A look at the dark side of life in Bath in centuries past. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Bath and the South West of England.

Nineteenth century crime and punishment in Gloucestershire.

A gruesome look at the crimes and mysteries of Yorkshire.

In which pub did the Krays murder George Cornell and so achieve notoriety as Britain’s most feared gangsters? Where is the hostelry in which Jack the Ripper’s victims drank? How did Burke and Hare befriend their victims in a Scottish watering hole before luring them to their deaths? What is the name of the pub where the Lord Lucan mystery first came to light? And how did a pub become the scene of the murder that led to Ruth Ellis going to the gallows? For centuries, the history of beer and pubs has gone hand in hand with some of the nation’s most despicable and fascinating crimes. Packed with grizzly murders – including fascinating little-known cases – as well as sinister stories of smuggling, robbery and sexual intrigue, Murder at the Inn is a treasure trove of dark tales linked to the best drinking haunts and historic hotels across the land.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Britain had eased its problem of crowded jails and surplus criminals by packing them into ships and sending them off to the American colonies to be sold as what nearly amounted to slave labor. All this came to an end with the revolution of 1776 and the legal system was stuck with an ever-increasing army of desperate felons. As there was no national prison system, these felons were crammed on to derelict sailing ships, the hulks, and put to hard labor in appalling conditions, mainly along the rivers Thames and Medway. Their story has been largely ignored by generations of historians and here, for the first time, detailed accounts of their plight, along with the lives and careers of the quite extraordinary men who ruled over them, is examined. Duncan Campbell, for instance, was the ship's captain and plantation owner who first organized the hulk system, and Aaron Graham the magistrate who spied upon, and then defended, the leader of the Nore mutiny and employed William Bligh of the Bounty mutiny to captain his ships. There are biographies of some of the colorful rogues, children and gentleman thieves who were crammed together and condemned to spend years in despair, starvation and degradation, often with their arms and legs manacled and subject to vicious punishments for minor infringements of the regulations. In theory, the hulks were simply holding pens until convicts could be shipped off to the new colonies in Australia, but many sentenced to be transported for terms of between seven years to life were destined to serve most of, if not all, their term onboard. Those that did make it to the other side of the world after a harrowing journey were seldom better off and their story is told in the final chapter.

Bath at War 1939-45 is a comprehensive account of the citys experience of the conflict, covering in detail life on the Home Front set against the background of the wider theatres of war.The narrative of that global struggle is given with a focus on the ordeals endured by the people of Bath, as they cheered their men and women fighters off to war, welcomed thousands of evacuated men, women and children to the city, and faced the full might of Hitlers Luftwaffe.Rare insights into the life of the war-torn city are included, along with untold stories from the footnotes of history, from the Bath blitz to the influx of American GIs. The book incorporates memoirs and memories, along with in depth research from official records and newspaper accounts, so the reader sees the war from the perspective of ordinary people, although the military experiences of Baths citizens - and in many cases their tragic sacrifices - are also included.More controversial topics are also touched upon, such as civil defense, military injustice, racism and local politics, to give a full and fascinating picture of a great city facing profound trials of endurance and courage, thus revealing the many characteristics which has sustained Bath throughout its illustrious history.

At her bed and breakfast in Lake Placid, NY, Wendy Baily, her brother and friends confront criminals determined to force her to give them Canadian gold coins they feel were stolen from them during Prohibition by Wendys grandfather. She finds the coins, sells them and gives the funds to aid an local ecumenical charity group. She makes friends with local Adirondackers, who try to protect her when she is threatened. Her commitment to God grows throughout her ordeal. She realizes that her business is in reality a mission to win others to God.

This book features fifty-six Victorian murder cases from the files of the Illustrated Police News.