Fonthill Media

Fonthill Media Take a look at some amazing Military History and Aviation books published by www.fonthill.media and www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

Fonthill Media is an independent publishing company with offices in Stroud UK, and Charleston SC, USA. The Company was founded in 2012 by Alan Sutton and George Kalchev with a wealth of experience in book publishing in the UK, USA, France, Germany, Belgium and Spain. Our catalogue includes over 2000 titles covering a variety of subjects including Archaeology and Ancient History, Aviation, Biography, Local History and Heritage, Military and General History, Sport, Transport and Industrial History. Our titles are published simultaneously in print and electronic formats and supplied to the general book trade as well as specialist outlets. Most titles are aimed at general readership level, but with a more specialist, or in-depth focus on the subject matter in hand.

'After a lovely day signing books, my book launch event has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who came and the lovel...
08/09/2026

'After a lovely day signing books, my book launch event has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who came and the lovely people at who made the event perfect. The day started nice and early (for a Sunday morning) when I arrived to set up just after ten this morning and a little while later people started to filter in and I signed some books! At around midday, I gave a little talk about how the book came to be and read a page from my Preface for everyone. There were so many more people than expected and it was crazy to see the shelf that started out completely full in the morning almost empty at the end of the day! I hope you all enjoy reading the book!'

Emmylou Vabxy is absolutely delighted with the publication of 'A GUIDE TO MUDLARKING ON THE RIVER THAMES: HUNTING FOR TREASURE', which is the world's first book on the hobby authored by a young person.

Order: bit.ly/4h3WSBo

Mudlarking is a bridge between the past and present, helping us learn about the lives of people who came before us. Maybe a fruit-seller lost a shilling while carting his wagon across the street and it rolled into the Thames? Or perhaps someone threw a bottle into the water with a message inside, just for us to find? A Guide to Mudlarking on the River Thames: Hunting for Treasure will teach you the various skills required for mudlarking and advise you on the permits you will need, while sharing important facts about the river and its tides. It shows the objects you can find while searching on the foreshore: pins, pottery, clay pipe bulbs and other artefacts—some precious, some ordinary, but all with a story behind them. So, here is your companion to mudlarking, a guide from the perspective of a young enthusiast but written for anyone interested in looking for clues about the past and finding lost treasures, whether from the modern era, the Victorian period, or even as far back as the Roman Empire!

Emmylou Vaxby is a mudlark from London who scavenges the River Thames’ foreshore for treasures! She started mudlarking in East London during the pandemic and hasn’t stopped since. In her free time, she creates mini sculptures from her finds and teaches other people how to mudlark through her short courses. Emmylou has also founded Wapping’s Plastic Free Community through Surfers Against Sewage’s programme. She cares for two tortoises at home and enjoys practising the harp and oboe, fossil hunting in Folkestone, and playing field hockey at her local club! You can find ‘Emmylou the Mudlark’ on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr as . If you would like to see mudlarking in action, here are some links to some of her recent YouTube videos: https://youtu.be/T_Oz8AvI12E (ALL ABOUT MUDLARKING) https://youtu.be/6KRJNRneM9U (MUDLARK WITH ME #1)

Imprint: Fonthill Media
Pages: 216
Illustrations: 150 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781036147013
Published: 23rd July 2026

'You asked for it!'Legendary author Marc Andrews is absolutely delighted with the delivery of his new book dedicated to ...
03/09/2026

'You asked for it!'

Legendary author Marc Andrews is absolutely delighted with the delivery of his new book dedicated to the life and work of the 'Queen of Disco': 'DONNA SUMMER: SONG BY SONG'!

Order: https://bit.ly/4yiwWHx

Marc Andrews is a music journalist with almost 40 years’ experience having written for Smash Hits (UK/Australia), Mediaweek, Classic Pop and more. He is the author of Madonna: Song by Song, Kylie: Song by Song and Donna Summer: Song by Song (Fonthill Media), and a Contributing Editor at DNA Magazine.

Donna Summer was known as the ‘Queen of Disco’ but her incredible career, laid out in seventeen studio albums, amounts to so much more than that. Besides being a remarkable singer, Donna was a gifted songwriter and an exceptional live performer whose legacy is impossible to quantify.

