James Drake's 'Drake's Road Book of the Grand Junction Railway from Birmingham to Liverpool and Manchester' is a comprehensive guide to the newest mode of transportation in the early 19th century. The book not only provides practical information for travelers, such as distances and landmarks along the railway route, but also includes detailed descriptions of the towns and cities connected by the railway. Drake's writing style is straightforward and informative, catering to the practical needs of travelers. This book is a valuable resource for understanding the impact of the railway on society and commerce during the Industrial Revolution. Drake's detailed observations and meticulous descriptions offer a glimpse into the rapidly changing landscape of Britain in the 19th century. Historians and enthusiasts of railway history will find this book an essential addition to their collection. James Drake's expertise as a cartographer and travel writer is evident in this meticulously researched and well-presented guide, making it a must-read for those interested in the history of transportation and urban development.

The Bruces of fourteenth-century Scotland were formidable and enthusiastic warriors. Whilst much has been written about events as they happened in Scotland during the chaotic years of the first part of the fourteenth century, England's war with Robert the Bruce profoundly affected the whole of the British Isles. Scottish raiders struck deep into the heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire; Robert's younger brother, Edward Bruce, was proclaimed King of Ireland and came close to subduing the country; the Isle of Man was captured and a Welsh sea-port was raided; and in the North Sea Scots allied with German and Flemish pirates to cripple England's vital wool trade and disrupt its war effort. Packed with detail and written with a strong and involving narrative thread, this is the first book to link up the various theatres of war and discuss the effect of the wars of the Bruces outside Scotland.