{"title":"Andrew Summers","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the thrilling world of Andrew Summers, where gripping mysteries and suspenseful twists await. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay, discover your next enthralling read.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"essex-hundred-book-andrew-summers-9780955229503","title":"The Essex Hundred","description":"From the Romans to the Space Shuttle and Nuclear power. The remarkable history of Essex, in verse, in prose and illustration. Interesting facts given and unusual events explained. Find out why Essex has played such a pivotal role in the development of British History.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49514042425617,"sku":"GOR003036332","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49732036722961,"sku":"NGR9780955229503","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50001279746321,"sku":"GOR011297063","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52965208391953,"sku":"GOR005218569","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0955229502.jpg?v=1751433596"},{"product_id":"essex-hundred-book-andrew-summers-9780955229510","title":"The Essex Hundred","description":"Now in its fifth reprint, 'The Histories' is inspired by the ancient land system of hundreds.  Events and personalities spanning 2,000 years of Essex History, from the sacking of Roman Colchester by Boadicea to Ford of Dagenham's modern day windmills are brought to life in an informative and entertaining manner.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49528356503825,"sku":"GOR005086130","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0955229510.jpg?v=1750747974"},{"product_id":"battlefield-essex-book-andrew-summers-9780993108341","title":"Battlefield Essex","description":"Battlefield Essex is the eighth book on the county we have produced in the Essex Hundred series and we are pleased to say most are still in print and available from book shops or cyber retailers.\tAlthough part of the title is called Battlefield, it is not a military reference book. In the last 2,000 years there have been a number of bloody battles on Essex soil, but there too have been several conflicts that although sometimes violent didn't involve the loss of life. In many cases these conflicts have been hyped in contemporary media as a 'battles' and the term has stuck. The prime example of this was the long running dispute in the 1920s in Thaxted in what was known the 'Battle of the Flags'. To our knowledge although there was damage to property, no one was killed or even seriously injured during this battle. \tApart from the battles, Essex has been a front line county in England since the time of the Saxons and the Viking raiders 1,500 years ago, so accordingly it is proper to examine the various defences put in place to thwart potential invaders and to look at whether these forts and other defensive measures set up were much of a deterrent.Fortunately in recent times what might be called 'foreign' invaders have never set foot in Essex Nevertheless the county, with its munitions factories, arms development and weapons testing facilities, has played a major part in defence of the realm during the course of both World Wars, as well as suffering from the effects of enemy bombings. As the tide of the World War II swung in favour of the allies, Essex became a launching pad to strike the enemy. The US Air Force arrived in strength and stately homes were requisitioned by the military to train clandestine forces for missions in occupied Europe. Following the end of World War II, (a hot war), a cold war commenced almost immediately and a site near Ongar became a key installation for planning the aftermath of a nuclear strike. In writing this book it was never our intention to create an academic reference work. In Battlefield Essex as in our other Essex Hundred titles, we have done our best to record some of the memorable events, people and places that have played a role in the development of the county of Essex.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49557044363537,"sku":"GOR010028042","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49731841949969,"sku":"NGR9780993108341","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0993108342.jpg?v=1751452886"},{"product_id":"essex-hundred-histories-book-andrew-summers-9780993108310","title":"The Essex Hundred Histories","description":"The 'Histories' follows on from the Essex Hundred and has been inspired by the ancient land system of hundreds. It delves into one hundred events or personalities from 2,000 years of the county's history. This second edition which has been reprinted 16 times with updates explores the possibility that Shakespeare may actually have been an Essex boy and examines myths about dragon slaying in the north of Essex. Beginning with the sacking of Roman Colchester by Boadicea and travelling through time to Ford of Dagenham's modern day windmills, the diversity of Essex as well as its pivotal role in the nation's development are brought to life and presented in an informative and entertaining manner. Essex is truly a county of contrasts. www.essex100.com","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49557541290257,"sku":"GOR009170541","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49731715694865,"sku":"NGR9780993108310","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50760502870289,"sku":"GOR012882702","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51350262022417,"sku":"GOR011246491","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0993108318.jpg?v=1750916742"},{"product_id":"london-s-metropolitan-essex-book-andrew-summers-9780955229558","title":"London's Metropolitan Essex","description":"Essex is constantly in the news. Yet the county is more than 1000 years old. Its borders remained more or less unchanged until 1965 when the western part of Essex was snatched away and taken into London. Despite this change, much of the media and two generations of residents have grown up believing they are still in Essex all be it in London.