Story (The History Press)

The townships of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme nestle neatly in the triangular area bordered on the south by the River Mersey, on the north west by the River Irwell/Manchester Ship Canal and on the east by the M60 motorway. In this, the first substantial book on the area since 1898, local historian Michael Billington draws on a variety of sources to tell the history of the area. He takes the reader on a journey of discovery in his portrayal of old houses, churches, farms, weaving, the arrival of the railway, children and education, entertainment, sport, customs, culture, the war years and much more.

The raid on the great dams of western Germany by Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron in May 1943 is one of the best known, most widely told stories of the Second World War. Led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, each Lancaster in the nineteen-strong force was equipped with the revolutionary bouncing bomb designed by the inventor Barnes Wallis. Two of the three main dams were breached and the unleashed floodwaters inundated the Ruhr valley below, killing thousands and causing German industry to grind to a halt. In later years the strategic impact of the raid was deemed to be less than was thought at the time, but the fillip it gave to civilian an d Service moral in wartime Britain was incalculable. The Dam Busters Story is a short but authoritative narrative account of the RAF's famous dam buster raid, supported by a superb selection of color and black and white photographs. Jonathan Falconer's narrative covers the development of the bouncing bomb, the planning of the raid, its dramatic execution and aftermath. An appendix provides a definitive listing of all the Lancasters and crews that flew in the raid, and their fates.

The Hawker Hurricane won lasting fame in the service of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Over 11,700 examples were eventually built of this versatile and deadly combat aircraft, fulfilling an incredible number of contrasting roles. Its design, development and production are described in detail, as are the Hurricane's widely varied operational roles during the Second World War, both at home and overseas. Full details are given of production figures, production variants, and operational service with all RAF and RN squadrons and units.

When de Havilland proposed, in 1938, an unarmed bomber constructed almost entirely from wood, few would have thought it could become one of the most versatile aircraft of the Second World War. The Mosquito easily outran a Spitfire on its test flight and was ordered into mass production, soon proving itself a key weapon in the fight against the Luftwaffe by day and the Nachtjagd by night. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished photographs, this book tells the story of an aircraft which was for many the perfect synthesis of power and beauty. Author Martin Bowman describes the service histories and daring exploits of the 7,781 examples of the 'Wooden Wonder' which were built in the UK, Canada and Australia.

The 'Jump-jet' was the world's first vertical/short take-off and landing (VSTOL) operational jet aircraft. Developed using the revolutionary Pegasus engine, the Harrier has served the RAF and US Marine Corps for over 30 years. Here, vividly told, is the fascinating story from tentative hovering by the Hawker P1127 in 1960 to today's frontline Harrier GR9 and AV-8B warplanes. A naval version, the Sea Harrier, entered service with the Royal Navy in 1979. Alongside the RAF Harrier it saw action in the Falklands War in 1982. More recently, Harriers have seen combat over Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq. In the USA, a license-built version (the AV8-A/B) equips the US Marine Corps and is in service today in Iraq. Harriers also equip air forces in Spain and Thailand.

D-Day,6 June 1944 is a day that is emblazoned in history, witnessing the first day of the Allied Operation Overlord – the mass invasion of Normandy. Planned for many months and executed swiftly, these landings saw over 160,000 troops embark from specially designed craft onto a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast. It was the largest amphibious operation of all time and involved 73,000 American troops, over 61,000 British troops and 21,400 Canadians, with over 6,000 ships and landing craft being deployed. As the troops set foot on the five designated beaches: Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah and Omaha they were met with resistance and in some cases heavy machine-gun fire, with over 12,000 casualties being sustained. The D-Day Story is packed with stunning photographs and maps, making it the perfect introduction to this historic event.