Nigel Cawthorne

A short biography of Ian Fleming, one-time spymaster and creator of James Bond

The legendary 1960s' rock group The Beagles get back together again. Their lead singer Joe Lemmon believes he is King Arthur. As the New Round Table, they take over a benighted Britain, execute the Queen and re-invade the United States...

For the killer, there is always the problem of getting rid of the body. Muswell Hill murderer Dennis Nilsen famously cooked the corpses of his victims in Cranley Gardens and flushed them down the lavatory, only to be caught when the sewers blocked up. But his first twelve victims were disposed of in the back garden of his previous home in Melrose Avenue. Fred and Rosemary West buried the bodies of three of their victims in the back garden of the House of Horrors at 25 Cromwell Street. Milwaukee cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer began his murderous career scattering human remains in the backyard of his parents' home in Bath, Ohio. Convicted killer Peter Tobin went back on trial after two more bodies were found in the back garden of his former home in Margate. And grisly granny Dorothea Puente murdered lodgers at her boarding house in Sacramento, California, dispatching then to the backyard while continuing to cash their Social Security cheques. This book explores these and many other cases that suggest that, whatever the motive for murder, the back garden is a convenient place to dump the corpse. The Mexican drug cartels use it. So do drug dealers in London and sex killers in France. Benjamin Laing, who killed a father and daughter to steal a GBP7,000 car, went one step further, burying the bodies of his victims in the back garden of his girlfriend's house in Abbey Wood. She called the police. His crime, she decided, had come just a little bit too close to home.

Agatha Christie's 80 novels and short story collections have sold over two-billion copies in more than 45 languages, more than any other author. This Brief Guide explores Christie's life and work from her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at the Styles, to her last, Sleeping Murder.

A comprehensive guide to P. G. Wodehouse's two best-loved comic characters, Bertram Wilbeforce Wooster and his valet ('Reggie') Jeeves, Bertie's friends and relatives and their world of sunshine, country houses and champagne. Although the stories may seem quintessentially English, they were for the most part written in the United States by a man who spent more than half his adult life there, eventually becoming a citizen in 1955. The first stories involving the two characters are even set in New York, while those that aren't are set in an England that has never existed, contrived to appeal to an American audience. Cawthorne offers fascinating insights into Wodehouse's world, his life - on Long Island and elsewhere - the wonderful short stories and novels and the many adaptations for stage and screen.

This book is about extraordinary men who lived through extraordinary times. "The History of the Mob" tells the stories of their lives, their families, their code, their crimes, and their cold-blooded murders--from Don Vito Cascio Ferro, the New York mobster who lured Joe Petrosino to his death in Palermo, to John Gotti, "the Teflon don" and Bernardo "the Tractor" Provenzano, who hid out in a farmhouse for forty-three years.

First-hand accounts of football violence, from infamous Millwall to Man U. Once dubbed 'the English disease', British match-day thuggery has spread right across Europe and beyond. Here is the inside story of that phenomenon from those that were there, taking part in the mayhem. 'Yob Laureate' Dougie Brimson and his brother Eddy offer a compelling description of match-day madness; Colin Ward goes steaming in, while other pieces detail the irresistible aggro of the local Derby, the tragedy inside Heysel Stadium and the violence surrounding England's 1998 World Cup match against Tunisia. Finally, Dougie Brimson asks if the police are not just another 'firm', simply participants in the violence.

