Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Yeovil, The Home Front, 1939-1945 The Second World War did not come as a surprise and Yeovil had been preparing for war, because its aircraft industry made it a prime target for Nazi bombers.    In this huge and enlightening book, generously illustrated throughout, historian and author Bob Osborn examines Yeovil's preparations for war, including its physical defence and wartime organisations, the plans to accommodate a sudden huge influx of over 4,400 evacuees and the support network created for both civilians and service personnel.    What was life like, living day-to-day in wartime Yeovil? We discover how Yeovilians coped with the blackout, ID cards, rationing, 'Dig for Victory', the National Salvage Campaign, 'Make do and Mend', dealing with air raids, R&R for both civilians and serving personnel and finally the huge, yet temporary, influx of thousands of GIs and their materiel.    The book also features many day-to-day memories of Yeovilians who endured those dark days, giving a feel of what life was like in wartime Yeovil, as well as the exuberant celebrations at war's end. Paperback 214 pages, 265 illustrations Release Date November 2024 Price £15.99 (plus £3.30 UK P+P) Sorry, no international postage ISBN 978-1-80517-835-4

Currently Available Titles

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ONLY available from Waterstones (Yeovil), Yeovil Art Space (Quedam), or from eBay CLICK HERE		Yeovil, Then and 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 extensive volume, generously filled with 275 'then and now' comparison photographs, Yeovil author and historian Bob Osborn provides fascinating views of "Yeovil, Then and Now", combined with an engaging and entertaining narrative. Paperback 150 pages, 275 Release Date June 2024 Price £17.99 (plus £3.30 UK P+P) Sorry, no international postage ISBN 978-1-80517-113-3

"This book is wonderful, a real memory stirrer." Reviewed by Liz Pike, August 2024.

"Bob does it yet again - an outstanding work for anyone who loves Yeovil." Reviewed by Roger Packham, August 2024.

"An outstanding collection of photographs and, as always with Bob's books, an excellent and informative narrative - I couldn't put it down." Reviewed by Graham Smith-Jones, July 2024.

"WOW, just WOW. An amazing collection of 'then and now' photographs, beautifully presented." Reviewed by Toni Adams, July 2024.

"Another excellent book from this dedicated author." Reviewed by davidbookends, June 2024.

Only available from St John's church, Waterstones (Yeovil), Yeovil Art Space (Quedam) Palmers Garden Centre, and eBay (UK only) CLICK HERE          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. Paperback 96 pages, 66 images Release Date October 2023 Price £14.99  (plus £3 UK P+P) Sorry, no international postage ISBN 978-1-80352-784-0 "An excellent and most informative read. Fascinating and so much history about our Church."  Reviewed by Roger Marchant, January 2024 "The normal exhaustive and in-depth research we expect of Bob Osborn, producing a really interesting and explanatory read."  -  Reviewed by Chantelle Phillips, November 2023 "An expert publication quite unlike normal church booklets; this one describes much more. Unique!"  -  Reviewed by davidbookends, October 2023   Only available from Waterstones, Yeovil, and eBay (UK only)          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. Paperback 92 pages, 37 B&W images Release Date June 2023 Price £12.99 (plus £3 UK P+P) Sorry, no international postage ISBN 978-1-80352-738-3 "An engrossing book backed by Bob's usual wealth of knowledge and excellent illustrations." Reviewed by Sally C, March 2024. "A thorough analysis of what made Yeovil the town it is today. Really interesting"  -  Reviewed by Judy Fry, August 2023 "Another Great Book from the Oracle."  -  Reviewed by; davidbookends, July 2023 "An in-depth look at the development of 19th century Yeovil. Fascinating."  -  Reviewed by Roger Packham, June 2023   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.               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. Electronic 74 pages, 94 illustrations (obviously all B&W) Release Date August 2021 Price £5 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. "Ideal for anyone interested in fashion through the decades."  -  Reviewed by Molly, July 2022 "Beautiful photographs illustrating a wide range of fashions of women, men and children."  -  Reviewed by Sophie Evans, January 2022 LIMITED EDITION            Reprint sold out 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. Paperback 198 pages, 49 images Release Date 28 July 2020, reprint 5 Sept 2023 Price £14.99 ISBN 978-1-78972-879-8 "Wow! who would have guessed there were so many misdeeds throughout history in this quiet little country market town"  - Reviewed by Gerry Richardson, October 2023. "An excellent read."  -  Reviewed by; davidbookends, July 2023 "Fascinating - a real history of local crime"  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, November 2020.           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. Paperback 96 pages, 175 photographs Publisher Amberley Publishing Release Date 15 February 2020 Price £14.99 Reduced price Amazon, eBay ISBN-10 978-1-4456-9364-4 "Another brilliant Yeovil book by local author Bob Osborn - just what I've come to expect." Reviewed by Craig Rogers, January 2024 "Very interesting - both text and photographs." Reviewed by Cherry North, July 2021. "So much lost (as everywhere) but lovely to see so many old photographs bringing back so many memories." Reviewed by Kath Blake, May 2020.              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. Paperback 100 pages (book) plus 605 pages (DVD) Images 531 monochrome and colour Maps 22 Plans 21 Licensee Info 463 Price £14.99 Release Date 1 October  2019 ISBN 978-1-78972-281-9   "Excellent history on Yeovil retreats; very well researched indeed. Super DVD."  -  Reviewed by; davidbookends, October 2019. "Brilliant - well done Bob. Excellent in-depth research and a really interesting read"  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, October 2019.

