A 1980s Childhood

I have a new book coming out on 15th November 2019. 

A 1980s Childhood describes just what it was like to be a child during the decade. It was a time before people had smartphones, and the last decade before work, society and social life changed forever with the introduction of the internet in the 1990s. There were very few 3D games, no streaming services or other consumer goods that we take for granted nowadays. For a time, Kevin Keegan was the world's most famous footballer, and Donald Trump was just a glitzy property developer.

A 1980s Childhood combines memories, original documents and photos from that time. It covers the holidays children were taken on, popular books and hobbies of the time, how children got around, the range of shops and consumer goods they knew, what school was like back then, and the roles of men and women in parenting in this era - which have changed to a surprising degree.

Together, they give the whole story of what it was like to grow up in the 1980s - an era in living memory but already so different to today.

Victorian Plymouth by Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson's excellent new book 'Victorian Plymouth - A Tour Around the Three Towns and Surrounding Neighbourhood' is now available.
It's packed full of photographs and information. Many of the photos haven't been seen before and the book includes fantastic shots of the pier, the Barbican, the Hoe and views of the people and streets from a long-forgotten Plymouth. The book also features interesting photos from Plymouth's surrounding districts including St Budeaux, Eggbuckland, and Devonport.
To accompany the new book, Chris has also brought out a calendar featuring scenes of Victorian Plymouth.
Both would make ideal Christmas presents and both would appeal to anyone who has an interest in how Plymouth once looked.
They are available from all good bookshops, online and from Chris's shop in New Street on the Barbican.

Devon at War 1939-1945

I've just completed 'Devon at War 1939-1945' for Pen and Sword which should be published later in the year or early in 2017. There's no cover image yet but here's a photo which features in the book. It shows two boys who were evacuated to Cornwall. They're pictured at North Road Station in Plymouth with two gigantic pasties given to them for the journey.

The Great Houdini - His British Tours

I've recently completed 'The Great Houdini - His British Tours' for Pen and Sword and it's with the publishers now. It should be out some time later this year.
The book features all of the venues that Houdini appeared at during his tours of Great Britain between 1900 and 1920.
Newspaper stories and photos, some from over 100 years ago, feature for the first time in the book which is the only title about Houdini that covers his tours of the UK extensively.
The book includes all his various stunts, his leaps from bridges in chains, his meetings with Conan Doyle and many details of his elaborate stage shows.

Latest news

I've created this blog to keep people up to date with the release of my latest books. There are many on the way including Glasgow in the Great War, Aberdeen in the Great War and Edinburgh in the Great War as well as two about the Second World War, a book about Houdini's tours and one all about the 1970s.
The first of these to be published will probably be Glasgow in the Great War (Pen and Sword) which is due to be released in August 2016. The photo shows a preview of the cover.
More updates soon.