Books by Bob Osborn
Bob's Booklist
Currently
available, and
forthcoming, books
written by yours truly
Forthcoming
Titles
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Yeovil, Then & Now
Yeovil is changing. Yeovil has always changed, as has almost every other town in the country. It is natural to look back at the Yeovil we remember and think that it is not as it used to be. Rose-coloured spectacles can have that effect, but change is nothing new.
In this volume, generously filled with old and new comparison photographs, Yeovil author and historian Bob Osborn provides a fascinating comparison of "Yeovil, Then & Now", combined with an engaging and enlightening narrative.
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Release
Date
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Spring
2024
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Price
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£14.99
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ISBN |
978-1-80517-113-3 |
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This book will only be available from
St John's church,
Waterstones, Yeovil,
Palmers Garden Centre,
and
eBay (UK only)
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The Church of St John the Baptist, Yeovil
- a History and Guide
Yeovil's parish church of St John the Baptist, has been described as "One of the most beautiful, pure and complete specimens of ecclesiastical architecture in the country”, which is surely no exaggeration. It was built in a very short span of some twenty five years at the end of the 14th century and is a supreme example of early Perpendicular Gothic architecture that results in a harmonious whole. However, the church we see today was not the first at this location, as there has been a church here for over a thousand years.
In this volume, written from a historical and architectural perspective and lavishly filled with full colour photographs, Yeovil author and historian Bob Osborn provides not only a fascinating history of St John's church and the former churches on the site, but an interesting and informative guide of the church and its treasures.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
66
images
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Release
Date
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November
2023
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Price
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£14.99
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ISBN |
978-1-80352-784-0 |
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Currently
Available
Titles
Available from all good bookshops
(except where stated)
|
Only available from
Waterstones, Yeovil,
Palmers Garden Centre,
and
eBay (UK only)
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LIMITED EDITION
Victorian Yeovil
At the end of the eighteenth century, Yeovil was a typical small English market town, set within an agricultural hinterland and with at least fifty farms within the parish of Yeovil itself. However, the town suddenly grew and expanded as the gloving industry took hold in the town.
The resulting increase in the town’s population brought substantial problems in terms of housing, sanitation, water supply, health care, social services, education and even congestion in the narrow streets.
By the end of the nineteenth century, Yeovil had changed out of all recognition and had become a socially thriving, modern town ready to face the twentieth century. Yeovil, at the start of the twentieth century, was completely different in so many ways from the Yeovil at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It truly had been a time of momentous change.
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Paperback
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92
pages,
37
B&W images
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Release
Date
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June
2023
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Price
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£12.99
(plus
£3 UK
P+P)
Sorry,
no
international
postage
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ISBN |
978-1-80352-738-3 |
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ELECTRONIC EDITION
This book was produced as an electronic edition suitable for reading on computer, laptop, iPad, Kindle, etc. to celebrate three million page-views of Yeovil's Virtual Mueseum.
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ELECTRONIC EDITION (only available on request)
Photographing Yeovilians
The late 1840s saw the introduction of the photographic studio in England when the new 'science' of photography meant that a 'likeness' would soon become affordable for the masses. As with other towns, Yeovil saw its fair share of photographic artists setting up studios from 1847 onwards.
Today, of most value and interest, is probably the record of how ordinary Yeovilians looked and dressed. The vast legacy of cartes de visite and cabinet cards, professionally-produced postcards and domestic photographs have produced significant documentation of the fashions in clothing, for both sexes.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs from his own collection In this carefully researched volume, Yeovil author and historian Bob Osborn explores the heritage of Yeovil's photographers from the 1850s to the 1920s and reveals the fashions that Yeovilians wore through these decades.
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Electronic
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74
pages,
94
illustrations
(obviously
all B&W)
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Release
Date
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August
2021
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Price |
£5 with
free UK
P+P |
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To buy
now |
Please
email me
to buy.
My email
address
is at
the
bottom
of the
home
page of
this
website. |
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LIMITED EDITION
ONLY available at
Waterstones, Yeovil,
and
Palmers Garden Centre
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Reprinted
Crime and Punishment in Yeovil
Yeovil historian and author Bob Osborn has spent years researching the history of Yeovil. This new book uncovers an intriguing history of crimes committed and the often extreme punishments meted out throughout a period of over 900 years, and contains a wealth of cases derived chiefly from contemporary sources.
