Sulgrave, the ancestral home of the Washingtons, stands to-day as a symbol of the friendship which has existed for over one hundred years and which should always exist between the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon race. Thousands from Great Britain, America and from all parts of the earth visit it each summer, and yet many come and go hardly realising how close they are to scenes and places of the greatest historic interest. These twelve short sketches of famous men and women, who lived within a fifty mile radius of the village, are published in the hope that they may prove useful to some of the pilgrims, and may help to create an ever deepening interest in our Common Motherland. -- Pg. iv.

Oxfordshire is the hive to which great artists, scientists, thinkers and warlords have swarmed for 2,000 years. You will be amazed at how many historical figures have enjoyed or suffered their defining moments in this exciting and interesting county. From flint arrowheads to RAF bases, from the Ridgeway to the M40 and from the Roman Conquest to the Cold War, this book tells the story of Oxfordshire's diverse people and their trades, triumphs and tribulations. The history of Oxfordshire is, indeed, the history of England in miniature, and Paul Sullivan shares it in all its glory in this well-researched book.

oin Phil and Kev on their adventure down the Thames. Two mates with no canoe experience, who decide to celebrate their 50th birthdays by setting themselves the challenge to travel down the length of the Thames in a two-man Canadian canoe. To further the challenge, they pledged to stop at every pub with a riverside fronting to partake in a beverage or two. Battling a distance of 136 miles over 12 days from the upper reaches with choking reed beds and overhanging branches to Teddington Lock, where the river becomes tidal. They witness how the river grows from a mere, knee-deep stream, through its many stages before becoming the majestic river as it approaches London. The author has managed to capture the daily incidents with characteristic humour while describing the history of the places visited in great detail following exhaustive research.

Julian Harrison Is Curator Of Medieval And Earlier Manuscripts At The British Library, And Co-Editor Of The Chronicle Of Melrose Abbey.