He is one of the best known faces in television comedy, yet the long-suffering vicar of Walmington-on-Sea is in real life a Christian of deep conviction. Perfectly cast as the eccentric vicar, constantly tetchy at the invasion of his church hall by Captain Mainwaring and the elderly platoon, he appeared in the famous BBC series throughout its nine-year run and also in many other television and stage dramas. Still in constant demand for public appearances Frank takes an affectionate view behind the scenes of Dad's Army and the world of show business and reveals his personal journey through faith.

During the crisis year of 1792 when war against France was at its closest, a variety of societies and associations of ‘Loyal Britons’ were set up throughout Britain. Their aim was to organise patriotic, anti-French forces in defense of king and country, and to help maintain the established order. The need to provide an internal defense force resulted in the Volunteer Act of 1794. It witnessed the formation of hundreds of volunteer regiments on the upswell in loyalist sentiment following the disorder and instability witnessed across the Channel in Revolutionary France. By 1798, there were 118,000 volunteers but, faced with the possibility of a French invasion of Southern England, William Pitt’s government aimed to expand this number substantially. By 1804 there were an astonishing 380,000 volunteers under arms and the various Corps made up half to one third of all the home service forces. When we add in those volunteers who agreed to serve overseas, as garrison troops in India for example, the number grows to approximately 800,000 – meaning that around one in every five adult males participated in military activities. This amazing groundswell of patriotic fervour has seldom been investigated before. Using diaries and archive sources, this book seeks to explore the ‘Dad’s Army’ of the Napoleonic Wars. These men were far more than local bands of volunteers, they represented a militarisation of society not previously seen and which was repeated again when the world was thrown into war in the twentieth century.

The complete scripts for six classic early recordings now missing from the Dad's Army archives. Jimmy Perry and David Croft's Dad's Army ran to 80 episodes and after three decades of regular prime-time repeats the wartime adventures of Walmington-on-Sea's Home Guard have become imprinted on the nation's psyche.

This original, informative and entertaining book focuses on ten specially chosen episodes from the eighty Dad's Army shows that were produced during the programme's long run from 1968 to 1977. Amongst the episodes featured are ones that have been favoured by the writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft and by some of its stars - John Le Mesurier, Ian Lavender and Frank Williams. There are anecdotes and quotes from those involved and quizzes on each of the episodes, which are: The Man and the Hour (first episode), The Showing Up of Corporal Jones, The Armoured Might of Lance Corporal Jones, Something Nasty in the Vault, Branded, Mum’s Army, The Deadly Attachment (the “Don’t tell him, Pike” episode), The Royal Train, Ring Dem Bells and Never Too Old (final episode). Dad’s Army The Man and The Hour is an absolute must-have for fans of this classic sitcom.

"Matthews' tale hits all the high notes of a great romance novel...Cue the satisfied sighs of romance readers everywhere." -Kirkus Reviews A World-Weary Rake After years of unbridled debauchery, Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton has hit proverbial rock bottom. Seeking to escape his melancholy, he takes refuge at one of Victorian society's most notorious house parties. As the Christmas season approaches, he prepares to settle in for a month of heavy drinking...until an unexpected encounter changes his plans--and threatens his heart. A Prim Vicar's Daughter Valentine March is not the drab little spinster she appears to be. When her new job as a lady's companion lands her smack in the middle of Yorkshire with England's most infamous rake, she resolves to keep her head down and her eyes fixed firmly on her future--a future which most definitely does not include a sinfully handsome viscount. A Match Made in Scandal A friendship is impossible. An affair out of the question. But when one reckless act binds them together, will two star-crossed souls discover there's more to each other than meets the eye? Or will revelations from the past end their fragile romance before it begins?