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49576530018577,"sku":"GOR007053515","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49733476647185,"sku":"NGR9780955229558","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0955229553.jpg?v=1751433114"},{"product_id":"they-did-their-duty-book-andrew-summers-9780955229596","title":"They Did Their Duty","description":"'They Did Their Duty' is a book with three themes. Firstly it tells the story of Essex Farm and Calvaire (Essex) two First World War cemeteries in Belgium that will forever bear the Essex name. Secondly we give an overview of the Essex Regiment in the First World War. In the third part we look at the home front through the eyes of the local press, criss-crossing the county, to see what readers were given by way of news. It has to be remembered during the First World War there was no radio, no television and of no course no internet or social media.  Even telephones were a rarity. 'They Did Their Duty' is not a comprehensive history of the First World War or a detailed account of the Essex Regiment. However we do try and give concise background to the momentous events of the time and to the best of our ability hope our facts and summaries are accurate.  World War One, or the Great War, was the war described as the war to end all wars. It began on 28th July 1914, when Austria declared war on Serbia, and lasted until 11th November 1918, when an armistice with Germany was signed in a railway carriage at Compiegne, France. At 11am on 11th November 1918 - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month - a ceasefire came into effect, the guns fell silent and the killing stopped. In four years the total number of deaths was estimated at eight and a half million which included over 900,000 from the British Empire, with a further two million wounded and 150,000 taken prisoner or listed as missing. During this war no part of the United Kingdom escaped the grim death toll. In some cases the menfolk of complete communities were slaughtered. The war impacted on all parts of Essex and Essex itself has left its own permanent reminders in Belgium.  Just to the north of Ypres or Iepere (in Dutch) in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium is Essex Farm. It is a First World War cemetery alongside the medieval Yser Canal. The area around Ypres (or the Ypres) salient, as it became known, was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting and worst carnage during the war and where poison gas was first used. Today Ypres has a population of approximately 40,000, about the same size as Rayleigh, or about half the size of Brentwood. Essex Farm was so named after the Essex Regiment. The original farm stood on poorly drained agricultural land that was untitled on Belgian maps prior to the First World War. By Ypres standards Essex Farm is a relatively small cemetery with 1,204 burials recorded and yet it is just one of one hundred and sixty First World War cemeteries in the area. In contrast the nearby Tyne Cot Memorial bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. There are more British soldiers buried at Essex Farm than have died in service during the Falklands, Iraq and Afghan wars combined.  The declaration of war in August 1914 brought with it a massive mobilisation. Three new Essex battalions were formed during August and September 1914 and the 13th Battalion (the Hammers) was formed early in 1915. During the second battle of Ypres of April and May 1915 both the 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment (the Pompadours), an existing fighting battalion that could trace its roots back 300 years, and the newly re-formed Essex Yeomanry (a cavalry regiment) were heavily engaged and suffered multiple casualties. In October the same year the 11th Battalion of the Essex Regiment arrived in Ypres and by the middle of 1915, it seems the name Essex Farm was regularly in use. The First World War front stretched for over 500 miles from the Belgian coast through France to the Swiss border.  Two vast armies were dug in trenches and bunkers and faced each other across 300 yards of no-man's land. For just over four years movement on the front line was limited to about 8 miles on either side. There was constant shelling and sniping. Each army engaged in continuous skirmishes and probing raids. There were the 'big pushes' that resulted in thousands and thousands of casualties. In the winter months conditions on the ground were terrible.  