Prince Albert Victor, King Edward VII's (r. 1901-10) first son and heir to the throne, and popularly known as Eddy, has virtually been airbrushed out of history. Eddy was as popular and charismatic a figure in his own time as Princess Diana a century later. As in her case, his sudden death in 1892 resulted in public demonstrations of grief on a scale rarely seen at the time, and it was even rumoured (as in the case of Diana) that he was murdered to save him besmirching the monarchy. Had he...

The murder of Rasputin on the night of 16-17 December 1916 has always seemed extraordinary: first he was poisoned, then shot and finally drowned in a frozen river by Russian aristocrats fearful of his influence on Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Or was he? Dramatic new evidence from previously unpublished documents, diaries, forensic reports and intelligence records now means the plot takes a remarkable twist.Grigori Rasputin is probably one of the best-kno...

February 1963 marked the Beatles’ breakthrough in Britain, but by December, they hadn’t conquered America. Capitol Records signed them in late 1963 after a year of rejection. When the Beatles hit big in the US in February 1964, their manager, Brian Epstein, and Capitol executives obscured the true story, but corporate and personal archives now reveal why Capitol viewed the British record industry as outdated and decided to remix UK master tapes and create distinct US albums and how Brian E...

A chance remark on the stairs at Peter Morris Music in London's Denmark Street, in October 1963, set off a chain reaction that helped Brian Epstein apply some much-needed leverage on America's Hollywood-based Capitol label.Although February 1963 marked the Beatles' breakthrough in Britain, by the closing months of that year they still had not conquered the United States. Their manager Brian Epstein had been fighting what seemed like a losing battle to persuade Capi...

'There I met and was introduced to 13 men, one of whom I already knew. Three of these men and another who joined the group later have never, to my knowledge, been wanted by the police in connection with the train robbery so, for their protection, I will refer to them as, Joe, Bert, Sid, and Fred.' - Ronnie BiggsIn the early hours of Thursday, 8 August 1963, sixteen masked men ambushed the Glasgow-Euston mail train at Sears Crossing...

Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He was a master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, and a cad who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, using women shamelessly and killing where necessary—and unnecessary. Sidney Reilly is one of the most fascinating spies of the 20th century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic. Introducing new evidence gathered from an extraordinary range of sources, Andrew Cook tells the full story...

A unique insight into how Ian Fleming created by inspiration—and sometimes plagiarism—the legend of James BondThe book centers on Ian Fleming the man, his contradictions, and his public and private personality. It examines the man behind the myth and how in particular he managed (unsuccessfully at first) to create a film franchise that has lasted over fifty years. It considers Fleming's reputation as a writer, the "formula method" he perfected and the formula's reli...

A compendium of the year's milestone stories and watershed events in popular culture and politics. This year alone saw The Beatles' first No 1, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the BBC's launch of Doctor Who, the Great Train Robbery, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley begin operating, the Profumo Affair rocks politics, Valentina Tereshkova is the first woman in space, the coldest winter since 1740, James Bond becomes an international phenomenon, 70,000 protest against nu...

The Great Train Robbery of 1963 is one of the most infamous crimes in British history. The bulk of the money stolen (equivalent to over £40 million today) has never been recovered, and there has not been a single year since 1963 when one aspect of the crime or its participants has not been featured in the media. Despite the wealth and extent of this coverage, a host of questions have remained unanswered: Who was behind the robbery? Was it an inside job? And who got away with the crime of t...

The overthrow and execution of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian Imperial family is a cause célèbre of 20th century history. Andrew Cooks re-investigation of the story finally solves one of the greatest mysteries of world history. The author draws upon new forensic evidence and newly discovered British and Russian Secret Service records reveal the truth about the familys murder, the proposed British rescue of the Imperial family led by Major Stephen Alley, and the Secret Service mission ins...

The Great Train Robbery of 1963 is one of the most infamous crimes in British history. The bulk of the money stolen (equivalent to over £40 million today) has never been recovered, and there has not been a single year since 1963 when one aspect of the crime or its participants has not been featured in the media. Despite the wealth and extent of this coverage, a host of questions have remained unanswered: Who was behind the robbery? Was it an inside job? And who got away wi...

The murder of Rasputin on the night of 16-17 December 1916 has always seemed extraordinary: first he was poisoned, then shot and finally drowned in a frozen river by Russian aristocrats fearful of his influence on Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Or was he? Dramatic new evidence from previously unpublished documents, diaries, forensic reports and intelligence records now means the plot takes a remarkable twist.Grigori Rasputin is probably one of the best-kno...