Stephen F. Kelly

When the Beatles burst onto the pop scene in 1962, they not only took the music world by storm but they also brought with them a counter culture that was to have far-reaching effects. With their long hair, humour and irreverent attitude towards authority, they were a breath of fresh air to a generation who had grown weary of the greyness of the post-war years. Beatlemania was to unleash a revolution against an outdated age. The 1950s with its oppressive and authoritarian attitudes was ready for change and young people, desperate to escape suburbia with its stifling formality, were set to lead that rebellion. In politics, fashion, education, the arts, religion, television, women’s rights and universities, the time had come to challenge the old order. And in came the swinging sixties with its more liberal attitudes offering hope of change and a more peaceful and just world. The introduction of the contraceptive pill, legalized abortion, gay rights, easier divorce and the relaxing of censorship were all part of this social revolution. And it wasn’t just in Britain. The influence of the Beatles reverberated across Europe and, most of all, in America where teenagers not only campaigned against a war in Vietnam but also for civil rights in their own country. This book tells the story of the Sixties and how the Beatles’ influence had such an impact on British society. It’s a social history of Britain told by Stephen Kelly who regularly watched the Beatles at the Cavern and experienced first hand the changes that were to take place.

A dramatic and tragic episode in British military history that will soon not be part of living memory.More than 100,000 British troops fought in Korea between 1950 and 1953, of which just over 1,000 died, with a further 1,000 captured and held in atrocious conditions by the Chinese and North Koreans. At least half of those captured died in prison camps. More than 70 per cent of those who fought were teenagers doing National Service – poorly trained and ill-equipped.The Korean War: Memories of Forgotten British Heroes tells the story of these men in their own words. Most of the veterans are now advanced in age and there is a pressing need for them to tell their tale. So soon after the Second World War, this was a conflict Britain did not need, but she remained steadfast by the side of the Americans, fighting more than 6,000 miles away in a country barely anyone could point to on a map. Yet while we remember those conflicts in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Korean War remains largely forgotten.

The 1950s saw a major shift in the lifestyles of many in Britain. Employment levels rose to new heights, white consumer goods appeared in shop windows for the first time, television replaced the radio in many homes, rock ‘n’ roll was born, the National Health Service provided free healthcare to the nation, families went on holiday, and the new Queen was crowned — bringing in a glorious new Elizabethan age.Including interviews with former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock and footballers Bobby Charlton, Wilf McGuinness and Terry Venables, Recollections of the 1950s will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade. With chapters on schooldays, television and radio, trips to the seaside, music and fashion, these wonderful stories are sure to jog the memories of all who remember this exciting era.

'Tense and intriguing - Kelly knows how to tell a great story.' Lee Child A fanatical train and toy collector, Alec Walton is a man with many dark secrets. From wartime service at Bletchley Park to inventing eavesdropping devices in the Cold War, his life has been a constant mystery to all who know him. Only his niece Elizabeth seems to understand his obsessions. But then a chance meeting with a journalist from his Bletchley Park past sends his life spinning into turmoil, leaving Elizabeth and others with more questions than answers.

'When The Kop is roaring it really is like having a twelfth man out there on the pitch. They're the best fans in the country - by miles.' Jamie CarragherThe Spion Kop is one of the most famous, emotive and atmospheric vantage points in all of sport. The one-time terracing that could 'suck the ball into the net' - in Bill Shankly's immortal phrase - still inspires and intimidates today. Once the home of more than 25,000 swaying, singing, standing Kopites, it's now seated and can hold merely half that number, but its magic still remains.In this fully revised and updated edition, Stephen F Kelly uses eyewitness testimonies from Kopites, policemen, cleaners and referees as well as newspaper reports and the recollections of players and managers to trace the history of this amazing and fascinating stand - each anecdote wonderfully evoking the spirit of the changing times the Kop has experienced.Stirring, emotional and marvellously readable, The Kop is a must for any Liverpool fan and anyone interested in what it means to be a supporter of any football club.

'Football is not just a matter of life and death: it's much more important than that' - Bill ShanklyBill Shankly was without doubt among the greatest football managers of the post-war era and his life story is an inspiring read for anyone interested in the sport.