Most Popular Books by Peter Townsend

THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF PETER TOWNSEND, THE MAN CONSIDERED TO BE THE GREAT LOVE OF PRINCESS MARGARET''S LIFE, EQUERRY TO KING GEORGE VI AND HERO OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. ''A Royal fairy tale'' Sunday Telegraph ''One of the saddest love stories of modern times'' The Scotsman ''One afternoon, at Windsor Castle, when everyone had gone to London for some ceremony, we talked, in the red drawing-room, for hours - about ourselves. It was then that we made the mutual discovery of how much we meant to one another. She listened, without uttering a word, as I told her, very quietly, of my feelings. Then she simply said: "That is exactly how I feel, too." It was, to us both, an immensely gladdening disclosure, but one which sorely troubled us.'' The romance between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend in the 1950s rocked the British Establishment, pulled at the heartstrings of a nation and brought sorrow to two intensely human individuals. In Time and Chance, Peter Townsend tells his side of the story in intensely personal terms, and places the episode within the whole context of his full and varied life, a story which includes great heroism in World War II as well as his part in one of the most publicised love stories of the twentieth century.

This reader brings together for the first time a collection of Peter Townsend''s most distinctive work, allowing readers to review the changes that have taken place over the past six decades, and reflect on issues that have returned to the fore today.

The book is concerned with human progress and the unexpected consequences of technological advances. It examines a vast range of topics from medicine to agriculture, including electronics, communications, a global economy and a burgeoning population.

The Evolution of Music by Culture and Science aims to recognise the impact of science on music, why it occurs, how we respond, and even to tentatively see if we can predict future developments. Technology has played an immense role in the development of music as it has enabled the production of new sounds, introduced new instruments and continuously improved and modified existing ones. Printing, musical notation, and modern computer aids to composition, plus recordings and electronic transmission have equally enabled us to have access to music from across the world. Such changes, whether just more powerful pianos, or new sounds as from the saxophone, have inspired composers and audiences alike. Acoustics and architecture play similar roles as they changed the scale and performance of concert halls, and with the advent of electronics, they enabled vast pop music festivals. No aspect of modern music making has been untouched by the synergy with scientific innovation. This is not a one-way interaction as the early attempts to make recordings were a major motivating force to design the electronics for amplifiers and these in turn inspired and enabled the designs of semiconductor electronics and modern computer technology. To appreciate the impact of technology on music does not require any prior scientific background as the concepts are invariably extremely simple and are presented here without technical detail. Understanding music and why we like different genres is far more complex, as this involves our personal background and taste. Both aspects change with time, and there is no contradiction in enjoying items as diverse as baroque madrigals, symphonies, jazz or pop music, or music from totally different cultures.

First published in 1957, The Family Life of Old People opens with the question: Are old people isolated from their families? Thereafter, the author describes the results of intensive interviews with people of pensionable age in Bethnal Green in East London. Part one shows that most people are members of closely-knit extended families of three generations, often living in separate households in adjoining streets. The life of these families is of absorbing interest and the social structure of the home, the system of family care and the domestic, economic and social relationships between husbands and their wives, and between old people and their children and brothers and sisters, are carefully analysed. Part two discusses the social problems of old age against this background. This book will be of interest to students of sociology and gerontology.

In May 1940, Group Captain Peter Townsend took command of 85 Squadron, tasked with preparing it for the defence of Great Britain against German bombers. It was the beginning of the long, hot, lethal summer in which the RAF and the Luftwaffe fought to the death over England in the furious conflict which ultimately saved Britain from Nazi invasion. DUEL OF EAGLES, Townsend''s gripping account of the Battle of Britain, is widely acknowledged as the classic account of this desperate, defining clash. Townsend tells the story of dogfights in the sky from the perspectives of pilots on both sides - including his own - and traces the background of the conflict, from the years of secret preparation in Germany following the end of the First World War to the ruthless political manoeuvres played out on the ground in England as the RAF was established. This dramatic and evocative account of the air battles which changed the course of the Second World War and the people involved is a powerful and epic telling of one of the greatest triumphs in British military history. ''A remarkable exercise in research at air-crew levels. He writes of air combat with verve and at times almost with poetry'' Sunday Times ''Lively and well written ... encompasses moments of exhilaration and terror'' Kirkus Reviews ''A fine book'' Len Deighton, New York Times

It may be surprising to focus on and praise imperfection, but, in reality, perfection is a fiction. Every aspect of our technologies is based on understanding and exploiting imperfections in the materials we use. Imperfections are key to our use of metals, glass, electronics, computers, optical fibres, and building materials. Catalysis, as used throughout chemical industries, is dependent on imperfections, as are a wide range of modern advances in biology and medicine. This book provides examples in each area that are readily understandable to non-scientists but also aim to offer a far deeper insight into how the technologies and disciplines advance and operate. However, once we change our focus from idealised perfection to reality, the implications can extend far beyond the realm of the sciences. The second part of the book examines the importance of our ability to recognise and adapt to imperfections in such wide-ranging areas as cookery, successful career development, love, life, and the survival of humanity. Using a broad range of accessible examples, this book aims to give readers the tools to recognize technological imperfections and apply those lessons to improving several key aspects of our lives, crucially enabling them to define a world that will survive current excesses and environmental destruction.