Essex Farm is the setting for the Memorial to John McCrae, the author of the poem 'In Flanders Field', one of the best known in the world. McCrae was a surgeon in the First Brigade of Canadian Field Artillery. He was posted to Essex Farm where he treated the injured during the second battle of Ypres. The poem was written following the burial of a friend. In our review of the local press we see that in the early days of the war, press reporting was very optimistic about an early victory. As the war dragged on through, despite the growing list of casualties and shortages the mood changed gradually to one of grim determination to see the war through to a successful conclusion no matter what the cost. In 1914 as a general rule the local papers were laid out differently to those of today. The first few pages were taken up with advertisements and official notices of one kind or other. The 'news' as such didn't appear until pages four five. So it is perhaps odd to note that when war was declared on 4th August 1914, the 'Southend County Standard' in its edition of 8th August, didn't make mention of this until page five.  War reporting was patchy. The papers could only print the official statements released by the War Office which were few and heavily censored. However they did their best to supplement the scarcity of 'fact' with accounts from unofficial visitors to front line and by publishing on a regular basis soldier's letters sent home. Yet although the war was raging just one hundred miles away on the other side of the channel, on the home front, there was still plenty of crime, disaster and misadventure to fill the newspaper columns. Furthermore to give the newspaper review an authentic feel displayed within the book, there is a selection of period newspaper advertisements of the day.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49652395442449,"sku":"GOR007778515","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0955229596.jpg?v=1750884157"},{"product_id":"once-upon-a-time-in-southend-and-district-book-andrew-summers-9780993108396","title":"ONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHEND and District","description":"This is a book with a difference. It is dedicated to the creativity of two cartoonists, Fred Naughten and Stan Harvey who worked for the Standard Newspaper Group in the 1930s.  Cartoons are one of the most popular staples of the printed newspaper. The cartoonists genius lies not just with their drawing skills but also in their ability to bring together both contemporary and historical events in a single image. Such cartoons make us smile, sometimes laugh out loud or just reflect, no matter how grim the news of the days is. The cartoon images in the book were created in the 1930s. Despite high unemployment and war clouds hovering over Europe and the far East, the 1930s  were nevertheless a of optimism. The motor car was becoming ever more popular as were all types of consumer goods such as the 'must have' wireless in the home. Before television it was the golden age of cinema, and for good or bad, there was no internet, e-mail or social media. \tONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHEND (and district) shows a selection of cartoons beginning in January 1936 and spanning four years until December 1939. The foresight of the cartoonists is truly amazing as although the cartoons were created some 90 years ago many would not be out of place today all be it with minor refinements. In the book for each image the original caption is shown but with added extra notes to enhance any historical aspect of the drawing.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49740555845905,"sku":"NGR9780993108396","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50811263549713,"sku":"GOR014081869","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0993108393.jpg?v=1751173139"},{"product_id":"riddle-of-boudica-book-andrew-summers-9780993108334","title":"The Riddle of Boudica","description":"The Roman occupation of Britain lasted over 350 years. Seventeen years after the Romans arrived in force in AD43, Queen Boudica led an uprising which resulted in the destruction of Colchester, London and St Albans. The rebellion was short lived and resulted in a harsh crackdown. Yet, in later years Roman rule was interrupted by several uprisings and incursions by the 'natives'. Two hundred years after Boudica's death part of the occupying Roman Army mutinied. One hundred years later the Roman Commander, Marcus Aurelius Carausius, proclaimed himself Emperor of an independent Britain. However, the insurrections were supressed, the mutiny put down, the usurper overthrown and Roman rule returned to more or less normal.  Despite all the upheavals in the British Isles during Rome's long tenure, we find it is only Boudica who is especially remembered. The Riddle of Boudica explores the 'facts' of the rebellion as known and examines the resultant heritage, legacy and mythology grown up around it and poses an intriguing What if? question. Reprinted 2024","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49744724099345,"sku":"NGR9780993108334","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50347292885265,"sku":"GOR013934790","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0993108334.jpg?v=1751447527"},{"product_id":"magna-carta-book-andrew-summers-9780993108303","title":"Magna Carta","description":"Magna Carta (Essex) examines the events and background leading up to the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John in the year 1215. We look particularly at the status of Essex at the time, the role of its powerful nobility and some of the curious connections the county has with this historic event. In a few pages we have tried to summarise the above as concisely and as simply as possible.  