Starting out as a ‘musical theatre refugee’ in Germany in the late 1960s, she was propelled to stardom in the 1970s with classic disco hits such as ‘Love To Love You Baby’, ‘Last Dance’, ‘Bad Girls’, ‘Hot Stuff’, and the undisputed greatest dance song of all time, 1977’s ‘I Feel Love’. In the 1980s she successfully teamed up with the legendary Quincy Jones and British hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman, and in her later years she embraced EDM and club sounds.

Her death came far too early in 2012 at the age of 63.
Donna Summer: Song by Song examines every song she released as an artist across her six decades of writing and performing, as well as analysing music videos, album covers and remixes and touching on her personal story and the controversies that dogged certain periods of her life.

Pages: 224
Illustrations: 30 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781036194215

'Friends, I have an announcement. The result of years of niche obsession and reverence has found a home in print. Join m...
20/08/2026

'Friends, I have an announcement. The result of years of niche obsession and reverence has found a home in print. Join me on a photographic journey across some of England’s most unusual graves.'

Kate Cherrell is delighted with the publication of 'MEMORIALS TO THE DEAD: A JOURNEY INTO ENGLAND'S MOST UNUSUAL GRAVES'.

Order: bit.ly/4qw64kS

England’s oldest identifiable cemetery was established over 10,000 years ago, founded before the first bricks of the pyramids were laid. Since then, the English have memorialised their dead in ever-changing ways, providing taphophiles with a glorious pick-and-mix of social histories and archaeological mysteries on their doorstep. In churchyards and cemeteries across England, curious monuments rise between the graves; beautiful, unusual, striking and downright… odd. Memorials to the Dead chronicles over 100 of the grandest and strangest graves on English soil—including many obscure memorials unknown to most local residents and cemetery enthusiasts—unveiling a little-known world of death and remembrance that exists alongside our own. From the graves of circus performers to ‘time machines’, a man killed by ‘small beer’ and a Victorian grave so popular that it launched its own line of merchandise, Memorials to the Dead presents a fascinating overview of England’s best-hidden histories in atmospheric and detailed photographs.

Kate Cherrell PhD is a writer and broadcaster specialising in 19th century mourning and paranormal histories. A former cemetery worker, she has blogged about graves and burial spaces for a decade and now produces social media content about unusual graves, strange histories and hidden curiosities. She regularly appears on TV and broadcast media as a paranormal expert, and has multiple written works on paranormal histories and séance due for publication in 2027 and 2028.

'I really love the book and it was definitely worth the wait. It was lovely to open it around my whole family because th...
07/08/2026

'I really love the book and it was definitely worth the wait. It was lovely to open it around my whole family because they were the ones that were there while I was writing it. I did really like working with Fonthill Media as well because everyone was very nice and supportive!'

It is official! Emmylou Vaxby is the world's first professional mudlarking author and she is absolutely delighted.

'A GUIDE TO MUDLARKING ON THE RIVER THAMES: HUNTING FOR TREASURE' is now available from Fonthill Media!

Order: bit.ly/4h3WSBo

Mudlarking is a bridge between the past and present, helping us learn about the lives of people who came before us. Maybe a fruit-seller lost a shilling while carting his wagon across the street and it rolled into the Thames? Or perhaps someone threw a bottle into the water with a message inside, just for us to find? A Guide to Mudlarking on the River Thames: Hunting for Treasure will teach you the various skills required for mudlarking and advise you on the permits you will need, while sharing important facts about the river and its tides. It shows the objects you can find while searching on the foreshore: pins, pottery, clay pipe bulbs and other artefacts—some precious, some ordinary, but all with a story behind them. So, here is your companion to mudlarking, a guide from the perspective of a young enthusiast but written for anyone interested in looking for clues about the past and finding lost treasures, whether from the modern era, the Victorian period, or even as far back as the Roman Empire!

Emmylou Vaxby is a mudlark from London who scavenges the River Thames’ foreshore for treasures! She started mudlarking in East London during the pandemic and hasn’t stopped since. In her free time, she creates mini sculptures from her finds and teaches other people how to mudlark through her short courses. Emmylou has also founded Wapping’s Plastic Free Community through Surfers Against Sewage’s programme. She cares for two tortoises at home and enjoys practising the harp and oboe, fossil hunting in Folkestone, and playing field hockey at her local club! You can find ‘Emmylou the Mudlark’ on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr as . If you would like to see mudlarking in action, here are some links to some of her recent YouTube videos: https://youtu.be/T_Oz8AvI12E (ALL ABOUT MUDLARKING) https://youtu.be/6KRJNRneM9U (MUDLARK WITH ME #1)

Imprint: Fonthill
Pages: 216
Illustrations: 150 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781036147013
Published: 23rd July 2026 See less

'Peter Jones should be congratulated on again producing a very thorough, professionally researched and highly readable n...
06/08/2026

'Peter Jones should be congratulated on again producing a very thorough, professionally researched and highly readable naval biography. Highly recommended.'

