Ian Hall

Revie’s Boys: The Lost Hope of Glory, Glory Leeds United is the gripping saga of Allan Clarke, Eddie Gray and Billy Bremner: three heirs to Don Revie who tried to revive the club’s glory days. Clarke promised silverware but delivered relegation. Gray nurtured a thrilling crop of youngsters but ran out of time. Bremner came within seven minutes of promotion and FA Cup glory, only to fall agonisingly short. In less than a decade, Leeds fell from dominance to despair – as they went from being England’s top club to Second Division also-rans. Their sharp decline was overshadowed by rampant hooliganism plus crippling debts that cost them their stadium. Through candid interviews with key players, the book illuminates a dark era in Leeds United history, the fallout of which still resonates today.

This debut collection of poems by Ian Hall illuminates daily life for a family and community in eastern Kentucky, all the while singing with verbal delights. Creekwater Mansions documents the intimacy of duress. A son puffs cigarette smoke down his grandad's throat because the old man is too feeble to draw breath; retired draft horses learn to dance; the land manager's hired muscle flaunts an axe-handle; a grieving family uses a coffin as a card table; schoolboys siphon gin out of shag carpet just to catch a high. These are the variations of affection and kinship, so informed by and inextricable from the macabre tedium that abides in the back pews, dialysis clinics, and County-Line Liquors of daily life in Eastern Kentucky. While these poems are frequently ordered around grisly attitudes and occurrences, moods of indolent provincialism, and the evermore-contagious disease of despair, these are at their core love poems. Hall writes, "Those are my people. I want nothing more than to esteem them and to show outsiders that even gruesomely human moments stripped of any decoration still have the heft and horsepower to be transcendent."

Tornado Boys is the latest in the ever-popular Boys series, and differs from earlier titles. With the introduction of female pilots to the RAF in 1994, the Tornado was among the first aircraft to be flown by both men and women. This is acknowledged in the book with a chapter written by one female pilot. Another aspect that makes this book different from the rest of the series is that it covers an aircraft which is still in active service, currently as a key player in Middle East operations. With focus on the GR1/GR4 versions of the Tornado (and not the F3 interceptor), readers will enjoy fascinating insights on what it is like to operate this multi-role bomber/reconnaissance aircraft against the backdrop of modern-day scenarios. The book starts in the 1970s with stories from operators of the Tornado as a Cold War nuclear deterrent and with tales of later hot wars as seen by operational leaders in both Gulf conflicts and in Kosovo. There are also stories of Scud hunting in Iraq and of Red Flag exercises in the US, as well as of a stunning competition victory over the USAFs Strategic Air Command in their own backyard. The short-lived anti-shipping role is not neglected. With the transformation of the Tornado to GR4 standard, the book continues with chapters covering active service in support of Britains increasingly complex international commitments and the employment of new weaponry and sensors. The various operational training patterns over the years are discussed by instructors, while there are tales from those who flew Tornados on exchange, loan and contract service with foreign air forces. Finally the book highlights the essential part played by ground crew in the Tornado story, with chapters by front-line engineers and an army ground liaison officer. All in all, through the eyes of the men and women who have operated this extraordinary aircraft, the volume presents an entertaining and illuminating series of tales and anecdotes. These light and informative stories come from those who were proud to serve on and loved to operate the impressively versatile Tornado.

Narendra Modi’s energetic personal diplomacy and promise to make India a ‘leading power’ surprised many analysts. Most had predicted that his government would concentrate on domestic issues, on the growth and development demanded by Indian voters, and that he lacked necessary experience in international relations. Instead, Modi’s first term saw a concerted attempt to reinvent Indian foreign policy by replacing inherited understandings of its place in the world with one drawn largely from Hindu nationalist ideology. Following Modi’s re-election in 2019, this book explores the drivers of this reinvention, arguing it arose from a combination of elite conviction and electoral calculation, and the impact it has had on India’s international relations.

Narendra Modi’s energetic personal diplomacy and promise to make India a ‘leading power’ surprised many analysts. Most had predicted that his government would concentrate on domestic issues, on the growth and development demanded by Indian voters, and that he lacked necessary experience in international relations. Instead, Modi’s first term saw a concerted attempt to reinvent Indian foreign policy by replacing inherited understandings of its place in the world with one drawn largely from Hindu nationalist ideology. Following Modi’s re-election in 2019, this book explores the drivers of this reinvention, arguing it arose from a combination of elite conviction and electoral calculation, and the impact it has had on India’s international relations.

Originally intended as a trainer, the Anglo-French Sepecat jet, equipped with the very latest in weapon-aiming and navigational equipment, eventually became the backbone of the RAFs tactical strike-attack and recce forces for a decade from the mid-1970s. In these pages, the Jaguar Boys pilots, engineer and ground crew tell of the aircrafts drawbacks and joys, their sadness at losses, and their pleasure at its development into a readily-deployable and outstandingly-capable fighter-bomber for the post-Cold War era. Then came the Gulf War which signalled the start of a hectic sequence of operational adventures and upgrades for the Boys and seasoned veterans tell of action over Iraq and in the Balkans. One of the best-loved of RAF types, the Jaguar commanded a fierce loyalty and affection which shines through in these accounts of an aircraft that will live forever in the memory.

