Kirjahaku

Lieutenant R.S. Maxwell took off in his BE2C fighter but saw nothing unusual until 8.25 p.m. when, according to his report: ‘My engine was missing irregularly and it was only by keeping the speed of the machine down to 50 mph that I was able to stay at 10,000 feet. I distinctly saw an artificial light to the north of me, and at about the same height. I followed this light northeast for nearly 20 minutes, but it seemed to go slightly higher and just as quickly as myself, and eventually I lost it completely in the clouds.’ Such sightings occurred frequently during the war. The reasons are fascinating in themselves: the first is that aviation is in its infancy, so light phenomena at altitude are a new experience. The second is fear: for the first time a real threat came from the skies. It wasn’t just the Western Front: on 21 August 1915 twenty New Zealand soldiers allegedly saw eight bread-loaf shaped clouds over Hill 60, Suvla Bay. ‘A British regiment, the First- Fourth Norfolk, of several hundred men, was then noticed marching . . . towards Hill 60.’ They marched into the cloud, which lifted off the ground, and were never seen again.

The life of Arnold Ziff is the story of one of Yorkshire's most successful businessmen. He floated his property company at the height of the post-war property boom, making him a fortune. His triumphant takeover of Barratts provided the backbone for one of today's few remaining independent retail shoe businesses, and through the development of the Merrion Centre he played a pivotal role in the post-war revival and redevelopment of Leeds. He never forgot the debt he and his family owed to Leeds, and the gifts stemming from his gratitude touched many of its institutions and inhabitants. He could be a difficult man, but he was also charming and generous. His family was all-important, and this included not just relatives but also those whom he dealt with in his many other activities. Above all, it is his humanity which shines throughout this book.

New Hampshire couple Betty and Barney Hill provided Americans with what is essentially the original alien abduction story. Since their story became public in the early 1960s, many thousands of Americans have likewise come forward with similar stories of traumatic experiences. Sometimes the abductee has little conscious recollection of these events, but through nightmares, dreams, flashbacks and hypnosis they eventually learn more. Sometimes the participants are bewildered. To get a better understanding of the opposing viewpoints of skeptic and believer, the Betty and Barney Hill case is used to examine the wider context of such encounters, their historical origins, media influences and the latest extraterrestrial, psychological, paranormal, conspiracy and sociological theories that surround them.

The first book to fully document and celebrate Sir Edmund Hillary's contribution to Antarctic history. Written by Nigel Watson of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, it is illustrated with Jane Ussher's stunning photographs, plus historic images and never-before-seen ephemera and diary entries.Hillary and the New Zealand team were supposed to be a support act to the British Commonwealth Antarctic crossing party. By heading on to the South Pole and reaching it before the crossing party, Hillary exceeded the brief. His actions created tensions, unleashed a media storm and denied the British an historic first overland to the South Pole since Captain Scott. Hillary even had the audacity to achieve the feat with three farm tractors. In doing so, Sir Edmund Hillary added another fascinating chapter to the exploration annals of Antarctica and he, and his expedition team, laid the foundations for New Zealand's continuous, and increasingly important, presence in Antarctica.