Michael Ashcroft

In Heroes of the Skies, Michael Ashcroft relays the stories our most courageous airmen. From those who flew when aeroplanes were in their flimsy infancy during the First World War, through the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the Second World War, to heroes of more recent conflicts in Northern Ireland , the Falklands and Afghanistan, every man in this book risked his life for his comrades and his country. In telling the stories of the individual bravery of more than eighty such men, Heroes of the Skies also paints a picture of a century of aerial combat and allows us to celebrate the extraordinary feats of our flying heroes.

In a broadcast to the nation in September 1940 King George VI announced the institution of the George Cross - a civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross awarded to recognize the many acts of supreme gallantry being performed outside of the battlefield.From Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the medal, who heroically rescued several people from trapped houses during one terrible Blitz night, to Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who threw himself onto a live grenade in the Helmand province to save the lives of his comrades (and somehow survived), to Barbara Harrison, an air stewardess who died in 1968 after helping many passengers escape from an onboard fire, this book tells the amazing stories of everyone of the George Cross's 159 direct recipients.GEORGE CROSS HEROES pays tribute to the extraordinary courage displayed by so many of the commonwealth's men and women in so many incredible situations over the last 70 years.

This book tells the stories of forty heroes, all awarded bravery medals for their conduct during Special Forces missions over the last 150 years. Often covert hit-and-run operations involving very small numbers of highly skilled men, those who partake in these missions know that their goals involve a high level of risk. They are men who would die for their country, no questions asked. With many incredible stories, particularly from the Second World War, including the Cockleshell Heroes, and other conflicts from the twentieth century, such as the Iranian Embassy siege, this collection of real-life action adventure brings the bravery of Britain's heroes to life.Every medal in Lord Ashcroft's extensive collection tells a story and these are some of the most thrilling.

VICTORIA CROSS HEROES tells the stories of over 150 individuals whose bravery has earned them the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prestigious medal for courage in action. The book is introduced by Michael Ashcroft, who owns over ten per cent of all VCs ever awarded. He explains the history of the medal and the story of his fascination with it. The main text of the book tells the stories of both those recipients whose medals are in his collection and those whose stories featured in the television series. Each chapter covers a different conflict, from the Crimean War to Iraq.