This is the BUMPER edition, One Hit Wonders of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's together in one volume. Over 1600 One Hit Wonders of those choice decades brought direct to you in eBook format. YES We said SIXTEEN HUNDRED Facts, chart positions, and crazy trivia of the songs we love and hate. Every one holds its own unique story, and some have as much drama as a Hollywood adventure movie. The complete stats/trivia for the One Hit Wonders will make you listen to your favorite songs in a whole new light. Why accept lesser volumes that just list the top 100 songs? With information taken from Official Music Charts all over the world, we give a global overview of the one hit wonders of this special decade. With details from the Billboard Hot 100 and Canada, the UK Charts, hits from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and many European charts, we believe this is the most detailed list ever researched. Indexed and cross-referenced for ease of use, whether you are a music buff or just want the answers for your local trivia night, this book is for you. With over 1600 songs, and 500 pages of information, their chart positions, sales figures, trivia facts and more will provide you with hours of fun and nostalgia. Buy it now... a must for any music lover.

Details of nearly 700 One Hit Wonders. From the birth of Rock 'n' Roll, and the Billboard Charts, (in 1955) through the swinging sixties, we bring the most detailed list of one hit wonders ever Why settle for the Top 100 of all time, when we go much further... Each entry has details of chart positions, artists and the craziest trivia. Taken from The Billboard and UK Chart, with references to Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, we bring those memories back to you. "Who Wrote the Book of Love?" We tell you Are you going to "San Francisco"? We'll tell you what to wear in your hair Exactly who chased the "Elusive Butterfly"? Hundreds of pages of memories, and a song index to assist you find your favorites. You can't do without it for trivia night, or just to be the life and soul of the party Buy today. Available in the following eBook and paperback formats.... Double-Decade volume... One Hit Wonders of the 50's and 60's Double-Decade volume... One Hit Wonders of the 60's and 70's Double-Decade volume... One Hit Wonders of the 70's and 80's HUGE Bumper volume... One Hit Wonders of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's

Okay, we've out-done ourselves this time. Nearly 500 one hit Wonders of the 1980's brought to your Kindle. Facts, chart positions, and crazy trivia of the songs we love and hate. Every one holds its own unique story, and some have as much drama as a Hollywood adventure movie. The complete trivia for the One Hit Wonders from the 80's (nearly 500 of them ) will make you listen to your favorite songs in a whole new light. Why accept lesser volumes that just list the top 100 songs of all time? The 'Usual Suspects'. With information taken from Official Music Charts all over the world, we give a global overview of the one hit wonders of this special decade. With details from the Billboard Hot 100 and Canada, the UK Charts, hits from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and many European charts, this is the most detailed list ever researched. Indexed and cross-referenced for ease of use, whether you are a music buff or just want the answers for your local trivia night, this book is for you. With nearly 500 songs, over 120 pages of information, their chart positions, sales figures, trivia facts and more will provide you with hours of fun and nostalgia. Buy it now... a must for any music lover of that magical age, the 70's Series includes... One Hit Wonders of the 70's One Hit Wonders of the 80's One Hit Wonders of the 70's AND 80's

Over a thirty-two-year military flying career which spanned a period when the RAF regularly replaced its fighter/bombers, Ian Hall had seven front-line flying tours on five different types. All these flying tours provide a rich seam of material for incisive, amusing and, sometimes, reflective observations from the cockpit. Later, Ian surprised himself somewhat by switching to civil aviation, and the book touches upon the twelve-year experience of a fast jet pilot who became a direct-entry turboprop captain. Finally, equipped with pipe and slippers, he reflects on a great life of flying, as well as taking a brief look at the things that keep a retired pilot amused. An ideal read for anyone fascinated by tales of aerial exploits.

Love them or hate them, One Hit Wonders stick in our brains... like melted cheese on a porcupine But every one holds its own unique story, and some have as much drama as a Hollywood adventure movie. Did you know that Dave Edmunds' hit "Cruel to be Kind", stalled at number 12 of every major chart? Did you know that rock legends Led Zeppelin are a One Hit Wonder in the UK? Did you know that Minnie Ripperton and Van McCoy (both one Hit Wonders in '75) both died in July '79? One Hit Wonders from the 70's (over 400 of them ) will make you listen to your favorite songs in a whole new light. With information taken from Official Music Charts all over the world, we give a global overview of the one hit wonders of this special decade. With details from the Billboard Hot 100 and Canada, the UK Charts, hits from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and many European charts, this is the most detailed list ever researched. Indexed and cross-referenced for ease of use, whether you are a music buff or just want the answers for your local trivia night, this book is for you. With over 400 songs, over 100 pages of information, their chart positions, sales figures, trivia facts and more will provide you with hours of fun and nostalgia. Buy it now... a must for any music lover of that magical age, the 70's

