs, shelters, air raids, industrial action, rationing, the Enigma code, the internment of “enemy aliens” on the Isle of Man, and the German occupation of the Channel Islands.


288pp, large paperback, superb archive photos on every page.


£15 NOW £6


72876 KITCHENER’S LAST VOLUNTEER: The Life of Henry Allingham


the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War


by Henry Allingham with Dennis Goodwin This man is unique in that he saw action on land, sea and in the air with the Royal Naval Air Service - which would later be amalgamated into what we know today as the Royal Air Force. He was present at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 with the British Grand Fleet, and went on to serve on the Western Front, where he encountered the many horrors of air warfare. In the 21st century, widowed, and living alone, he was befriended by Dennis Goodwin, who enabled him to tell his story to a wider audience through a BBC documentary. Henry Allingham has become a hero to many people, meeting royalty and receiving numerous honours. 240 pages with maps, photos and timeline. £17.99 NOW £4.50


72973 DAY WE WENT TO


WAR by Terry Charman As the people of Britain gathered around their radios, the Prime Minister confirmed on 3rd September 1939 at 11.15am what many had feared for months - Britain was at war with Germany. Drawing on the Imperial War Museum’s extensive archives, this book features the personal stories of men and women who lived through


startling events from the first shots fired to the first wartime Christmas. It is a book that chronicles ‘that odd, dead period before the Churchillian renaissance.’ 446pp in paperback with photos. £6.99 NOW £3


73164 THE HARDEST DAY: Battle of Britain


18th August 1940 by Alfred Price On Sunday 18th August 1940 the Luftwaffe launched three major air assaults against targets in southern England. 100 German and 136 British aircraft were destroyed or damaged. This vivid, emotionally charged book describes the events of that 24-hour period, seen through the eyes of: pilots from both sides, schoolboys, schoolgirls, housewives, ground crew, the police, railway men, motor mechanics, nurses, members of the public and many, many more. Every point of view is covered, especially those of Guenther Unger, Do 17 pilot and Sergeant Harry Newton, Hurricane pilot, whose terrible experiences on that day, and subsequent friendship, served as the inspiration for this book. Detailed appendices of carefully researched statistical data, RAF and Luftwaffe orders of battle, combat losses and the intelligence appreciations of the day. 288 pages with b/w archive photos, maps. £29.99 NOW £6.50


73647 FIGHTER WRITER: The Eventful Life of Sergeant Joe Lee, Scotland’s Forgotten


War Poet by Bob Burrows For a while he worked as a ship’s stoker, travelling to many lands, and then he worked as a cowpuncher in Canada before turning to his artwork and becoming a cartoonist. In 1910, he sketched a 12 year old girl, Dorothy, winner of


a singing competition - little could he guess that 14 years later they would marry. He began writing poems, and then, in 1914, at almost 40 years of age, he joined the Black Watch and was sent to France where his poems and sketches


caused quite a stir. This warm,


friendly biography is a delight and hopefully will bring Joe Lee and his poems back into prominence. 224pp, b/w illus., sketches.


£16.99 NOW £6


70832 CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES by James Taylor


‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’ are remembered fondly by the millions who experienced life on the Home Front, perhaps more so than Make Do and Mend and Dig For Victory. Fougasse was an Englishman called Cyril Kenneth Bird and his first cartoon appeared in Punch in 1916. These famous posters were displayed in public houses and tea shops, factories and post offices and today surviving examples of these iconic designs are eagerly sought after by collectors. Colour reproductions, 96pp.


£9.99 NOW £4 71454 FAMILY AT WAR: The Foljambe Family


and the Great War by Jolyon Jackson Francis Foljambe, whose personal correspondence forms the main thread of this story, was with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium during the early days of the war. His artillery battery had the unique distinction of firing the first 18-pounder rounds of the First World War. They endured the horrors of Mons - where Francis’ battery commander was shot through the throat and died - Le Cateau, the Aisne and Ypres. Francis was commanding a battery as an acting major, had been mentioned in dispatches and won a Military Cross when he was posted home to work in the Ministry of Munitions. An unparalleled record of a family at war. 264 pages 21.5cm by 28 cm, archive photos. £25 NOW £5


71889 THE WOMAN WHO CENSORED CHURCHILL by Ruth Ive


By the 1940s, all telephone cables except one between Britain and North America had been disconnected, in order to prevent the Germans intercepting information. The one between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt was reserved for conversations of the utmost importance between key political


figures, heads of state and the royal family, and it had to be closely monitored to ensure that nothing was said that might compromise security. A young stenographer working in the Ministry of Information had the job of censoring the line and she spent three and half years ready to cut it if anything was said that might pose a security risk. It was not until 1995, when Churchill’s private files were finally declassified, that she was able to prove the extraordinary nature of her wartime work. 159 pages, photos. £18.99 NOW £3.50


72060 PEDRO: The Life and Death of Fighter


Ace Osgood Villiers Hanbury by Robin Rhoderick-Jones


A fine tribute to a naturally gifted fighter pilot who destroyed 12 enemy aircraft and damaged 5 (plus two probables). Known as Pedro to his comrades and Tiggy to his family, Osgood Villiers Hanbury was a charismatic Eton schoolboy who, before his untimely death aged 25, became acting squadron leader of 260 Squadron in the Middle East and won medals for his bravery. He was an accomplished letter writer, and his lust for life and thirst for action are evident in his missives to family and friends. 168 pages, photos, maps. £18 NOW £3.75


72225 VE DAY IN PHOTOGRAPHS by Sean McKnight


A lorry passes through Parliament Square, five high with people in almost a pyramid, girls with their skirts billowing in the wind, uniformed soldiers and smart civilians arm in arm, hand in hand, waving and gleeful. The future Queen Elizabeth I is pictured in


uniform, symbolising a common, national purpose. Land girls are in cheerful mood in Trafalgar Square, the Palace of Westminster is blazing with lights now that the blackout is over, street parties, children, bunting, the news reaches the USA and the liberated Western Europe, even German soldiers are smiling. 64 very large pages, photos with captions in this pictorial celebration.


