Attracting over one and a half million people every year, Omaha beach is the most visited Second World War battlefield site in Europe. The site of over a thousand deaths, it was also one of the bloodiest – hence its grim title, ‘Bloody Omaha’.

This narrow strip of Normandy coastline was crucial to the successful outcome of Overlord, eight divisions of American and British soldiers landing with the aim to secure key towns for the Allies. What was to be the largest amphibious operation in history, however, crucial to the war itself, also came with a high cost. 1,225 men were killed in action on Omaha, more than half within the first day.

This fascinating guide provides a thorough account of the operation on Omaha, supported by maps, contemporary and modern photographs. William Jordan’s well-written text tells the story from the initial assessments of Omaha through to the thousands of tons of material troops were afterwards safe to land.

Agatha Christie is the ‘Queen of Crime’. As the best-selling novelist of all time, her stories have been loved by countless readers who have immersed themselves in her vivid characters, plausible plots and exciting locations.

But as a quiet and retiring person who shunned publicity and rarely gave interviews, discovering the real Agatha is a challenge almost worthy of her own detectives. However, vital clues to unravel the mystery of the author, including her own brief disappearance, are to be found in her writings, and in particular in the novels which she penned under a pseudonym.

This guide examines the enduring appeal of Agatha Christie’s work through the author’s life. From her early years to her interest in the Middle East in later life, this biography steps inside Christie’s life to explore the mystery of the author. In 1926, Christie disappeared for 11 days, a nationwide scandal fascinatingly detailed by Andrew Norman in this guide.

A true Pitkin guide – for her fans of her works and for visitors to her home too. Includes a list of sites and locations to visit connected with Christie and her works.

William, Duke of Cambridge

An informative guide to the life of a great British hero.

Sir Winston Churchill is a man that needs no introduction. This British icon was a talented journalist, a passionate army officer, and a political powerhouse. He achieved many things beyond the role that defined his life: as Prime Minister of the Second World War. 

This absorbing book looks at Churchill as man and as boy, his career, the war, his marriage and family life, his home and hobbies, and his life in peacetime.

Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

"Scottish cookery is, quite simply, the best in the world."

So proclaims Claire Macdonald, food writer and broadcaster. This book is a collection of some of Claire’s favourite traditional recipes, as they used to be cooked and still are to this day – but with her own personal embellishments. There’s roast grouse, pâté, poached salmon and traditional Scottish cakes like the Dundee cake and butterscotch tart. All interspersed with some beautiful photographs of Scottish Highland scenery and wildlife.

Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

Oxford – an eclectic mix of the ancient university colleges, cobbled streets and dreaming spires. But also a modern city with theatres, galleries, bookshops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Today’s tourist can enjoy them all. A guide to help the Italian visitor explore Oxford and its university – a city with over 40 ancient colleges tightly interwoven, each a part of the other. It looks at the ancient beauty of cobbled streets, neat quadrangles, bell towers and slim spires. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel, including other titles in our popular City Guides series.

This handy guide explores one of the most exciting and innovative periods of British history – an era which saw the advent of British roads, hot baths, aqueducts, finance and more.

The Romans occupied Britain from AD 55 to 376. They came to a land that was in the Iron Age and left behind a highly sophisticated and civilised society. This illustrated guide examines the impact on British life of the great Roman civilization, from the arrival of the forces of Julius Caesar until the Romans’ departure, and their legacy beyond.

It includes a comprehensive list of sites to visit around the country, including museums, villas, forts, baths and city walls.

Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

One of England’s foremost writers and novelists, there are few authors more beloved than Jane Austen with her observations, wit and style.

This Pitkin biography covers her life from childhood to the happiness and sadness of later years. Growing up, the Austen children were voracious readers from young ages, but Jane stood out as a writer from 10 or 11 years old, as well as being an excellent dancer and a lover of the ballroom. A turning point in her life came in 1811, with the publication of Sense and Sensibility, the first of her novels. Her work won great acclaim and popularity with some, including the Prince Regent, yet her illness and family’s financial disasters cast a shadow over the end of her life.

Sure to delight both visitors to her home in Hampshire and readers of her novels, this guide gives a comprehensive history of the much-loved author and her work. Colour photographs, contemporary illustrations and photographs of artefacts from Austen’s life all create a vivid and informative image of the famous author and her life in Regency England.

Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

The famous author’s wittiest and wisest remarks have been brought together in one charming volume. Jane’s sharp wit and insights into human nature are as apt today as when she first put pen to paper over 200 years ago. This enjoyable anthology has been carefully selected from Jane’s novels and letters. A perfect gift and a book to treasure.

• One of Shakespeare’s relatives was executed for plotting against Elizabeth I.
• There are more than 80 records of Shakespeare’s name. Not one of them says ‘William Shakespeare’.
• Shakespeare once played the ghost in Hamlet.
• Shakespeare wore a gold earring in his left ear.

This fun little book, containing 400 fantastic facts about the Bard and his work and more than 100 illustrations, will delight fans everywhere!

For over 700 years, Westminster has been a cradle of democracy, culminating today in the Houses of Parliament situated within the Palace of Westminster. The building combines the historic site of the old palace with modern craftsmanship, displaying the nation’s history while also housing a busy Parliament. This guidebook introduces the many marvellous aspects of the building as well as the history and tradition housed within it. Learn about the origins of the building, in fact the New Palace of Westminster, from the 16th century, designed by Charles Barry in the mid-19th century in a Perpendicular Gothic style. Explore the pageantry of the State Opening, the famous hub of the building, the Central Lobby with its famous ornate gold octagonal roof and many more fascinating details.

Edward Burne-Jones was one of the great Victorian artists in a golden age of art. More than just a painter, he designed tapestries, stained glass, tiles and book illustrations.

This colourful and informative guide immerses the reader in the life of Edward Burne-Jones. Reproductions of his artwork and of early photographs of his contemporaries accompany the story of his early life, meetings with key Pre-Raphaelite figures such as William Morris and Rosetti and his later fame after the Grosvenor exhibition.

Burne-Jones has had critics, but so too has his work fetched high prices. Today, interest in his work has deservedly never been greater. This Pitkin guide tells the story of this romantic artist as he tried to portray dreams and legends.

Includes a chronology of the most important dates in Burne-Jones’s life as well as a list of key sites to visit and further reading to peruse.

Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.