One of the most prestigious and versatile units of the British armed forces, the Royal Marine Commandos served in many theatres worldwide, performing a number of conventional and specialised roles. During the period covered in this account, conscription to the Royal Marines came to an end and the unit became a professional and dedicated force, with a tough recruitment programme and a focus on teamwork. This book provides a detailed look at the service life of a Royal Marine Commando in a time of great change, exploring the developments that took place in recruitment, training, equipment, weaponry, dress and tactical deployment in the post-World War II period.

The name John Muir has come to stand for the protection of wild land and wilderness in both America and Britain. Born in Dunbar in 1838, Muir is famed as a pioneer of American conservation and his passion, discipline and vision still inspire. Combining acute observation with a sense of inner discovery, Muir's writings of his summer in what would become the great national park of Yosemite in California's Sierra valley raise a close awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension. His journal provides a unique marriage of natural history, lyrical prose and amusing anecdote, retaining a freshness, intensity and brutal honesty which will amaze the modern reader.

"In many ways I was like Alice," writes Alan Macfarlane on his first encounter with Japan, "that very assured and middle-class English girl, when she walked through the looking glass. I was full of certainty, confidence and unexamined assumptions about my categories. In this fascinating and endlessly surprising book he takes us with him on an exploration of every aspect of Japanese society from the most public to the most intimate.

The earliest fortifications in Japan were developed with the appearance of the first emperors in around 250 and were often simple wooden constructions. As internal strife became a way of life in Japan, more and increasingly elaborate fortifications. This book covers the entire period of Japanese castle development from the very first fortifications, through to the sophisticated structures of the 16th and 17th century, explaining how they were adapted to withstand Samurai firearms and exploring life within these castles. With unpublished photographs from the author's private collection and full-color artwork, including detailed cutaways, this is an essential guide to the fascinating development of Japanese fortifications.