Its every parent's worst fear, but it also makes for the most compelling stories of strength and courage. Here are the appallingly true tales of horrific kidnappings and torturous ordeals suffered by helpless girls - as well as every excruciating and yet amazing detail of how they managed to survive. Delving into the minds of twisted criminals who hold young women in endless captivity and telling every excruciating detail of the brave survivors' stories, "Against Their Will" is the first comprehensive compendium to describe the most disturbing kidnappings of all time. There's Jaycee Lee Dugard, who lived in her captor's backyard in a California suburb for 18 horrifying years, and Elizabeth Smart, taken from her bed in Salt Lake City and forced to marry a religious fanatic. "Against Their Will" presents minute-by-minute accounts of the abductions and the year-by-year suffering of these young victims who went through every woman's worst nightmare and lived to tell the tale. Covering infamous cases as well as lesser-known abductions, this collection of terrifying ordeals is the first of its kind.It even probes the bizarre instances when the kidnapper's family is complicit, as with Colleen Stan, whose captor Cameron Hooker kept her as a sex slave with permission from his wife. It also profiles serial kidnappers such as John Jamelske and Gary Heidnik, who committed this perverse crime 11 times between them.

DOGS IN WAR From World War I battlefields to present-day Afghanistan, dogs have been the loyal companions and trusted compatriots of soldiers worldwide. Now the exciting, heartwarming and heroic stories of history's most famous combat dogs are compiled in this incredible collection. *CAIRO, SEAL Team Six's Belgian Malinois, who was choppered in with his top-secret unit on their heroic mission to take out Osama bin Laden. *RAGS, a Highland terrier who dodged German shell-fire, shrapnel and poison gas to deliver crucial messages to the Western Front. *GANDER, the Canadian Royal Rifles' Newfoundland, who sacrificed his life by scooping up a grenade and carrying it in his mouth away from his unit. *EBONY, the fearless German shepherd who alerted soldiers to an imminent ambush, saving 25 men from sudden death in Vietnam's unyielding jungle. *COOPER, the bomb-sniffing Labrador who relentlessly scoured Iraq for explosives until the fateful day when an IED killed him and his handler.

A bumper collection of 30 of the most shocking recent cases that have been solved by or investigated with forensic science.

HIGHLY TRAINED MARKSMEN WITH ONE GOAL -- A PERFECT SHOT, A CONFIRMED KILL Elite snipers -- with their deadly aim, iron nerves, killer instincts and unwavering courage -- play a more critical role in modern military missions than ever before. Confirmed Kill accurately recounts the heroic actions of the world's deadliest snipers, from the one-on-one duel between a U.S. Marine sniper and his North Vietnamese counterpart that ended with a miracle shot straight through the Vietcong soldier's gun scope, to the shot fired from a mountain ridge in Afghanistan that dropped an unsuspecting Taliban fighter over a mile away. Confirmed Kill details the missions of the most legendary snipers: Chuck Mawhinney -- Marine with 103 Vietnam War Confirmed Kills Adelbert Waldron -- U.S. Record Holder with 109 Confirmed Kills Timothy Kellner -- Army Sergeant with More Than 100 Confirmed Kills in Operation Iraqi Freedom Craig Harrison -- British Corporal with the World-Record Kill Shot at 2,707 Yards

This title tells the story of the greatest night bomber of World War II, illustrated with over 275 photographs. It takes you through the design, development, construction and history of the Lancaster, as well as its role in the major battles of the war. It includes first-hand accounts from people who lived through the war in Germany and in Britain, as well as profiles of the pilots who flew and fought over Europe. Stunning photographs of the planes themselves and of the destruction wrought on its target cities bring the devastating power of these machines to life. It features a fascinating and engaging narrative written by a leading military history expert. "The Lancaster Bomber" led the air offensive in the darkest days of World War II. This book describes how the plane was developed to fit into an entirely new role in warfare, and explains how the Lancaster could take the war to the enemy to devastating effect. Also covered is the production of the plane and the modifications made throughout its lifetime. This book shows what it was like to fly a Lancaster over the flak-filled skies of Nazi Germany, and lists where surviving planes can be seen today. This fascinating text is the ultimate reference for anybody with an interest in military history or aviation.