Edinburgh, October 1940... When Nazi troops march triumphantly along Princes Street, James Baird feels drawn to watch the parade. It's his punishment, for at 20 years old, and a Philosophy student at Edinburgh University, he is ashamed he has done nothing in the defense of his country. Behind him, he cannot look at the high ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, for they are festooned with garish red swastika banners. Sickened by the music and swaggering Nazis, James soon takes refuge in the Edinburgh University bar, determined to drown his sorrows before returning home. As his new role in German-controlled Edinburgh is revealed, James is determined to fight the oppressors in any way he can. When he is approached by a member of Military Intelligence (the newly formed S. O. E.), James at last finds something he can get his teeth into. But as he begins life as an undercover agent, each day brings new challenges, and increased danger. Once committed to the S. O. E., life for James Baird will never be the same again. In Avenging Steel, we follow his adventures as a nation struggles against the rule of Nazi jackboots, and begin to rebel against German rule. Thus begins Avenging Steel, a new WW2 Alternative History series set in the streets of Edinburgh, and the countryside of Scotland. "Avenging Steel: The First Collection", is the first 3 novellas in the series, all together in a bumper, budget bundle. Includes... Avenging Steel 1: The Fall of Edinburgh Avenging Steel 2: The Nuclear Option Avenging Steel 3: The Final Solution Watch out for "Avenging Steel 4: The Tree of Liberty"

Tornado Boys is the latest in the ever-popular Boys series, and differs from earlier titles. With the introduction of female pilots to the RAF in 1994, the Tornado was among the first aircraft to be flown by both men and women. This is acknowledged in the book with a chapter written by one female pilot. Another aspect that makes this book different from the rest of the series is that it covers an aircraft which is still in active service, currently as a key player in Middle East operations. With focus on the GR1/GR4 versions of the Tornado (and not the F3 interceptor), readers will enjoy fascinating insights on what it is like to operate this multi-role bomber/reconnaissance aircraft against the backdrop of modern-day scenarios. The book starts in the 1970s with stories from operators of the Tornado as a Cold War nuclear deterrent and with tales of later hot wars as seen by operational leaders in both Gulf conflicts and in Kosovo. There are also stories of Scud hunting in Iraq and of Red Flag exercises in the US, as well as of a stunning competition victory over the USAFs Strategic Air Command in their own backyard. The short-lived anti-shipping role is not neglected. With the transformation of the Tornado to GR4 standard, the book continues with chapters covering active service in support of Britains increasingly complex international commitments and the employment of new weaponry and sensors. The various operational training patterns over the years are discussed by instructors, while there are tales from those who flew Tornados on exchange, loan and contract service with foreign air forces. Finally the book highlights the essential part played by ground crew in the Tornado story, with chapters by front-line engineers and an army ground liaison officer. All in all, through the eyes of the men and women who have operated this extraordinary aircraft, the volume presents an entertaining and illuminating series of tales and anecdotes. These light and informative stories come from those who were proud to serve on and loved to operate the impressively versatile Tornado.

Was principled gentleman Winston Churchill also the master of nasty tactics? You bet he was Winston Churchill had done it all. In the British Army, he had fought in India and Egypt, been under fire, and returned it; he'd killed the enemy. Churchill was captured, put in a PoW camp, and escaped, surviving behind enemy lines for weeks. He'd invented tanks, floating harbors, grenade launchers; turns out Germans did the worst thing possible... they'd attacked Britain and made Churchill mad. With his back to the wall in 1940, & Nazi invasion imminent, not only did Churchill use every trick in the book... with the uncovering of new WW2 secrets, it turns out he actually wrote the book Literally But Churchill's Secret Armies is not a biography of the famous leader; it is a look at the fruits of his labor, the book discloses the plethora of special forces, units, and departments, Churchill formed to "get the job done". This was not a gentleman's war; this was back-to-the-wall fighting dirty, and Churchill was a master. From the birth of the well-known British Commandoes to the obscure Cichociemni (Polish Special Forces)... From the code breakers at Bletchley Park to the men of the 712th Survey Flotilla (who surveyed the Normandy beaches)... Churchill's Secret Armies is a page-turner for the history buff, and an absolute must-read for anyone who 'thinks' they know 'all' about World War Two.

Slang has been in use for as long as men have used a spoken language. In using slang, Britain is no different, but perhaps the isolation of our Island Fortress has allowed us to accumulate more than its fair share. So... ...whether you are researching a novel...or perhaps just want to understand British television better...or maybe you're just a trivia junkieThe source of your motivation doesn't matter... this book is for you English slang, Scottish slang, Regional slang, Cockney Rhyming slang. We've got it all covered. And no useless filler either With almost 200 pages of definitions we get straight to the point... slang. So don't be a plonker, stop fannying around, and get yourself a copy.