Derek Kennet's Books

Great Waterways Journeys

20 Glorious Routes Circling England, by Canal and River

By: Derek Pratt

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Great Waterways Journeys

20 Glorious Routes Circling England, by Canal and River

By: Derek Pratt

This is a guide to circling England using its inland waterways, by boat or on foot. Along the way we learn about our industrial heritage, how cities grew and thrived, as well as passing through spectacular landscapes and idyllic countryside. Beginning in leafy Surrey and ending at Bristol Docks via north Yorkshire, this 780-mile journey passes through the industrial landscape of the West Midlands and the stunning Pennine hills, as well as famous cities such as Oxford and Bath, taking you via the first canal in Britain, Hampton Court Palace, Cadbury World, idyllic Shropshire villages and iconic pieces of Victorian engineering. The route is split up into different sections, so readers can either take on the whole circumnavigation or one part of it. Celebrating the restoration of the canals that make this journey possible, the book features (and uses, if you're travelling by boat) iconic pieces of waterways history such as the Anderton Lift, the Barton Swing Aqueduct, and the 29 locks at Devizes. Each section of the route is illustrated by a map, and features practical information on locks, tunnels and aqueducts, nearby places of interest, good pubs, useful transport links etc. Giving readers a unique way to discover the beauty and variety of England's waterways, and laying down a new challenge to inland waterways enthusiasts, this is a practical and fascinating guide.

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Page Count

257

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472905849

ISBN 13

9781472905840

Britain's Canals

Exploring their Architectural and Engineering Wonders

By: Anthony Burton,Derek Pratt

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Britain's Canals

Exploring their Architectural and Engineering Wonders

By: Anthony Burton,Derek Pratt

Britain's Canals is a charming and insightful exploration into the amazing architecture and engineering wonders that surround Britain's inland waterways – from the awe-inspiring 30-lock flight on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, to the delightful chocolate-box lock-keepers' cottages that line the cut of every canal, to masterpieces such as the 18-arch Pontcysyllte aqueduct, the highest aqueduct in the world, to beautiful bridges, grand company buildings, the social hubs that were, and still are, canal-side pubs, plus so much more. In contrast to many inland waterways books which are organised geographically by canal, Britain's Canals is structured thematically, with chapters covering the line (the shape of the canal), locks and lock cottages, bridges, aqueducts, lifts and planes, company buildings, wharves, basins and quays and finally the canal-side pub. Each chapter explores how these features were created and have changed through history, right through to the present, with plenty of ideas for places to visit – plus full information on how to get to them. An abundance of full-colour photography throughout, both historical and modern-day, will delight readers and inspire them to explore Britain's wondrous inland waterways, whether on boat, by foot or by bike. In Britain's Canals, two inland waterways experts and admired authors come together to produce the definitive word on the man-made wonders that make Britain's canals so special, so loved and enjoyed by so many.

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Page Count

226

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472971922

ISBN 13

9781472971920

Postcards from Absurdistan

Prague at the End of History

By: Derek Sayer

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Postcards from Absurdistan

Prague at the End of History

By: Derek Sayer

A sweeping history of a twentieth-century Prague torn between fascism, communism, and democracy—with lessons for a world again threatened by dictatorship Postcards from Absurdistan is a cultural and political history of Prague from 1938, when the Nazis destroyed Czechoslovakia’s artistically vibrant liberal democracy, to 1989, when the country’s socialist regime collapsed after more than four decades of communist dictatorship. Derek Sayer shows that Prague’s twentieth century, far from being a story of inexorable progress toward some “end of history,” whether fascist, communist, or democratic, was a tragicomedy of recurring nightmares played out in a land Czech dissidents dubbed Absurdistan. Situated in the eye of the storms that shaped the modern world, Prague holds up an unsettling mirror to the absurdities and dangers of our own times. In a brilliant narrative, Sayer weaves a vivid montage of the lives of individual Praguers—poets and politicians, architects and athletes, journalists and filmmakers, artists, musicians, and comedians—caught up in the crosscurrents of the turbulent half century following the Nazi invasion. This is the territory of the ideologist, the collaborator, the informer, the apparatchik, the dissident, the outsider, the torturer, and the refugee—not to mention the innocent bystander who is always looking the other way and Václav Havel’s greengrocer whose knowing complicity allows the show to go on. Over and over, Prague exposes modernity’s dreamworlds of progress as confections of kitsch. In a time when democracy is once again under global assault, Postcards from Absurdistan is an unforgettable portrait of a city that illuminates the predicaments of the modern world.

