Famous Regiments of the British Army Volume 3

Dorian Bond • £25
The History Press

This book, a continuation of volumes one and two, completes the study of more than a hundred British regiments all of whom played more than important roles in world history. In testing times, on foreign adventures victorious, glorious and sometimes disastrous, they have helped shape the history of the British Isles. In this third volume 34 regiments are featured – their battle honours, badges and most famous sons – including the stories of the heroic actions of their Victoria Cross holders. Each regiment’s section includes artworks and photographs illustrating insignia, uniforms and soldiers in action down through the centuries. While the tales of courage and loss are in themselves enthralling, Dorian Bond also divulges many interesting facts about these unique bodies of men.

Tracing Your Twentieth-Century Ancestors

Karen Bali • £14.99
Pen & Sword

The recent past is so often neglected when people research their family history, yet it can be one of the most rewarding periods to explore, and so much fascinating evidence is available. The rush of events over the last century and the rapid changes that have taken place in every aspect of life have been dramatic, and the lives of family members of only a generation or two ago may already appear remote. That is why Karen Bali’s informative and accessible guide to investigating your immediate ancestors is essential reading, and a handy reference for anyone who is trying to trace them or discover the background to their lives.

In a sequence of concise, fact-filled chapters she looks back over the key events of the 20th century and identifies the sources that can give researchers an insight into the personal stories of individuals who lived through it. She explains census and civil records, particularly those of the early twentieth century, and advises readers on the best way to get relevant information from directories and registers as well as wills and other personal documents.

Chapters also cover newspapers – which often provide personal details and offer a vivid impression of the world of the time – professional and property records and records of migration and naturalisation. This practical handbook is rounded off with sections on tracing living relatives and likely future developments in the field.

Men of Steam

LA Summers • £15.99
Amberley Books

In recent years the importance of the personal element in locomotive design and operation has increasingly come to the fore. This book offers brief but tight profiles of some of Britain’s locomotive engineers, some very well known, some not, examining their work. Some reassessments, that of Sir Nigel Gresley for example will be controversial.