Of course, just like every other town in England, crimes have always been committed in Yeovil. While many offences, such as murder, assault, robbery and drunkenness remain constant across the centuries, each period has crimes specific to that time; for example highway robbery, rioting, dueling, disorderly alehouses, infanticide, baby farming, and so on. There is even the case of Mary Hamilton who, "pretending herself a man", married fourteen women across Somerset!
This engrossing book provides a fascinating insight into the darker aspects of Yeovil throughout history.
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Paperback
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198
pages,
49
images
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Release
Date
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28 July
2020,
reprint
5 Sept
2023
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Price
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£14.99
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ISBN |
978-1-78972-879-8 |
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Lost Yeovil
Lost Yeovil is richly illustrated with historic photographs, postcards, paintings and antique prints. These fascinating pictures capture the town in its various incarnations from the eighteenth century to recent times. It shows the buildings and roads, churches, public buildings, commercial buildings, factories, residential buildings, shops, and other numerous places that have disappeared from the local landscape. Local historian and author Bob Osborn describes a Yeovil that has been lost through time.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
175
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
February
2020
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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978-1-4456-9364-4
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SOLD OUT
Another print run in due course
Inns, Taverns, Alehouses, Pubs and
Beerhouses of Yeovil
Yeovil, in Somerset, has always had a large number of licensed premises. In 1610, an order was made that only nine be allowed in the borough and two outside, with the rest being 'suppressed'. However, Yeovil at this time was about a hundredth of the size of Yeovil today. After several years of research, local historian and author Bob Osborn has discovered over 140 of Yeovil's inns, taverns, alehouses and public houses, plus over 100 beerhouses. All of these are described in a fascinating and informative tour of Yeovil's hostelries, past and present.
A DVD is included with the book to offer the reader a large number of additional photographs, advertisements, maps, plans, etc. Also included are extensive documentation, research material and family information of licensees.
Fully illustrated with photographs from the past and present, this book and DVD will appeal to anyone interested in Yeovil's history.
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Paperback
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100
pages
(book)
plus 605
pages
(DVD)
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Images
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531
monochrome
and
colour
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Maps
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22
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Plans
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21
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Licensee
Info
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463
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Price
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£14.99
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Release
Date
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1
October 2019
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ISBN
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978-1-78972-281-9
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Yeovil - The Postcard CollectionPicture postcards first began to appear in Yeovil around 1899, used by people from all walks of life as a cheap and easy form of communication. Fortunately, local photographers saw the opportunities provided by the cards and began capturing everyday local scenes, leaving us with now priceless snapshots of a bygone age. While Yeovil has changed greatly over the past century, the origins and history of the town are still very much part of its fabric. Local historian and author Bob Osborn's postcards contained in this book capture just a glimpse of it. Yeovil - The Postcard Collection provides a fascinating insight into how the town has changed over the past century. Yeovil's most iconic streets, buildings, and long-lost views are all brought to life in this beautifully illustrated volume.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
160
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
April
2019
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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9781445678818
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A-Z of Yeovil
The Somerset town of Yeovil may no longer be a thriving hub of glove manufacturing, but examine its history little deeper and you will find an exciting history dating back centuries. From its early Roman connections to its expansion as a major centre of glove making in the 1800s and later growth of its aircraft and defence industries, the town has always played an important role in the local area and county. Local author Bob Osborn takes the reader on a fascinating A–Z tour of the town’s history, exploring its streets and alleyways, and telling stories of the buildings, places and residents along the way. Fully illustrated with photographs from the past and present, A–Z of Yeovil will appeal to residents and visitors alike.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
90
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
October
2018
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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9781445675060
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Secret
Yeovil
The Somerset town of Yeovil has deep historical roots and its ancient streets hide many secrets. Well-known local author and historian Bob Osborn takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the town's past, unearthing tales of intrigue and grisly goings-on as he reveals the murkier side of Yeovil's heritage. Along the way we are introduced to the great, the good and the bad, as well as the famous and infamous characters who have all played a part in its lore and legends. Fully illustrated with photographs from the past and present, Secret Yeovil delves beneath the surface of this old glove-making town, revealing a lesser-known and less savoury past that even most local people don’t know.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
100
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
April
2018
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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9781445674902
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For
reviews
-
click
here
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Yeovil
in 50
Buildings
Yeovil
has
managed
to keep
a wealth
of
architectural
treasures
from
every
era for
us to
enjoy
and this
is a
celebration
of fifty
of those
buildings
and the
stories
attached
to them.
