The Little Book of Birmingham is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the city's most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Norman Bartlam's new book gathers together a myriad of data on Brum. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivo...

Did you know?In 1884 the Circle Line opened and was described in The Times as 'a form of mild torture which no person would undergo if he could conveniently help it.'According to one psychologist, Tube commuters can experience greater levels of stress than a police officer facing a rioting mob or even a fighter pilot going into a dogfight.Underground trains have only twice been used to transport deceased people in coffins: William Gladston...

‘Seeing Red’ is an exclusive extract from the best-selling ‘Mad For It’, published in association with FourFourTwo magazine. It examines one of the greatest sporting rivalries from the viewpoint of the people that matter; the fans.‘Mad For It’ proves that some football matches are far more than just a game.These short extracts, from the original book published in association with FourFourTwo magazine, provide a fresh and revealing insight into the people that make these mat...

Are you a football fan? Do you attend as many matches as you can? Have you visited any of the many famous football grounds? Can you name the home grounds of all the UK’s best-loved teams and more besides? If you think you know which team plays where, you are certain to enjoy this quiz book.With 250 questions all about English, Scottish and Welsh Football Grounds, you will need to be quick off the mark to answer some of these brain teasers? What non-League club is moving into the Moston Com...

A fascinating tour of London's strangest and most intriguing locations. Ranging from architectural evidence of past incidents and stories of life beneath the city, to anecdotes of magic, mystery and murder, this is a perfect companion for the curious Londoner.It includes:A Museum of Magical Curiosities; The City's Lost Tunnels and Citadels; The Ghost of a "She-Wolf; The Bawdy House Riots; The Story of 'Jack the Stripper'; The Atmospheric Railway; The Thames Ringway Bicycle ...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.George Stephenson, the father of the railways, first began laying rails to connect the Darlington collieries with the river at Stockton-on-Tees in the 1820s, and it has since become a place of pilgrimage for railway historians. Michael Portillo’s journey from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray also takes in many contrasts between urban and rural life, with industries ranging from coal mi...

'FASCINATING' Daily Mail'FULL OF AMAZING FACTS' The QI ElvesEach of the United Kingdom's 124 postcode areas has a story to tell, an unexpected nugget to dust off and treasure.Mark Mason has embarked on a tour of the country, immersing himself in Britain's history on a roundabout journey from AB to ZE. On the lookout for interesting place names and unusual monuments, along the way he discovers what the Queen ...

From the bestselling author of "Hamlyn's Top 10 of Everything" series comes a special collection of 250 unique lists that observe of the idiosyncrasies of our Isles and encompass everything British. Discover hundreds of essential, intriguing and bizarre facts about your country's most iconic subjects, including: the 10 most produced plays by Shakespeare; 10 defunct British national holidays; the 10 longest seaside piers; the 10 lowest-scoring UK Eurovision entries; the 10 latest winners of...

Did you know?In the eleventh century, Edward the Confessor banished nightingales from the royal palace at Havering-atte-Bower because their singing disturbed his devotions.In 1913, Benny Hucks of Stansted Mountfitchet was the first person to perform a loop-the-loop in an aircraft.On Boxing Day 1946, Hatfield Heath villagers challenged local German and Italian POWs to a football match – and lost 11–0.Brentwood was the first town i...

Did you know?Part of the Antonine Wall runs through the course of Cawder Golf Club.The nursery rhyme 'Wee Willie Winkie' was written by Glasgow man William Miller.Rab Ha', a nineteenth-century celebrity known as 'the Glasgow glutton', once ate an entire calf.The Little Book of Glasgow is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which ...

Did you know?Butcher Keith Boxley of Wombourne made the longest continuous sausage in 1988. It was 21.12km in length!The first general strike in the Black Country took place in 1842. The widespread public unrest was regarded nationally as the first ever general strike.Hell Lane in Sedgley was described as the 'most unruly place' in the Black Country. A woman who lived in the lane was said to have been a witch and could turn herself into a ...

The Little Book of Liverpool is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Alex Tulloch's new book gathers together a myriad of data on this historic city. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of f...