Buying books from Print Solutions

In his first book ‘Wassa Matter Mate, Somebody ‘Itchyer ?’ the author wrote of a World War Two childhood and gave a detailed but light-hearted account of typical contemporary playthings, culture and surroundings - innumerable triggers to remind us all of the nineteen forties. ‘The Key Of The Door’ continues the story through the adolescent years, from grammar school to the first job, the interlude of National Service and the Royal Air Force, with the shock of square bashing followed by the uproarious life on camp, and then the return to a new job in ‘civvy street’ and receiving ‘the key of the door’ at twenty one. What makes this biography special is the nostalgia and evocative social history of that era around London. Capturing a childhood In the forties (1940's) and fifties (1950's) dances, pubs, jazz and popular music (exploding forever the myth that there was no teenage music in the post-War pre-Rock and Roll era). The Soho youth and Teenagers scene, a Paris adventure, jazz clubs and the jass revival and the experiences of an amateur jazz musician. The drinking, smoking and laughter, and the endless quest for true romance, anecdotal, amusing, entertaining, this is a rich slice of social history, not just for Londoners, but for all who wish to discover or re-live those times. An Insight Into life In and around Twickenham, Richmond, Osterley, Isleworth, Innesworth, Hednesford, London Airport and Heathrow, In the forties and fifties.

TONY BETTS was born in Isleworth in 1935, and lived there until the mid-1960’s. He was educated at Isleworth County School, worked for two years with an insurance company in The City, and did two years National Service with the RAF, then spent the next two years with BEA at London’s burgeoning Heathrow Airport. He progressed from there into industrial administration, trained in O. & M. at Cranfield, and eventually became a computer systems development manager, working for British and American firms in the retail industry, insurance, pharmaceuticals, defence and engineering. He and his wife have retired, and in addition to writing, he follows his other interests of music, and social and family history.

For highflying Jane Charles a job at Her Majesty’s Treasury should have been just another career stepping stone. But when Jane’s old boss, Home Secretary Kenneth Ormond, asks for her help in finding the £250 million taken from the Mandell Group, Jane finds herself taking more than a professional interest in finding the money.

There was the inexplicable nature of the problem for a start. Why should £250 million be missing from a company with no apparent financial difficulties? And why were so many people so interested in either helping or hindering her attempts to track it down? Then there was Mark Mandell, son of the firm’s founder, who seemed to be hiding a secret of his own, if not his feelings for Jane. And when people start dying Jane is drawn remorselessly into a web of terrifying events played for ever-higher stakes.

“An intricate and compelling thriller that twists and turns to an unforgettable ending and combines fine writing with compulsive page turning.” Claire Burton

Thousands of years ago when the Earth was in the grip of an ice age, and primitive man hunted woolly mammoths with wooden spears; rockets blasted off from another planet that shone brightly in the evening sky.

Rockets carrying alien astronauts destined for the Earth, alien astronauts that would land on our hostile world and instigate a change for the indigenous inhabitants that would alter the very face of the Earth forever!

Read Secrets of the Gods and you will discover how the hostile twin planet of the Earth; Venus, was once the home to an advanced technological society. Discover just what happened to this alien world and how genetically identical human beings could evolve on two separate worlds.

Then we shall explore this world and discover with the help of ancient mythology, and religious texts just what effect our neighbours had on our home planet; and what happened to the citizens of Venus when their civilization was destroyed in an apocalyptic catastrophe. Secrets such as these are known only to the select few, yet there are other secrets that have remained hidden from all but the most enlightened; Secrets known only to the Gods themselves, and you will discover eventually just how I the author of this book had acquired this most important knowledge.

Welcome to the Plane Essentials ‘InfoGuide No.1’, which takes as its subject the world-famous de Havilland Mosquito. This monograph is the first in an important new series of publications on specific aircraft types that have been significant in the history of aviation, from the earliest times to the present day. In one straightforward reference source is the story of this renowned aircraft, backed up with illustrations that show the Mosquito in many of its successful roles and variants. The InfoGuide series aims to educate but at the same time stimulate interest in the aircraft types that are covered in the series, and act as an encouragement for further research and reading. The series is aimed at enthusiasts as well as model makers, and follows the format that has become much favoured and successful in recent years of combining text, photographs and colour scheme information in one practical but wide-ranging reference.

‘Mosquito – InfoGuide No.1’ tells the story of the famed and highly-versatile de Havilland D.H. 98 Mosquito twin-engined fighter-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and night-fighter, and the vital roles that it played in World War Two for the British and Commonwealth aircrews who took this excellent aircraft to war. Individual chapters detail the type’s development, operational service, and many other aspects of this highly significant warplane. Nicknamed the ‘Wooden Wonder’, the Mosquito was unique amongst major Second World War combat aircraft by including wood as a major part of its construction. It was one of the most important Allied warplanes of that conflict, and it also saw valuable service after World War Two for a number of air forces around the world.

Featuring contemporary photographs, text by aviation historian Malcolm V. Lowe, and the well-known artwork of John Batchelor, together with several side-view illustrations from the similarly celebrated illustrator Mark Rolfe, ‘Mosquito – InfoGuide No.1’ portrays the Mosquito in its many variants and sheds light on the diverse colour schemes worn by operational Mosquitoes. Informative illustrations show details such as cockpit interiors and equipment, while cutaway drawings demonstrate the Mosquito’s inner features and its unique construction. The colour side-views, specially researched by Mark Rolfe and Malcolm Lowe, cover less ‘run of the mill’ subjects which will be an inspiration to model makers to explore the less well-known colour schemes worn during the long service history of the Mosquito. A separate section lists manufacturers of scale models and accessories that are available to allow accurate replicas to be built of this important warplane. ‘Mosquito – InfoGuide No.1’ is an affordable and detailed reference source for enthusiasts, historians and model-makers, and adds to the available published knowledge on this important British warplane.