Captain John Alexander served in the Royal Engineers and was posted to the 17th Indian Division, known as the Black Cats, which was sent into Burma against the Japanese as part of the 14th Army. John's unit was 60 Indian Field Company. After the capture of Hong Kong and the fall of Singapore in February 1942 the Japanese army advanced into Burma, catching the Allies ill-equipped and unprepared. Rangoon fellin March, thus beginning a long fighting retreat by the Allies through thick jungle to the northwest frontier with India. But the Allies regrouped and fought back, and in 1944 fierce fighting, culminating in the battles of the Admin Box, Kohima and Imphal, cau ..

Sir John Betjeman was born at the start of the twentieth century, and lived to become Poet Laureate, an accomplished writer and campaigner, and something of a national treasure. All his life he loved churches, which are woven into his poetic output. He wrote extensively about churches and architecture, telling a journalist in 1955 'Ifhave a mission, it is to show people things which are beautiful so that they will very soon realise what is ugly. When you look at things, instead of just looking through them, life starts absolutely crackling with interest and excitement.' Now, Betjeman's particular way of looking at churches is in danger of being lost in the face ..

For over a hundred years there have been sleeper trains running to a variety of destinations around the British Isles. The longest running services are those between England and Scotland, which started in 1873. The Scottish sleeper services, now branded as the Caledonian Sleeper and currently operated by Serco, are due to have seventy-five brand new Mk 5 carriages introduced into service in the spring of 2018 that will create a new level of hotel-style service. In this book, illustrated throughout, David Meara tells the fascinating story of these icons of Britain's railways, offering a history of the service, including the motorail operation, as well as stories ..

Oxfordshire is rich in many things: fine agricultural land and areas of dense woodland; delightful towns like Burford, Woodstock, Dorchester and Henley; the stately River Thames that bisects the county; the ironstone villages of the northern border; the Oxford Canal meandering its way through remote countryside; and splendid country houses at Blenheim, Chastleton and Rousham. The jewel in the crown is the city of Oxford itself, with its ancient honey-coloured buildings and dreaming spires. This book celebrates both Oxfordshire's well-known glories and hidden gems such as the ruined manor at Hampton Gay, the brewery at Hook Norton and the glories of Wytham Woods. ..