Many readers may be familiar with two of Magna Carta's most famous clauses:-  39. No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.  40. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice. Yet these are only two of some 61 clauses set down in order of ranking. They have been quoted frequently at turning points during English history such as the trial and execution of King Charles I and the arrival of William and Mary, followed by Queen Anne, after the 'Glorious Revolution'. These two clauses are pillars of the US constitution.However the word 'free men' is open to misinterpretation. In 1776, in the United States, slaves were not 'free men' so the clause did not apply. This was also the case in feudal England where, in 1215 and for many years after, most people who worked on the land were in servitude to their baronial masters.  There are three other clauses in the Magna Carta that were perhaps of particular interest to the inhabitants of Essex;- 44. People who live outside the forest need not in future appear before the royal justices of the forest in answer to general summonses unless they are actually involved in proceedings or are sureties for someone who has been seized for a forest offence. 47. All forests that have been created in our reign shall at once be disafforested. River-banks that have been enclosed in our reign shall be treated similarly. 48.  All evil customs relating to forests and warrens, foresters, warreners, sheriffs and their servants, or river-banks and their wardens, are at once to be investigated in every county by twelve sworn knights of the county, and within forty days of their enquiry the evil customs are to be abolished completely and irrevocably.These three clauses were significant since, when the Magna Carta was sealed in 1215, practically the whole of Essex was designated 'forest'. Forest then did not simply mean an area of densely wooded oak and beech, picturesque glades and clearings such as, for example, Epping Forest is today. The medieval 'forest' was an area of unenclosed countryside. Forest land could be wooded, part agricultural with meadows or just plain heath or scrub land and could even include towns and villages.  Perhaps more sinister, it was an area where 'Forest Laws' applied. These were laws separate and distinct from those of the central administration and outside the common law and where the monarch's word was arbitrary and final. All who lived and worked in the forest were subject to the 'Forest Laws', which were superior to all other courts of the land. One of the conditions of the agreement with the King was that twenty five barons should be selected and be charged with ensuring that the King respected the charter. Their leader was Robert Fitzwalter, Lord of Dunmow.The group included four more Essex figures; Richard de Montfitchet, Sheriff of Essex, Geoffrey de Mandeville of Pleshey, William de Lanvallei, the Governor of Colchester Castle, and Robert de Vere of Castle Hedingham.Curiously, in 1215, Richard de Montfitchet owned the land at Runnymede where the Magna Carta was sealed and the words 'Magna Carta A-D-1215' appear on the village sign at Stansted Montfitchet. Shortly after the Magna Carta was sealed King John reneged on it, supported by the Pope who not only annulled it but excommunicated the twenty-five barons. It may never have survived if it hadn't been for the unexpected death of King John, in Newark in October, 1216. John left England, in a state of anarchy and civil war, to be ruled by his nine year old son Henry III. To bring about a semblance of order William Marshall, who was appointed as regent to the boy king, hastily issued a modified version of the Magna Carta. This appeased the warring barons and resulted, some would say, in miraculously restoring a degree of order and unity to the Kingdom.As for Essex; the county's woodland forests are a fraction of their former size, due to constant attack from commercial interests since the early 1800s. These forests, and the numerous parklands that we enjoy, owe their survival to principals laid down in the Magna Carta and to the heroic efforts of a handful of determined individuals.After 1066, when William Duke of Normandy took the English crown at the battle of Hastings, English and French royalty, baronial families and territories became evermore intertwined. Successive English monarchs reigned over large areas of modern day central and western France. There were numerous disputes and rival claims to both the English and French thrones which frequently led to wars. History can not only be fascinating, it can be confusing too!","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50204576612625,"sku":"GOR009801235","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/099310830X.jpg?v=1751078053"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-andrew-summers.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}