This title tells the story of an iconic aircraft from World War II, that is illustrated with over 250 colour and black and white photographs. It takes you through the creation, construction, production and history of the Spitfire, as well as its role in the major battles of the war. It includes moving first-hand accounts from the pilots who flew the Spitfires, including both their experiences in combat and the way of life for the RAF at that time. It features a fascinating and engaging narrative written by a leading military history expert. It lists sites where surviving Spitfires can be viewed today so you can go and see this incredible aircraft for yourself. It compares the Spitfire with other great fighters - both Axis and Allied - in the skies at the time. It shows how the famous fighter plane had its origins in a series of trophy-winning seaplanes from the 1920s and 1930s, and how it was developed. This engrossing book retells the story of the iconic aircraft of World War I. It goes into the heart of the action, showing what it was like to fly a spitfire in the Battle of Britain, and tells the moving stories of the brave young pilots who flew this all-conquering machine. In addition, this book lists where surviving planes can be seen today so that you see the incredible aircraft for yourself. The fascinating and informed text, written by a leading expert in the field and accompanied by over 250 stunning contemporary and historical photos, make this the ultimate reference for anybody with an interest in military history or aviation.

Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, Sherlock Holmes appears in four novels and fifty-six short stories. Although Holmes was not the first literary detective, he continues to have a perennial allure as the ultimate sleuth. As Holmes is being re-introduced to a new audience through TV and film, Cawthorne introduces the general reader to Holmes and his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. He gives a full biography of author as well as his creation, including his resurrection following his unlikely death at the hands of arch enemy, Moriarty. Cawthorne also surveys the world of Holmes, looking at Victorian crime, the real characters behind Dr Watson and Inspector Lestrade, as well as the world on the doorstep of 22b Baker Street.

THE ULTIMATE WARRIORS Highly trained and equipped to kill, special-ops forces take on the world's most dangerous and courageous missions. Warrior Elite zeroes in on the most lethal special- ops encounters of all time. * RAID AT SON TAY Helicopter gunships drop 100 Green Berets into North Vietnamese jungle on a virtual suicide mission to rescue POWs * MAERSK ALABAMA Perfect planning and precise execution come together as Navy SEALs fire the greatest simultaneous sniper shots ever * BATTLE OF TORA BORA In the pitch-black labyrinthine caves of Afghanistan, Special Forces dispatch Taliban insurgents in a video game--like scenario of infrared warfare * KILLING OF BIN LADEN With the plan up in smoke as a Black Hawk goes down, SEAL Team 6 deftly adjusts on the fly--getting in and eliminating the target in just 7 minutes

What started as a patrol to combat commercial plundering of Somali fish stocks has now grown into a highly organised and lucrative business. In a war-torn country, the pirates have brought hope and entire villages depend on the wealth that they bring in - they have even been likened to Robin Hood. But these modern-day buccaneers should not be romanticised - their attacks are becoming more violent and they are increasingly in possession of automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. In this fascinating book, Nigel Cawthorne examines how a phenomenon thought to be consigned to history is once again a worldwide problem: piracy is rife in the South China Sea and has returned to the Caribbean and South America. The author also looks at attacks that have taken place in the Malacca Straits and the fate of the couple making a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world by yacht. Plus, he questions how the international community and its peace-keeping forces can try to bring stability and security back to the oceans of the world.

Although organised criminal groups have been an ever-present menace to our cities, in the last decade gangs have snowballed into one of the most terrifying problems facing Britain today. Seducing disillusioned youngsters into their ranks, vicious crews have declared open war in a desperate attempt to gain control of the lucrative drug trade...murder, kidnapping and intimidation have become all too common. In south Manchester, the feud between the Gooch Gang and the Doddingtons became so vicious that peace-keepers from America's Crips and Bloods were flown in from Los Angeles to broker a deal. Across the United States, the Crips now boast some 35,000 members from all ethic backgrounds - African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic and Asian - while the Bloods have made an alliance with the old-time Lucchese crime family, once one of the 'Five Families' of New York and still a pillar of the Cosa Nostra.