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Page Count

752

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0691239517

ISBN 13

9780691239514

Urban Waterways

A Window on to the Waterways of England's Towns and Cities

By: Derek Pratt

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Urban Waterways

A Window on to the Waterways of England's Towns and Cities

By: Derek Pratt

Before roads and rail, the industrial hubs of Great Britain were linked to the ports by a network of manmade waterways. These canals fell into disuse in the early part of the twentieth century, but in the last fifty years they have undergone a complete revival. These newly transformed waterways have become attractive destinations, and for newcomers to a city, walking its waterways will unlock famous highlights as well as hidden delights. And that is just what this book does too. With the lavish colour photography for which he is renowned, Britain's 'biographer photographer' Derek Pratt explores all the major cities and towns linked by waterways, bringing to life the canals and their environs with images that are stunning, stylish and beautiful. Through interesting, informative and typically quirky text, Derek also reveals a whole treasure trove of fascinating things most people don't know about these industrial landscapes, whilst also explaining the commercial history of the waterways, their subsequent decline and recent revitalisation. Towns and cities covered include: London, Oxford, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent and the Potteries, Leeds, Gloucester, Reading, Birmingham and the Black Country, Rugby, Worcester, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Bath.

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Page Count

340

Publisher

A&C Black

Published Date

ISBN 10

147290513X

ISBN 13

9781472905130

The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Periods in Britain

By: Derek A. Roe

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The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic Periods in Britain

By: Derek A. Roe

This book deals with the earliest period of human settlement in Britain, proposing a series of archaeological stages for the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic periods. An introduction on the problems and methods of studying the Palaeolithic and Pleistocene periods leads into the technical argument, a sequence of development derived from evidence of stone artefacts and other signs of human activity at stratified sites in south-east England. Materials from all occupied parts of Britain are related to this basic sequence and, stressing that Britain lay on the edge of the Palaeolithic world, the author also brings in essential evidence from Europe and farther afield. The final chapter suggests the probable way of life of human groups in this period. This broad survey synthesises material from widely scattered sources including museums from all over Britain and has an extensive bibliography. Originally published in 1981.

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Page Count

351

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

131760024X

ISBN 13

9781317600244

Lady Chatterley

The Making of the Novel

By: Derek Britton

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Lady Chatterley

The Making of the Novel

By: Derek Britton

First published in 1988, Lady Chatterley explores the events and experiences which surrounded D. H. Lawrence’s writing of his infamous last novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The account begins with Lawrence’s return to Europe in September 1925 and ends with the publication in June 1928 of the final draft of a novel which exists in three related yet dissimilar versions. Derek Britton adds a great deal of new material to the established facts and theories concerning Lawrence’s life and work during this period. In the chapters covering Lawrence’s return to the Midlands in September 1926 when the collapse of the national miners’ strike in that area was imminent, a detailed reconstruction of Lawrence’s journeys and experiences reveals the extent to which the themes of the novel, the social and physical aspects of the landscape and Lawrence’s initial impulse to write depended crucially on the author’s last visit to his native region. This book will appeal both to those with special interests in Lawrence and the modern novel, and to the general reader.

