British Memoirs

The Royal Marine Commandos have become a byword for elite raiding skills and cutting-edge military operations. They are globally renowned, yet shrouded in mystery. With unique insight and authority, Commando captures the essence and heart of this revered military unit then and now, exploring their role patrolling the high seas and policing coastlines around the globe, and revealing their rich history and what it means to win and wear the legendary green beret.

Roaring Girls tells the game-changing life stories of eight formidable women whose grit, determination and radical unconventionality saw them defy the odds to forge their own paths. From the notorious cross-dressing thief Mary Frith in the 17th century to rebel slave Mary Prince and adventurer, industrialist and LGBT trailblazer Anne Lister in the 19th, these diverse characters redefined what a woman could be and what she could do in pre-20th-century Britain.

Biography as a literary genre is largely the product of the 18th century and of one seminal work, James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson (1791). Boswell's innovations revolutionized the genre and made it the target of suppression and censorship. He sought not only to memorialize a great man but also to reveal his flaws. Boswell reported long stretches of Johnson's conversation, noted his mannerisms, and in general gave an intimate picture such as no biography had ever before dared to attempt.

'First came the misery of training in freezing conditions for a deployment in a very hot climate. This was typical of the British army and so was the decision to send one hundred trained lunatics running around in dense jungle, armed with live ammunition. And they called this the solution?' Warning Order Belize is a 'down to earth' and witty account of the adventures and misadventures of a young British Soldier in Colchester as he prepares for a tour of duty in Belize .

For someone whose career ended over 30 years ago, Audrey Hepburn continues to retain her popularity and exert a strong influence over how people view beauty and sophistication.

Britain's most prolific known serial killer wasn't a ripper or strangler. He was a licensed physician, bound in theory by the good medical practice guidelines of the General Medical Council established in 1858, making care of patients his "first concern" while "being open, honest, and acting with integrity". The "healer" nicknamed Doctor Death achieved none of those goals.

Was he "the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street"? Or a man whose "brilliant but unsound judgement resulted in detrimental consequences for Britain and for the world"? Nearly 50 years after his death, debate still rages over Sir Winston Churchill's contribution to history. Indeed, now that wartime nostalgia has mostly washed away, in Britain in particular the views on Churchill are more divergent than ever.

The Crossing is a groundbreaking, unprecedented look inside the UK's newest and most chilling underworld. Wensley Clarkson's insider account reveals the emergence of numerous organised crime networks more powerful and violent than anything ever seen before in this country. These often foreign gangs run elaborate international systems dealing in drugs, people smuggling, prostitution and money laundering, and they have gained a huge foothold in the UK underworld thanks to The Crossing.

The extraordinary story of British junior officers in the First World War, who led their men out of the trenches and faced a life expectancy of six weeks. During the Great War, many boys went straight from the classroom to the most dangerous job in the world - that of junior officer on the Western Front. Although desperately aware of how many of their predecessors had fallen before them, nearly all stepped forward, unflinchingly, to do their duty. The average life expectancy of a subaltern in the trenches was a mere six weeks.

Curious about how a young princess navigated her path to become a global symbol of strength and stability? Eager to delve into the illustrious reign of one of the world's most iconic monarchs? Ready to explore the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II? A Brief History of Queen Elizabeth II unravels the captivating story of the longest-reigning British monarch. This book isn't just a chronicle of a royal life; it's a journey through the evolution of the monarchy in a world of rapid change.

We're living in some incredibly dark and strange times, but whatever coronavirus throws at us, it's failed to dent the great British spirit. Every day, we're heartened by incredible stories of rare and wonderful people going above and beyond - and some sadly losing their lives in the process. With celebrities turning their hands to educating our children with daily sports and music lessons and weekly community doorstep celebrations for our incredible NHS and service industries who are stalwartly keeping us fed and nurtured, our get-up-and-go attitude is in full swing!

Few fathers and sons can ever have been so close as Winston Churchill and his only son, Randolph. Both showed flamboyant impatience, reckless bravery and generosity of spirit. The glorious and handsome Randolph was a giver and devourer of pleasure, a man who exploded into rooms, trailing whisky tumblers and reciting verbatim whole passages of classic literature. But while Randolph inherited many of his fathers' talents, he also inherited all of his flaws.

Queen Elizabeth I was one of England's most influential rulers. Hers was an age when the arts, commerce, and trade flourished. It was the epoch of gallantry and great, enduring literature. It was also an age of wars and military conflicts. In the end, Queen Elizabeth I helped change the entire structure of female leadership and would go on to improve upon Henry VIII's successes.

Born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, the Honorable Diana Frances Spencer attained wealth, power, and title with her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. But her ultimate triumph owed nothing to those circumstances and everything to her inner qualities: to an innate ability to understand and connect with ordinary people, especially the desperately sick, the rejected, the "unloved."

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' British Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of Great Britain's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Dale Vince never intended to start a business. Driven by a passion for sustainability, he left school aged 15 and became a New Age traveler, living for free in a wind-powered double decker bus. But after building his first wind turbine, he realized that to change the world he needed to be on the grid, not off it. In 1996, he founded green energy company Ecotricity based on principles of social, financial, and environmental sustainability, and changed the landscape of UK energy forever.

Over 450 years after his reign, Henry VIII is still the most famous and recognizable king of England, but it's for all the wrong reasons. He is best remembered today for his gluttony and multiple marriages, particularly for beheading some of his wives. It is somewhat fitting that his most decisive act came as a result of a marital mishap. Sharply at odds with the Catholic Church, Henry VIII ultimately broke with the Church and established the Church of England, which forever altered the religious history of England, the social hierarchy of the nation, and its empire.

In this audiobook you will learn about 60 more of the most crazy, silly, and, of course, barking mad things we British do to have a bit of fun and keep ourselves occupied. We are known for our eccentricity - here's some proof!

William of Normandy is a rough man, but what more can you expect of an illegitimate son trying to muscle his way into a dukedom? After a violent start to their courtship, Mathilda of Flanders discovers William to be a man of unexpected sensitivity, driven by two goals: to prove himself by becoming a great ruler and to build a warm and secure family.

This is Britain's first family and yep, they are not even British. But let's not hold that against them, it may even be a plus! Many truly great people are not even British, but who cares about them? These people know how to throw a party, put on a wedding and without doubt, they have the BEST funerals. Please, Hollywood, do you know how to draw an audience of half the world's population to one of your lame movies? Best box office weekend, six million?