From the
grand
Aldon
House to
the Art
Deco-inspired
Odeon
Cinema,
we will
follow
Yeovil's
diverse
timeline
through
its
bricks
and
mortar
as local
writer
and
historian,
Bob
Osborn,
takes
the
reader
on a
tour of
the
town's
architectural
heritage.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
120
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
October
2017
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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9781445674803
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For
reviews
-
click
here
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Now
That's
What I
Call
Yeovil
There have been
many books
written about
'old' Yeovil but
this book is a
little different
- it's about
'not so old'
Yeovil and
concentrates on
the town during
the latter half
of the twentieth
century. The
idea is to take
a nostalgic view
of Yeovil during
a time that many
will remember,
perhaps with
mixed feelings,
but it will
hopefully bring
back memories of
places and
events.
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Paperback
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96
pages,
175
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15 May
2017
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Price
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£14.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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9781445671697
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For
reviews
-
click
here
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Yeovil From Old
Photographs
This
fascinating
book
charts
the
town's
proud
and
distinctive
history
through
a
fascinating
selection
of old
photographs,
prints
and
postcards,
showing
what
life was
like for
Yeovil's
past
residents
and
bearing
witness
to the
celebrations
and the
struggles
of this
Somerset
town.
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Paperback
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128
pages,
240
photographs
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Publisher
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Amberley
Publishing
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Release
Date
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15
September
2016
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Price
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£12.99
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Reduced
price |
Amazon,
eBay |
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ISBN-10
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1445665263
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Carved
Medieval
Bench
Ends of
South
Somerset
An eBook
on CD
In a
county
internationally
renowned
for its
medieval
carvings,
south
Somerset is
home to
a great
concentration
of
medieval
bench
ends -
23 of
the
largest
and
finest
collections,
comprising
more
than 360
bench
ends.
This
fully
illustrated
and
information-packed
eBook
views
the
area's
collections
in a
contemporary
context.
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eBook on
CD
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582
pages,
966
photographs
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Publisher
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WBD
Publications
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Format
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eBook on
CD |
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Release
Date
|
2015
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Price
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£5.99
with
free UK P+P
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To
buy now
|
Please
email me
to buy.
My email
address
is at
the
bottom
of the
home
page of
this
website.
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A
Photo
Guide to
the
Taunton
Stop
Line
An eBook
on CD
It was
early
June
1940,
Nazi
Germany
had
stormed
across
Europe
and
Hitler
had his
sights
now set
on
England.
The
Taunton
Stop
Line was
the West
Country's
answer
to the
proposed
invasion.
Containing
over
1,500
full
colour
photographs
and more
than 120
maps and
illustrations,
this
enlightening
book
contains
a wealth
of
information
in an
authoritative
text to
create a
complete
interpretive
photographic
record
of all
the
surviving
Second
World
War
defences
of the
Taunton
Stop
Line and
the
twelve
associated
anti-tank
islands.
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eBook on
CD
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1,500+
photographs
(yes,
really)
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Publisher
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WBD
Publications
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Format
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eBook on
CD |
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Release
Date
|
2011
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Price
|
£7.99
with
free UK P+P
|
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To
buy now
|
Please
email me
to buy.
My email
address
is at
the
bottom
of the
home
page of
this
website.
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Guide to
Bayonets
of the
World
An eBook
on CD
Now
established
as the
leading
authoritative
work on
bayonets
of the
world,
this
huge
book is
packed
full of
information
and
includes
a unique
Interactive
Bayonet
Identification
System.
-
equivalent
to over
1,300
pages
- unique
Quick
Identification
Guide
- unique
step-by-step
Interactive
Identification
System
- more
than
1,900
colour
photographs
- more
than 700
scale
line
drawings
-
featuring
over 750
bayonets
- from
more
than 80
countries
- Guide
to
Bayonet
Values
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eBook on
CD
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2,600+
illustrations
(yes,
really)
|
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Publisher
|
WBD
Publications
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Format
|
eBook on
CD |
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Release
Date
|
2003
|
|
Price
|
£14.99
with
free UK P+P
|
|
To
buy now
|
Please
email me
to buy.
My email
address
is at
the
bottom
of the
home
page of
this
website.
|
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