Most Popular Books by Dan Jackson

Why is the North East the most distinctive region of England? Where do the stereotypes about North Easterners come from, and why are they so often misunderstood? In this wideranging new history of the people of North East England, Dan Jackson explores the deep roots of Northumbrian culture--hard work and heavy drinking, sociability and sentimentality, militarism and masculinity--in centuries of border warfare and dangerous and demanding work in industry, at sea and underground. He explains how the landscape and architecture of the North East explains so much about the people who have lived there, and how a ''Northumbrian Enlightenment'' emerged from this most literate part of England, leading to a catalogue of inventions that changed the world, from the locomotive to the lightbulb. Jackson''s Northumbrian journey reaches right to the present day, as this remarkable region finds itself caught between an indifferent south and a newly assertive Scotland. Covering everything from the Venerable Bede and the prince-bishops of Durham to Viz and Geordie Shore, this vital new history makes sense of a part of England facing an uncertain future, but whose people remain as distinctive as ever.

Increase your influence and ignite your passion to succeed The pleasure in leading people to achieve a vision is only surpassed by them truly sensing they did it themselves. Leading in the modern world is not about personality, style and charisma. People are not looking for rock-star leaders; they don’t care about your personality profile, theories on management or level of emotional intelligence. What people are after are leaders that are able to see the light on the hill; leaders that can establish an atmosphere of success where people actively contribute in a way that is enjoyable, challenging and fulfilling. The Leader Who Inspires is travelling the journey of life; not observing it from a theoretical perspective. This book covers the leadership essentials, providing practical insights to maximise your leadership potential. It contains two practical strategies for self-growth and a further two to apply leadership to transform your enterprise. The concept of The Leader Who Inspires is not for everyone; but it is for those who have a preference for action and an appetite to lead. A specialist in strategy and business transformation, Dan Jackson has spent a career observing leaders of all types at all levels in private and public enterprises. Thoroughly researched, The Leader Who Inspires applies grounded theory to extensive experience on how to effectively lead and transform the modern workplace. www.leaderwhoinspires.com

''A brilliant history of the club I love. Passion, pride and pain - it''s all here'' ALAN SHEARER ''No-one writes with as much flair, authority and sly wit about the North and Northerners as well as Dan Jackson... a loving, forensic, engaging history of his beloved Newcastle United'' STUART MACONIE ''An outstandingly rich, entertaining and thoughtful book'' DOMINIC SANDBROOK ''Not just an outstanding portrait of a club and its history, but also of a city, a region and even the people of the Geordie Nation'' DUNCAN HAMILTON What is the real history of Newcastle United? Why has this gloriously exasperating football club inspired devotion bordering on religious fervour, despite a trophy cabinet that in recent years only bulged through malnutrition? And what, exactly, do its dizzying highs and operatic lows reveal about the corner of England it has so long represented in the national imagination? In Howay the Lads!, Dan Jackson - bestselling author of The Northumbrians - dives headlong into the smoky backstreets of Victorian Tyneside, where football first took root among shipyards and coalmines with men who thought shin pads were for the faint-hearted. He traces how the North East fell hopelessly in love with the game, how Newcastle United rose to become the glittering aristocrats of Edwardian football, and how they then spent the next century pursuing Wembley glory with the stubborn optimism of someone who insists this year really is our year. Along the way, we meet a cast worthy of a Netflix drama: the cerebral footballing polymath Colin Veitch; the goal-scoring folk heroes Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer; and a procession of St James'' Park boardroom characters whose exploits were often as dramatic as anything on the pitch. Jackson explores the club''s singular place in the social and cultural life of North East England - its fierce rivalries, its unbreakable bond with the city, and the fan culture that somehow made Newcastle United the best-supported underachievers in world football. From coal dust to Champions League dreams, from heartbreak to hope, and from controversial Saudi takeover to a future shimmering with possibility, this is the story of what Newcastle United has been - and with 100 years since the club''s last league title-winning season, what it still means to a city that sings, suffers and stubbornly believes. Howay the Lads!

Take the events and characters from one of the classic Star Wars films, throw in one happenstance, mishap, or technical glitch beyond the characters'' control, and watch how that changes everything. In Dark Horse''s first foray into Infinities (A New Hope), Luke Skywalker''s valiant torpedo attack on the Death Star failed due to a faulty detonator -- an event no one could have foreseen -- and the Rebellion was dealt a debilitating setback. In Infinities -- The Empire Strikes Back, Han Solo''s desperate attempt to locate his friend Luke in the icy wastes of the planet Hoth is thwarted when the tauntaun he''s riding succumbs to the cold while Han is still a mile from Luke''s location. Han arrives too late, barely in time to hear Luke''s dying words about Jedi training and the planet Dagobah... Thus begins an adventure far different than the one seen in the motion picture. Along the way, a famous bounty hunter is frozen in carbonite, Han and Chewie are captured on Tatooine by Jabba the Hutt, and Princess Leia and Yoda have a fateful jungle showdown with Darth Vader! Collecting the four-issue miniseries.

What would have happened if Luke Skywalker had died in the frozen wasteland of Hoth? Now''s the chance to find out, as a bemused Solo prepares to follow Luke''s final wish - to travel to the planet Dagobah and train as a Jedi with the mysterious Yoda.