A persuasive appreciation of what jazz is and of how it has permeated and enriched the culture of America

This book provides an introduction to ocean sciences that is engaging, evocative and accessible to non-experts interested in marine geoscience, while sparking readers'' interest in important unsolved mysteries in marine science. The scope of the book is quite broad, but focuses on the physical ocean and its geological evolution, including the author''s experiences working as an oceanographer over the last thirty years. Across ten chapters, the book traces the origins of the ocean from its formation 4 billion years ago, reviews the discoveries of the theory of plate tectonics, the ice ages and the great ocean conveyor, and discusses seafloor features (canyons, seamounts, trenches, abyssal plains, etc.), how they formed and their current environmental issues. The book concludes with a prognosis for the future ocean we might expect with global climate change and other human impacts.

First published in 1993. The scientific and political debate about poverty has been changing fast -with dramatic implications for intellectual interpretation and action by governments- and the intention in publishing this volume is to contribute to that debate. Scientists concerned to analyse poverty have been thrust by events into greater international service. But there are sinister forces at work which are seeking to divert them into petty issues, to blame the victims of poverty, or to cut them off from the resources or opportunities to investigate and report freely. This book is born of that frustration - and represents the changing debate during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Robert and Helen Lynd''s Middletown set the format in sociological theory and practice for hundreds of studies in the decades following its publication in 1929. Old People in Three Industrial Societies may well set similar standards for studies in its fi eld for many years to come. In addition to achieving a signifi cant breakthrough in the progress of socio logical research techniques, the book offers a monumental cross-cultural exposition of the health, family relationships, and social and economic status of the aged in three countries-the United States, Britain, and Denmark.

When originally published in 1988, this book presented new evidence of inequalities in health found among communities in different areas of the North of England. It relates this evidence to long-term trends taking place in patterns of health in Britain as a whole and explores how far health inequalities can be explained by variations in material deprivation. The book provides a detailed examination of the correlation between health and wealth, or ill-health and deprivation in Britain in the 20th century but the book has an enduring relevance as the Covid Pandemic has once again shown that regional disparities in wealth have profound outcomes for health. The book is of significance for health professionals, social services and those planner and politicians concerned with levelling up.

A close examination of the period when World War II transformed American popular music

Story of a 13-year-old''s escape from Vietnam in an unseaworthy boat, her shipwreck and battle for survival against all odds.

"Memoirs of aerial combat at night during the Battle of Britain"--Jacket.

Story of the author''s trip around the world, 1956-1958.

Compilation of social research papers on the study and recognition of the needs and human rights of various low income minority groups, and of their relationships to social structure, with particular reference to the UK - includes papers on poverty, unemployment, social problems (incl. Of Indian and West Indian immigrants, the handicapped (disabled person) (incl. The mentally handicapped), older people, the Catholic minority in northern ireland, etc.), loneliness, social adjustment, social integration, the family, etc. References and statistical tables.

Monograph on the relationships between sociology and social policy in the UK - discusses ways of eliminating poverty, and of improving income distribution, social planning, social security, social services, etc., and comments on the policies of the socialist political party during the period from 1950 to 1974. References and statistical tables.

Basic guide to small business law. Looks at a range of issues such as structuring your business, buying a business, business contracts, franchising, licensing, leasing premises, employing and dismissing staff, contractor agreements, sales contracts, distribution agreements, extending credit to customers, debt recovery, protecting intellectual property, software agreements, the internet, business divorce, and selling or closing your business. Includes colour design and index. Author is a business lawyer.

An critical examination of the truth claims of the Muslim religion

This essay examines the effects of the internationalization of the market and the transferral of powers regulating social policy from domestic parliaments to EC bodies will have on a variety of social issues: labour laws; the rights of ethnic minorities; Third World aid; and income inequality.

A mix-and-match board book featuring Bananas in Pyjamas in a variety of costumes, from detective to space explorer. Three slices to a page create an entertaining variety of mixed-up Bananas. No text. For ages 2-4 years.

Following its appointment the working group sought to assemble natio- nal and international evidence and draw some of the implications for policy from the evidence about inequalities in health. The group found that the poorer health experience of the lower occupational groups applied at all stages of life. The group''s main findings is that despite more than thirty years of a national health servide ex- pressly committed to offering equal care for all, there remains a marked class gradient in standards of health. What has gone wrong? The working group argues that much of the problem lies outside the scope of the national health service.