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Page Count

288

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000859509

ISBN 13

9781000859508

Waterways Past & Present

A Unique Portrait of Britain's Waterways Heritage

By: Derek Pratt

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Waterways Past & Present

A Unique Portrait of Britain's Waterways Heritage

By: Derek Pratt

A bestseller in hardback, this beautiful celebration of Britain's rich waterways heritage is now available in paperback and ebook. Through the superb photography of Derek Pratt, this lovely and quirky book looks at 50 transitional years when Britain's inland waterways changed from being a thriving commercial transport system to the much-loved pleasure cruising network it is today. Each double page spread juxtaposes superb atmospheric black and white photos of the locations as they were 50 years ago with vibrant colour photos showing how they look today, with many new photographs and updated captions for this edition. From quintessentially English rivers to London's busy canal network, this wonderful book highlights the architectural legacy and natural beauty that attracts thousands of visitors to go boating or walking along the towpaths.

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Page Count

321

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472912659

ISBN 13

9781472912657

Baseball's Best 1000 -- Revised and Updated

Rankings of the Skills, the Achievements and the Performance of the Greatest Players of All Time

By: Derek Gentile

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Baseball's Best 1000 -- Revised and Updated

Rankings of the Skills, the Achievements and the Performance of the Greatest Players of All Time

By: Derek Gentile

This thoroughly revised edition of "Baseball's Best 1,000" includes updated listings plus new players, rankings, and photographs, all in a handier format that makes it a terrific pocket reference. A must-have book for baseball fans obsessed with stats, quick facts, and the age-old debates over who the best players are and why, "Baseball's Best 1,000" showcases the lives, legends, and lore of the game's top players, ranked in order. Sportswriter Derek Gentile has pared down the total list of players--tens of thousands of them--to an elite ranking of the thousand greatest, based on criteria including lifetime stats; player durability and consistency; All-Star participation; MVP, Gold Glove, and Cy Young awards; individual statistical championships; personal and professional contributions to the game; sportsmanship; and election to the Hall of Fame. Each entry includes positions played, teams played for, years played, lifetime stats, and a biography of the player featuring his great moments and little-known facts. *New players include Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, and Manny Ramirez. *Barry Bonds has moved up from Number 19 to Number 6. *Roger Clemens has moved from Number 33 into the top 20. *Dozens of Negro League players are here, as well as rankings of the best Japanese players, women players, and "prehistoric" players (from the time before stats were formally recorded).

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Page Count

1308

Publisher

Black Dog & Leventhal

Published Date

ISBN 10

1603763155

ISBN 13

9781603763158

Armageddon Fed Up With This

A Gunner's Tale

By: Derek Nudd

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Armageddon Fed Up With This

A Gunner's Tale

By: Derek Nudd

In 1940 Eric Nudd, like millions of others, found himself unexpectedly in uniform – a raw conscript in a heavy anti-aircraft regiment. He grew over the next five years into a seasoned professional with the Normandy and North West European campaigns under his belt. A previously unsuspected talent for maths took him from heaving shells to fire-control and then radar, giving him a ringside view of the manic wartime technology race. As a Fleet Street journalist, prolific letter-writer and occasional poet Eric published improvised news sheets from a succession of gun sites and dugouts. Armageddon Fed Up With This – A Gunner’s Tale is told by a ‘civilian-in-uniform’ who was an acute observer and literate recorder of what he saw. His wry, sometimes scathing observations on the humour and idiocy of army life, and the military, political and cultural events of the time are set against the global cataclysm going on around him. The author, Derek Nudd, colours in the background for those of us lucky enough to have missed it. Inspired by authors such as Cyril Demarne and Spike Milligan, Armageddon Fed Up With This provides a new perspective – from underneath – on the anti-aircraft forces who, for a while after the fall of France, were the only part of the army shooting back. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy historical and military biographies, and provide new insights for students of the period. The title was a contemporary joke.

