Best Selling Books by Jean Hood

Although Trafalgar Square, with its column and famous lions and fountains, provides an iconic image of London today, it was not until 1830 that the Square acquired its name, and later still, in 1843 – almost 40 years after his death – that Nelson''s Column was erected. What was there before? Why was this particular site chosen to commemorate Nelson? The author, Jean Hood, traces the evolution of the Square, through the design and planning of the monument, Parliamentary squabbles and indecision, engineering debacle and overspend, through the rise of the buildings that surround it and the statues that decorate it, to the recent modernisation and pedestrianisation that was completed in 2003, which realises the original plan of access from the National Gallery. Illustrated with a wealth of maps and plans, engravings, artworks and photographs, in colour and in black and white, Jean''s lively and fascinating text incorporates biographies of the architects, designers and prominent figures who created the Square that we recognise today, and explores themes such as national celebration, political protest and artistic controversy that have become as intrinsic to the character of the Square as the architecture itself. Thorough in research and description, rich in anecdote and visually appealing, this book is a beautiful souvenir to the millions of visitors who come to the Square every year as well as essential reading for anyone interested in the history and development of London.

Readable, entertaining mini-histories of extraordinary shipwrecks, some famous (Titanic, Kursk) some little known.

For 150 years war correspondents have shaped our understanding of the war zone. Through printed word, photograph, radio and satellite link-up, they have exposed the horrors of war and revealed the endurance of the human spirit under fire. This book not only brings together details of the most famous dispatches from the front and iconic examples of photojournalism that have passed into our collective consciousness, it is also about the war correspondents themselves. Illustrated with the best examples of war art, black-and-white prints and color reportage of the conflicts of the last century and a half, and with special features on the careers of famous journalists and photographers, this book offers a fascinating insight into the role of the war correspondent.

In 1792, the East Indiaman Winterton, with 300 crew and passengers, was wrecked on a reef off Madagascar. This book chronicles the quiet heroism, dignity and courage of all involved, particularly John Dale, the second senior surviving officer, and his battle with prolonged tragedy and misfortune.

''...a splendid example of narrative nonfiction, a literary form that in skilful hands combines the attraction of a compelling novel with the education of an engrossing history'''' Naval History Magazine What is the greatest maritime disaster of all time? In her remarkable collection of stories, Jean Hood certainly challenges the popular belief that Titanic should hold that title. Dramatic and enthralling, the common theme throughout is the strength of human character - or lack of it - that reveals itself when people are placed in the most appalling and incredible circumstances. Read about the crowded emigrant liner whose officers abandoned her after striking a reef; the captain of an unseaworthy ferry who refused to put back to Liverpool because he would have had to refund the fares; the inexperienced frigate captain who entrusted his ship to a passenger and whose voyage ended in cannibalism and national scandal. Yet for every instance of cruelty, criminal negligence and bad luck, there is another of courage, leadership, humanity and resourcefulness. The French fisherman who swam for almost a mile through the wild tide to try and help a stranded convict ship; the captain who stole international headlines by remaining aboard a doomed cargo ship in mountainous seas; the crew of a dismasted timber carrier who suffered for more than a month in the bitter North Atlantic winter; the U-boat which went to the rescue of those whose ship she had just sunk.

When the bitter conflict of the Second World War drew to a close, Britain quietly busied herself with getting back to normal. As the men returned from the battlefields of Europe, wartime airfields were deserted, pillboxes guarding strategic Stop Lines were abandoned to nature, and jetties for the convoy escorts were left to rot. Their ghosts linger still, criss-crossing the landscape, and much can be learned from their excavation and examination. In Dig WW2 Dan Snow takes us on a journey through the Allied Battle for Europe, unearthing a Spitfire buried in the Donegal peat bog, joining a team diving on a tank graveyard off Malin Head, and venturing into a sealed bunker on a D-Day beach. Jean Hood delves more deeply into the stories he uncovers, and explores the themes raised in the TV series to reveal the neglected, forgotten and secretive accounts of the war: Britain''s relationship with ''neutral'' Ireland and America, the programme of ''starfish sites'', and the mystery of the launch ramps pointing at London. Some stories are intensely personal, and others simply celebrate British eccentricity and the art of invention. The result is a thoroughly engrossing book that takes you to the Liri Valley and Juno Beach, Lough Erne and a Somerset cemetery. With an end section on how we can all get involved and interact with our wartime history, it will awaken the military archaeologist in all of us.

First published 1994. No one ever came to the kingdom of Brog. Then one day the dragon arrived, and so did the knights. None of them managed to kill the dragon. But then Princess Lisa had a much better idea

When the bitter conflict of the Second World War drew to a close, Britain quietly busied herself with getting back to normal. As the men returned from the battlefields of Europe, wartime airfields were deserted, pillboxes guarding strategic Stop Lines were abandoned to nature, and jetties for the convoy escorts were left to rot. Their ghosts linger still, criss-crossing the landscape, and much can be learned from their excavation and examination. In Dig WW2 Dan Snow takes us on a journey through the Allied Battle for Europe, unearthing a Spitfire buried in the Donegal peat bog, joining a team diving on a tank graveyard off Malin Head, and venturing into a sealed bunker on a D-Day beach. Jean Hood delves more deeply into the stories he uncovers, and explores the themes raised in the TV series to reveal the neglected, forgotten and secretive accounts of the war: Britain''s relationship with ''neutral'' Ireland and America, the programme of ''starfish sites'', and the mystery of the launch ramps pointing at London. Some stories are intensely personal, and others simply celebrate British eccentricity and the art of invention. The result is a thoroughly engrossing book that takes you to the Liri Valley and Juno Beach, Lough Erne and a Somerset cemetery. With an end section on how we can all get involved and interact with our wartime history, it will awaken the military archaeologist in all of us.