Public schools were in the business of producing leaders - in national government, in the Empire, and in the armed forces. Their impact on society was immense, and they provided the vehicle by which the sons of the middle classes could be assimilated into the gentry.

Climb aboard one of His Majesty’s ships, circa 1930, pull up the gangplank, and prepare to experience galley life at sea. Enjoy the arcane practices, no-nonsense instructions, and a wealth of period recipes from an era when the map was painted red and ‘empire builders’ were not just a pair of shorts.

31 Jan 13 - This book, the second in a series of four unique War Diaries produced in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, tells a story that is rarely heard: the experiences of a nurse working close to the Western Front in the First World War. Incredibly, Edith Appleton served in France for the whole of the conflict. Her bravery and dedication won her the Military OBE, the Royal Red Cross and the Belgian Queen Elizabeth medal among others.

Her diary details with compassion all the horrors of the 'war to end wars', including the first use of poison gas and the terrible cost of battles such as Ypres, but she also records what life was like for nurses and how she spent her time off-duty. There are moments of humour amongst the tragedy, and even lyrical accounts of the natural beauty that still existed amidst all the destruction.

By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known.