"Just found this on ebay - a very good read"  - Reviewed by Brian Voss, October 2023.

"Fascinating - so much I never knew before"  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, November 2018.

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.

"Despite what people may think about Yeovil, there is still an amazing number of historic and really interesting buildings in the town." Reviewed by Trevor Bonner, December 2023

"Fascinating - so much I never knew before"  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, November 2018.

"This volume is one of 40-odd that make up the 50 Buildings series published by Amberley. A joy both to read and to use as a guide, this one stands out even in a series that is generally superb. For a start Bob Osborn includes a short purposeful intro which gives us a quick contextual resumé and defines his purpose: not only to provide a short buildings history of Yeovil, but to highlight that the town was not savaged by planners and "retains an important architectural legacy in combination with its social, industrial and historical heritage".
The illustrations are excellent - I have come to expect this of the series, but "Yeovil" has also avoided tbe Achilles heel of the series i.e. mistakes on the map and its key. In this volume there is even a reference to a website where more info can be obtained.
Finally, I commend the ordering of the 50 buildings such as to facilitate a walking tour. That is enormously helpful; other approaches have been adopted in many of the "50 Buildings" books and sometimes they have made for hard walking out on the streets.
Many thanks to Amberley and Bob Osborn."  - Reviewed by Frank Morgan, June 2018.

For reviews - click here

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.

"Great book. Fab photos of the Yeovil I grew up in. Thoroughly enjoyable"  - Reviewed by Mandy, January 2019.

"Very interesting and informative." Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, August 2018.

"A very enjoyable book. Packed with photographs from 1960 to 1990. Although I have not yet visited Yeovil I now know lots about the place"  - Reviewed by KA Johnson, June 2018.

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.

"An excellent and well-researched book giving a wonderful impression of how my home town used to be." Reviewed by J Hoskyn, April 2024.

"Some really cracking photos and interesting accompanying text." Reviewed by Steve Knight,  June 2018.

"As a collector of Yeovil books, I really enjoyed this one. I like to imagine myself walking about Yeovil in the time of my ancestors. The book is extremely well presented and the captions to the photographs are truly informative. Although the author has a comprehensive web site, one just loves to be able to peruse a book in the hand. if you love Yeovil, you'll love this one."  - Reviewed by davidbookends, November 2016.

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.

"Very interesting and informative." Reviewed by; davidbookends, September 2023

"Another brilliant book Bob."  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, August 2018.

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.

"It really amazed me at how much of the Stop Line remains today. Although I must admit that I prefer my books on paper, I quite understand that the sheer number of photographs, maps and information included in this book precludes that (otherwise I wouldn't be able to lift it!)"  - Reviewed by Graham Newmarch, June 2014.

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

"An amazing amount of information and illustrations." Reviewed by Ray Soames, December 2023

"A really comprehensive guide to bayonets from across the world. The interactive identification guide is genius."  - Reviewed by John James Kettley, June 2023.

"Fascinating - such a wealth of information on a single DVD - amazing"  - Reviewed by Colin Crouch, January 2023.

"An extensive and encyclopedic volume - well done."  - Reviewed by Stan Davies, August 2022.

"The wealth of thumbnail photos that expand to full size show a great amount of detail missed in other works. The ID system is outstanding"  - Reviewed by Jules Remarque, February 2022.

"Fantastic book which I use often. Thank you."  - Reviewed by John Ramsey, November 2018.

"The Quick Identification Guide is really useful, but the Interactive Identification System is a brilliant idea and so easy to use."  - Reviewed by David Norwich, June 2010.