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Page Count

424

Publisher

Troubador Publishing Ltd

Published Date

ISBN 10

1784621307

ISBN 13

9781784621308

The History of British Mammals

By: Derek Yalden

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The History of British Mammals

By: Derek Yalden

As ice retreated from Britain 15,000 years ago, a host of large mammals including reindeer, wild horses, wooly mammoths, moose, wolves, brown bears, lynxes and wolverines established itself in Britain. The largest surviving wild land mammal today, the red deer, the largest contemporary land carnivore, the badger and another 65 or so extant wild mammals included about a quarter of the wild mammals that have been introduced in the last 15,000 years. The contemporary fauna, however, is largely dominated by domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, pigs and humans. This book explores the fate of the large extinct species, as well as how, why, and when the introduced species appeared.

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494

Publisher

A&C Black

Published Date

ISBN 10

1408128713

ISBN 13

9781408128718

The Commons in History

Culture, Conflict, and Ecology

By: Derek Wall

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The Commons in History

Culture, Conflict, and Ecology

By: Derek Wall

An argument that the commons is neither tragedy nor paradise but can be a way to understand environmental sustainability. The history of the commons—jointly owned land or other resources such as fisheries or forests set aside for public use—provides a useful context for current debates over sustainability and how we can act as “good ancestors.” In this book, Derek Wall considers the commons from antiquity to the present day, as an idea, an ecological space, an economic abstraction, and a management practice. He argues that the commons should be viewed neither as a “tragedy” of mismanagement (as the biologist Garrett Hardin wrote in 1968) nor as a panacea for solving environmental problems. Instead, Walls sees the commons as a particular form of property ownership, arguing that property rights are essential to understanding sustainability. How we use the land and its resources offers insights into how we value the environment. After defining the commons and describing the arguments of Hardin's influential article and Elinor Ostrom's more recent work on the commons, Wall offers historical case studies from the United States, England, India, and Mongolia. He examines the power of cultural norms to maintain the commons; political conflicts over the commons; and how commons have protected, or failed to protect ecosystems. Combining intellectual and material histories with an eye on contemporary debates, Wall offers an applied history that will interest academics, activists, and policy makers.

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Page Count

184

Publisher

MIT Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0262534703

ISBN 13

9780262534703

Issues in Medical Law and Ethics

By: Derek Morgan

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Issues in Medical Law and Ethics

By: Derek Morgan

Thirty years ago, English jurist Patrick Devlin wrote: "Is it not a pleasant tribute to the medical profession that by and large it has been able to manage its relations with its patients ... without the aid of lawyers and law makers". Medical interventions at the beginnings and the endings of life have rendered that assessment dated if not defeated. This book picks up some of the most important of those developments and reflects on the legal and social consequences of this metamorphosis over the past ten years, and will be of interest to students of law, sociology and ethics who want a considered and critical introduction to, and reflection on, key issues in these pivotal moments of human life.

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Page Count

302

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1135340986

ISBN 13

9781135340988

Sport and the Making of Britain

By: Derek Birley

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Sport and the Making of Britain

By: Derek Birley

This lively and stimulating book looks at some of the myths and realities surrounding Britain's legendary enthusiasm for sport; and aims to chronicle how sporting traditions were shaped and how they, in turn, contributed to the shaping of British social conventions and attitudes.

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Page Count

372

Publisher

Manchester University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

071903759X

ISBN 13

9780719037597

The Thames

A Photographic Journey From Source to Sea

By: Derek Pratt

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The Thames

A Photographic Journey From Source to Sea

By: Derek Pratt

The Thames is unique, emerging as a small stream in idyllic countryside and growing into the country's largest river, passing through some of the world's most iconic urban environments. Linking London to the countryside and the sea, the Thames is the heart of the capital and its waters the lifeblood of England. This beautiful book celebrates the entire river from source to sea, and with wonderful photography and quirky text follows it on a voyage through Britain's history. London has so often been the beginning and the end of the Thames story, and whilst it forms a major part, this book gives an altogether more complete and unexpected view of one of the most remarkable and well-loved rivers in the world. We see the famous views and also learn lesser-known facts, such as Dick Turpin's secret hideaway (complete with an underground stable for Black Bess), the home of the notorious Chancellor Sir Francis Dashwood (the only Chancellor to have delivered his budget speech drunk) and the scene of the Monty Python fish-slapping dance. First published in 2007, this gorgeous coffee table book has been updated for its second edition with new text and photography (including the Jubilee pageant), and continues to be the perfect gift for anyone living near, visiting or enjoying this magnificent river, with its visual variety, hidden secrets and fascinating history.