£8.99 NOW £2.50


72601 DENAZIFICATION: Britain’s Enemy Aliens, Nazi War Criminals and the Reconstruction of Post-war Europe by Helen Fry


How were Germany and Austria rebuilt after the end of Nazi tyranny? And who was going to undertake the gigantic task of re-educating the German and Austrian people into the values of democracy and a free society. More than 10,000 Germans, who fled Nazi persecution, served with British forces during WWII. At the end of the conflict, many returned to the land of their birth with the Intelligence Corps and Military Government, to begin the rebuilding process. The huge task they faced, which involved the removal of all adherents of Nazi ideology from every facet of public life, was termed ‘denazification’. 190 pages, archive photos. £18.99 NOW £6


72139 JUNIOR OFFICERS’ READING CLUB: Killing Time and Fighting War by Patrick Hennessey


In the Iraqi desert, Patrick Hennessey and a handful of his military academic pals form the Junior Officer’s Reading Club, staving off both the monotony and the pressures of army life by losing themselves in the dusty paperbacks on the transit-camp bookshelves. By the time Hennessey reaches Afghanistan and the rest of the club are scattered across the Middle East, they are no longer cheerfully overconfident young recruits, hungering for action and glory. This is a searing account of a transformation from arrogant enlistee to fierce and seasoned commander. Glossary of military terms, 310pp in paperback. $16 NOW £3.50


73755 73754


HELP THE AGED Created for Age UK, certain products have now been discontinued and Bibliophile has these exclusively at a discounted price.


73756


73759


73756 MAGNETIC PICK UP TOOL WITH LED LIGHT by Age UK


This telescopic design extends from 7" (19cm) to 32" (81cm) and to turn the light on and off, simply collapse the gadget, grip both halves of the head section containing the batteries and light, and turn the end furthest away in the direction marked to turn it on and off. With the device collapsed, insert the replaceable batteries (3 x LR44 button batteries) which are supplied with the device. We at Bibliophile think this device is brilliant for spotting things down the back of the radiator, under the chair and of course it is magnetic too to pick up the pennies and other little metal objects you have dropped. Handy! ONLY £10


73759 FOLDING EASY REACHER by Age UK Makes grabbing and gripping things up on shelves or down where you don’t want to bend so much easier. A lightweight aluminium construction, gain over 28" or 72cm of extra reach without turning into a gibbon! There is a three-finger contoured trigger, rubber secure hold cup grip and you can lock the stick into position when holding objects. Folds away for easy storage and has an easy use locking mechanism to avoid accidental folding. It also has an extra large integrated hanging eye. Only 499 gram weight. £14.99 NOW £10


73754 ANTI-SLIP MAT by Age UK Measuring 3 foot long by 12" wide, the flexible design of this black rubbery meshed mat is that it can be trimmed to fit your needs. Secures almost anything to most surfaces, it could be placed in a shower tray, under a rug or chair or 101 other uses to make you feel much safer. ONLY £3


73755 SAFETY HAND GRIPS: Twin Pack by Age UK


Ideal for use by the toilet, next to the bath tub, the shower, by steps or in stairways, here is a twin pack of two grab handles supplied with all required fittings. Made of strong, warm, easy-clean ABS construction, they are white in colour with concealed screw heads and a ridged finish for extra grip. When selecting a surface to attach the hand grip, please ensure it is suitable to take any weight applied by the user. £15 NOW £9


73758 CAR SWIVEL SEAT by Age UK From time to time we all need a little extra help getting in and out of the car. This really handy device is a soft, padded and flexible cushion for comfort and universal fit. It permits a smooth swivelling action without twisting or jarring, ideal for use in car seats or chairs. It is made of a black, rubberised extra-gripping base material, and the top part a velvety black foam covered padded circular seat, 16" in diameter. Colour box, 222g. Would suit a multitude of uses, so buy one or two while stocks last. £19.99 NOW £16


72440 CHURCHILL’S UNEXPECTED GUESTS by Sophie Jackson


During the Second World War over 400,000 Germans and Italians were held in prison camps in Britain. These men played a vital part in the life of war-torn Britain, from working in the fields to repairing bomb-damaged homes, yet despite the role they played, today it is almost forgotten that Britain once held POWs at all. For those who


played or fell in love with the enemies in their midst, despite restrictions and the opinions of their peers, those times remain vivid. Whether they took tea on the lawn with Italians or invited a German for Christmas dinner, the POWs were a large part of their lives. 190pp. Illus. £14.99 NOW £6


72135 LISTENING TO BRITAIN


edited by Paul Addison and Jeremy Crang Subtitled ‘Home Intelligence Reports on Britain’s Finest Hour May to September 1940' this is a period that saw the Ministry of Information compile daily reports on the morale of the nation for circulation within Whitehall. From the Mass-Observation Social Survey Organisation through a network of contacts including chief constables, postal censors, doctors, parsons, publicans and trade unionists, here are rumours about German spies dressed as ‘hairy-handed nuns’ and concerns about anti-Semitism in the heavily-bombed East End. 492 page paperback. £8.99 NOW £3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36