A fab review of 'SALT IN HIS VEINS: THE LIFE OF VICE ADMIRAL SIR ALBERT POLAND KBE CB DSO DSC' in The Naval Review:

https://www.naval-review.com/book-reviews/salt-in-his-veins-the-life-of-vice-admiral-sir-albert-poland-kbe-cb-dso-dsc/

Order: bit.ly/4wcQf3B

Vice Admiral Sir Albert ‘Patsy’ Poland (1895–1967) came from a long-standing naval family and had an action-filled career spanning two world wars. For most of the First World War Poland served in the battle cruiser New Zealand, taking part in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland. He earned a DSC commanding a torpedo boat in the heroic Ostend Raid. After the war Poland saw service in the Russian Civil War and then commanded gunboats in China and destroyers in the Mediterranean. Poland’s service in the Second World War was even more eventful. He was described by historian Donald Macintyre as the most bombed officer in the Royal Navy. He commanded the sloop Black Swan in the Norwegian campaign, which was bombed yet miraculously survived. As one of Admiral Andrew Cunningham’s trusted captains, Poland commanded the navy’s resupply effort to besieged Tobruk, and then commanded the famous 14th Destroyer Flotilla at the Second Battle of Sirte. At the end of the war, Poland took the Japanese surrender at Sabang. In tracing the course of such a career, Salt in His Veins describes in graphic detail some of the Royal Navy’s greatest deeds and gravest vicissitudes of the twentieth century.

Peter Jones is a retired vice admiral in the Royal Australian Navy. In the RAN, he commanded the frigate HMAS Melbourne and later the coalition Maritime Interception Force in the Iraq War. Since retirement, he has been an adjunct professor in the Naval Studies Group at the University of NSW at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He has contributed chapters to a number of books. Jones was also President of the Australian Naval Institute (2015-2023). He is author of Australia’s Argonauts: The Remarkable Story of the First Class to Enter the Royal Australian Nava College (2016) and Guy Griffiths: The Life and Times of an Australian Admiral (2021).

Author Daniel Knowles is delighted with the publication of "US NAVY LOSSES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR".Order: bit.ly/3T...
30/07/2026

Author Daniel Knowles is delighted with the publication of "US NAVY LOSSES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR".

Order: bit.ly/3Tt75h5

⚓ 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲.

From the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to the brutal naval battles of the Atlantic and Pacific, the US Navy paid a heavy price for victory in WWII. But how much do you really know about the ships and crews that never made it home?

We are thrilled to announce the official release of "US NAVY LOSSES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR" by acclaimed naval historian Daniel Knowles! 📚💥

Richly illustrated and meticulously researched, this groundbreaking volume provides a unique, definitive record of every single loss incurred by the US Navy during WWII—whether to enemy fire, devastating storms, or tragic accidents.
If you’re a military history fan, naval enthusiast, or WWII collector, this is an absolute must-have for your bookshelf.

👉 Secure your copy today: bit.ly/3Tt75h5

The world's first mudlarking book authored by a young person and published by Fonthill Media!Order: bit.ly/4h3WSBoMudlar...
29/07/2026

The world's first mudlarking book authored by a young person and published by Fonthill Media!

Order: bit.ly/4h3WSBo

Mudlarking is a bridge between the past and present, helping us learn about the lives of people who came before us. Maybe a fruit-seller lost a shilling while carting his wagon across the street and it rolled into the Thames? Or perhaps someone threw a bottle into the water with a message inside, just for us to find? A Guide to Mudlarking on the River Thames: Hunting for Treasure will teach you the various skills required for mudlarking and advise you on the permits you will need, while sharing important facts about the river and its tides. It shows the objects you can find while searching on the foreshore: pins, pottery, clay pipe bulbs and other artefacts—some precious, some ordinary, but all with a story behind them. So, here is your companion to mudlarking, a guide from the perspective of a young enthusiast but written for anyone interested in looking for clues about the past and finding lost treasures, whether from the modern era, the Victorian period, or even as far back as the Roman Empire!

