Nigeria was a unique concept in the formation of modern Africa. It began life as a highly lucrative if climatically challenging holding of the Royal Niger Company, a British Chartered Company under the control of Victorian capitalist Sir George Taubman Goldie. It was handed over to indigenous rule in 1960 with the best of intentions and a profound hope on the part of the British Crown that it would become the poster child of successful political transition in Africa.It did not. One...

A celebration of three decades of cricket and a unique insight into the world of radio and broadcasting. Test Match Special is both a sporting and broadcasting institution that has become synonymous with the British summertime. Since its first live broadcast back in 1957 it has proudly lived up to its original slogan 'Don't miss a Ball, we broadcast them all'. During much of this time the man behind the scenes was Peter Baxter and here, in this wonderful memoir, he recalls the best moments...

In 1957 a whole day's play of a Test Match was broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time with the slogan 'Don't miss a ball, we broadcast them all'.This book celebrates 50 years of Test Match Special with anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories, photos, reminiscences and champagne moments from five decades of top-quality cricket commentary. Sprinkled throughout are 'My First TMS Match' articles by a number of the programme's main contributors, including Jonathan Agne...

South African Mirages and Cuban MiG-21s dogfighting over Cuito Cuanavale, the largest tank battle on African soil since El Alamein; Puma troopships shot out of the skies by Strela missiles and RPG-7 rockets; Alouette III gunships hovering menacingly above Koevoet tracker-combat teams as they close in for the kill; Hercules and Transall transports disgorging their loads of Parabats over Cassinga; suicidal helicopter hot extractions of Recce operators deep in enemy territory; and a lone Alou...

It is 25 years since the end of the Cold War, now a generation old. It began over 75 years ago, in 1944long before the last shots of the Second World War had echoed across the wastelands of Eastern Europewith the brutal Greek Civil War. The battle lines are no longer drawn, but they linger on, unwittingly or not, in conflict zones such as Iraq, Somalia and Ukraine. In an era of mass-produced AK-47s and ICBMs, one such flashpoint was the Middle East On the afternoon of 6 October, 1973, the ...

A historian examines a disastrous, Victorian-era expedition in the Canadian Arctic, a shocking revelation, and the celebrity fallout that followed.The fate of the lost Franklin Expedition of 1847 is an enigma that has tantalized generations of historians, archaeologists, and adventurers. The expedition was lost without a trace, and all 129 men died in what is arguably the worst disaster in Britain's history of polar exploration.In the aftermath of the crew'...

A cricket tea is an integral part of any cricket match. It’s a well-known fact that some players only turn out at windswept grounds on the promise of a solid brew, a chewy wedge of cake and a sticky handful of egg mayo sandwiches. Likewise, there is always an occasional away fixture where the teas are traditionally so dire that mysterious illness and injury striking down a portion of the squad is all but guaranteed. Meanwhile, at the top level of the game, professionalism has now reached t...

The imagery and wit of an incomparable broadcaster is captured here in a unique collection of historic, and humorous, moments from the twentieth century. From the 1940s we hear about Bradman’s last test, from the 50s Compton’s highest Test Score, from the 60s Trueman’s 300th Test wicket and Boycott’s first ton, and then the 70s with Arlott’s ‘freaker’ (the Lord’s streaker) and finally John’s last commentary at the Lord’s centenary Test in 1980. His commentary was poetic in its elegance, an...

Winnerof the 2011 BMA book awards: medicine categoryIn the five decades since its first publication, Hunter's Diseases of Occupations has remained the pre-eminent text on diseases caused by work, universally recognized as the most authoritative source of information in the field. It is an important guide for doctors in all disciplines who may encounter occupational diseases in their practice, covering topics as diverse as work and stress, asbsetos-r...

From the producers of the Number One bestselling CD 'The Wit of Cricket', here is their latest collection of the funniest cricket stories at home and abroad, recorded live at Great Brickhill Cricket Club in Bedfordshire.Featuring a rare live recording by the late cricket commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins, who was a brilliant after-dinner speaker, here are dozens of hilarious anecdotes about the Ashes, overseas tours, sledging, Test Match Special, and much more!Christop...

This bumper collection of the funniest anecdotes, jokes and stories from cricket's best-loved personalities proves that cricket is a funny game - even when rain stops play!In this special audio edition, you can hear not only the most popular stories told by five of the game's all-time great characters - Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Henry Blofeld, Brian Johnston and Fred Trueman - but also the humour of famous cricketers such as Ian Botham, Andrew Fl...

We Will Not Cease is the unflinching account of New Zealander Archibald Baxter's brutal treatment as a conscientious objector during World War I.In 1915, when Baxter was 33, he was arrested, sent to prison, then shipped under guard to Europe where he was forced to the front line against his will. Punished to the limits of his physical and mental endurance, Baxter was stripped of all dignity, beaten, starved and left for dead by the New Zealand military. In the final attemp...