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Page Count

162

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472947002

ISBN 13

9781472947000

Bawdy Songbooks of the Romantic Period

By: Derek B Scott

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Bawdy Songbooks of the Romantic Period

By: Derek B Scott

The songbooks of the 1830-40s were printed in tiny numbers, and small format so they could be hidden in a pocket, passed round or thrown away. Collectors have sought ‘these priceless chapbooks’, but only recently a collection of 49 songbooks has come to light. This collection represents almost all of the known songbooks from the period.

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Page Count

1952

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000743845

ISBN 13

9781000743845

The Dresden Text

By: Derek Wilson

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The Dresden Text

By: Derek Wilson

When the Dresden Text - a treasured fragment of medieval illuminated manuscript - is stolen from a prestigious New York gallery, its loss hits Tim Lacy hard. His firm was responsible for the safety of the exhibits but even more devastatingly, a colleague was killed during the break-in. Within days the police, acting on an anonymous tip-off, have traced the armed robber. There is a shoot-out and the criminal is killed. But the suspiciously swift wrapping-up of the case leaves too many questions unanswered for Tim Lacy. Why was the Dresden Text stolen when other rarer, more valuable exhibits were on display nearby? Why have the police been ordered to close the file? And where is the Dresden Text now? Convinced that only the answers to these questions will lead to those responsible for his colleague's murder, Tim sets out to unravel a dark and complex mystery...

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Page Count

215

Publisher

Sphere

Published Date

ISBN 10

1405522577

ISBN 13

9781405522571

The History of British Birds

By: Derek Yalden,Umberto Albarella

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The History of British Birds

By: Derek Yalden,Umberto Albarella

The History of British Birds reviews our knowledge of avifaunal history over the last 15,000 years, setting it in its wider historical and European context. The authors, one an ornithologist the other an archaeologist, integrate a wealth of archaeological data to illuminate and enliven the story, indicating the extent to which climatic, agricultural, and social changes have affected the avifauna. They discuss its present balance, as well as predicting possible future changes. It is a popular misconception that bird bones are rarely preserved (compared with mammals), and cannot be reliably identified when they are found. The book explores both of these contentions, armed with a database of 9,000 records of birds that have been identified on archaeological sites. Most are in England, but sites elsewhere in Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Isles are included. Britain's most numerous bird is also the most widespread in the archaeological record, but some of the more charismatic species also have a rich historical pedigree. For example, we can say quite a lot about the history of the Crane, Red Kite, White-tailed Eagle, and Great Auk. The history of many introduced domestic species can also be illuminated. Even so, there remain uncertainties, posed by difficulties of dating or identification, the vagaries of the archaeological record or the ecological specialities of the birds themselves. These issues are highlighted, thus posing research questions for others to answer. And the commonest British bird, then and now? Buy the book and read on...

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Page Count

272

Publisher

OUP Oxford

Published Date

ISBN 10

0191550981

ISBN 13

9780191550980

Baseball's Best 1,000

Rankings of the Greatest Players of All Time

By: Derek Gentile

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Baseball's Best 1,000

Rankings of the Greatest Players of All Time

By: Derek Gentile

Using various (and completely subjective) criteria including lifetime statistics, personal and professional contributions to the game at large, sportsmanship, character, popularity with the fans, and more, sports writer Derek Gentile ranks the best players of all time. Along with a ranking, information on each player is presented, including the teams on which he has played throughout his career, positions played, lifetime statistics, and a brief biography -- as well as a photograph. Baseball's Best 1,000 is sure to spark controversy and debate among fans.

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