Imprint: Fonthill
Pages: 216
Illustrations: 150 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781036147013
Published: 23rd July 2026

'Just back home from a very successful lecture cruise on the Queen Mary 2 and arrived to find first copies of "PICTURE E...
15/07/2026

'Just back home from a very successful lecture cruise on the Queen Mary 2 and arrived to find first copies of "PICTURE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCEAN LINERS 1955" waiting for me. A superb, beautifully produced, first class book. I'm delighted and, once again, proud to be associated with Fonthill. And thank you for your superb assistance and care!'

Author William H. Miller is absolutely joyful with his recent publication for Fonthill Media.

Order: bit.ly/4537mJU

The year 1955 came at the height of a boom for passenger ships. World War II had ended a decade before, business was restored, global markets had reopened, and shipping for trade and transport was in high demand. Picture Encyclopedia of Passenger Ships 1955 is an international directory of worldwide passenger ships and their services in that peak year, when one could sail from Liverpool to Valparaiso, Genoa to Cape Town, or Hong Kong to San Francisco. Over 150 vessels are included, with photographs, itineraries and essential statistics, covering all the great shipping lines of the 1950s and their routes to every corner of the globe.

Pages: 144
Illustrations: 232 black and white
ISBN: 9781036156473
Published: 11th June 2026 See less

09/07/2026

In July 1940 Britain was on the brink of defeat. Britain’s small army had left all its heavy equipment behind at Dunkirk. RAF commanders believed the bomber offensive against Germany was already winning the war and saw no reason to adopt a more positive attitude to supporting the Army. The mighty Royal Navy was Britain’s best bet, but operating in the narrow straits of Dover was not ideal. British Army commanders did not understand how the Wehrmacht operated and why it had been so successful so quickly. RAF commanders did not even know there was anything to understand.

Britain was in a hopeless position.

Then it all flipped.

German commanders decided not to use the combined arms approach that had brought them so much success. Instead, first the RAF had to be destroyed and only then would ground forces invade. Suddenly it was not the British who had no hope, it was the Germans who were faced with the impossible task. Establishing a degree of air superiority over the invasion beaches and supporting the invading forces was well within the Luftwaffe’s capabilities, but there was no way the Luftwaffe could destroy Fighter Command.

The Battle still had to be won, it would still require the enormous bravery and sacrifice of young pilots. But from the moment the Germans opted for the air-only approach, Britain had the advantage. Fighter Command did not have to worry about protecting the Army or Navy or escorting bombers and reconnaissance aircraft; all it had to do to win was to survive. Despite Dowding’s doom and gloom shenanigans, that they did quite comfortably.

With the Blitz that followed, once again too much was expected of air power. The Luftwaffe’s attempt to bomb the UK into defeat never came close to succeeding. Even the most devastatingly effective air force cannot on its own be decisive. It certainly cannot bring a nation to its knees. Ask Trump.
Pen and Sword Books
Fonthill Media

'Just received copies of Volume 2 – looks fantastic!'Michael Somerville is ecstatic with the delivery of "SHERWOOD BOYS:...
08/07/2026

'Just received copies of Volume 2 – looks fantastic!'

Michael Somerville is ecstatic with the delivery of "SHERWOOD BOYS: BIOGRAPHY OF A BATTALION VOLUME 2: SEPTEMEBER 1943–MARCH 1946".

Order: bit.ly/4eQBY7p

This is the story of the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters, a Territorial battalion that during the full span of the Second World War developed from a group of untrained young men from Derbyshire into a hardened unit of veterans from every corner of Britain, capable of facing, and beating, the might of the Wehrmacht. It provides a unique view on the British army through the lens of a single battalion, drawing on over 150 personal accounts, both oral and written, as well as official documents.

The first volume followed the battalion from its formation in 1939, through its baptism of fire at Dunkirk and reconstruction in the UK, to victory in North Africa. This second volume picks up the story with the landings at Salerno and subsequent battles in Italy. It ends with a post-war Europe edging towards the Cold War as veterans of fighting the N***s found themselves confronting communist forces in eastern Europe. Together, these two volumes describe the exertions of training, the terrors of battle, the hardships of captivity and the challenges brought by peace.

Sherwood Boys: Biography of a Battalion is a battalion epic, researched, assembled and written for readers wanting to comprehend the Second World War from the perspective of the ordinary British soldier. It is written as a tribute to those men who were called upon to do the extraordinary—and did so.

Pages: 304
Illustrations: 111 black and white
ISBN: 9781036156541
Published: 30th June 2026

Pen and Sword Books

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