A Short History of Lyme Regis~A fascinating account of the growth of Lyme Regis from its early days as a medieval port, trading wool for wine, into a seaside town dependant on an English summer for its wealth. By the author of The French Lieutenant's Woman, of which much is set in Lyme.

JOHN FOWLES

Paperback  ISBN 0 946159 93 9

~~A Short History of Lyme Regis|294|~1176~589~~

Blackmore Vale Childhood~A delightful and often moving portrait of growing up in rural Dorset between the two wars.

Hilary Townsend was born in the Blackmore Vale, and lives there still, and this account of her childhood evokes a way of life that has vanished without trace. Her memories are sharply observed, breathing life into her descriptions of the deep dairy farming countryside of the Vale and the small market town of Stalbridge, then the centre of her world.
It was a remote place where change was slow, thrift was ingrained and the agricultural depression meant hard times for almost everyone. Yet the author's delight in the simplest of pleasures, and her boundless interest in everything around her, people as well as places, viewed against the seasonal backcloth of Dorset life at its most sturdy and independent, gives this account of growing-up in the 1930s its freshness and appeal.

HILARY TOWNSEND

Paperback, 144 pages + 8 pages of photographs

ISBN 1 904349 50 1

~~Blackmore Vale Childhood|607|~1176~1262~~

Bobbies On The Beat
150 Years of the Dorset Police~As well as providing a fitting reason for the publication of Bobbies on the Beat, the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Dorset Police in 1856 is a timely reminder of the central role played by the police in the life of the county.
From humble beginnings, when what was then called the Dorset Constabulary numbered just over 100 officers, all of them men, the Dorset Police has grown into a sophisticated, highly respected Force of nearly 1500 policemen and women, supported by a similar number of police staff, special constables and volunteers.
The once familiar rural bobby on a bicycle is a thing of the past, and poaching is no longer the county's most common offence. But Dorset Police have long been in the technological vanguard, installing the first computer system to map crimes and traffic accidents, developing the first purpose-built police motorbike, pioneering the use of fibre optics. Yet its principal duty is to serve the people of Dorset, which today it does through a complex network of services that include a child protection unit, high-speed launches, a helicopter, a cliff rescue squad, the 'Streetwise' centre in Bournemouth, community wardens and family liason officers.

MELVIN HANN

Large format paperback, 134 photographs, ISBN 1 904349 45 5

~~Bobbies On The Beat|579|~1176~986~~

Bournemouth, A Portrait in Colour~A full colour guide to the town of Bournemouth and surrounding area.

DAVID BURNETT

Large format paperback

ISBN 978-1-904-34961-7

~~Bournemouth, A Portrait in Colour|719|~1176~1320~~

Cranborne Chase~History, guide, natural history - a new paperback edition of Desmond Hawkins' highly-acclaimed study of Cranborne Chase. Desmond Hawkins is a superb guide to the Chase as it is today, with an informed eye for all the strands that weave its landscape together, from ancient trackways and settlements to the roe deer grazing in its woods.

DESMOND HAWKINS

Paperback  ISBN 1 874336 20 2

~~Cranborne Chase|295|~1176~590~~

Dorchester versus Hitler
A Country Town goes to War~

Between 1939 and 1945 Dorchester was in the front line of the war against Nazi Germany. This is the story of the town and those who lived in it during those years - of the men, women and children who endured the threat of invasion, air raids, rationing, the daily shortages and uncertainties of war.
There is humour, nostalgia, occasional tragedy. It tells of evacuees, air raid wardens, the Home Guard, the fighter pilots from RAF Warmwell, the soldiers who passed through the Barracks, the American GI's who crowded into the town's pubs during the build-up to D-Day.
But its real heroes are Dorchester's townsfolk, those who listened quietly to their radios on that fateful Sunday when war was declared, only to dance the night away in May 1945 when Hitler and all he stood for were finally defeated. Between 1939 and 1945 Dorchester was in the front line of the war against Nazi Germany.

COLIN CHURCHILL

Large format hardback, 63 photographs and plans, ISBN 1 904349 44 7

~~Dorchester versus Hitler|627|~1176~1260~~

Dorset's Best Churches~The parish church is one of England's greatest glories, and Dorset contains a superb assortment of some of the most celebrated - from humble country churches on the edge of farmyards to some of England's most famous abbey and priory churches.

Those familiar with Dorset will have their own favourite church, but this selection of 66 of the 'best' of them by the distinguished writer Brendan Lehane will disappoint no one. Some have Saxon origins, a few are Victorian masterpieces, some are in High Streets, many are set amidst some of the most beautiful countryside in the county.

First and foremost Dorset's churches are places of worship but, as Brendan Lehane says in his introduction, their 'walls remember a thousand years of colourful history and personal dramas.' They tell the story of these islands in stone and glass and timber. They have survived plague, fire, the Reformation, Civil War, the threat of invasion, over-zealous 19th century 'restoration', and are today justly enjoyed and visited. Their towers and spires may make them visible reminders of our architectural heritage, but they contain much of our finest vernacular art - from box pews to stained glass, medieval effigies to homely Tudor and Georgian monuments.

Always readable, often surprising, Dorset's Best Churches is illustrated throughout with nearly 200 specially commissioned colour photographs. There is also a Glossary and a list of Significant Dates.

BRENDAN LEHANE

Hardback, 176 pages, ISBN 1 904239 49 8 £20.00
Paperback, 176 pages, ISBN 1 904349 41 2 £14.95

Please select your choice of Hardback or Paperback from the drop down menu below

~~Dorset%27s Best Churches H/B|605|Dorset%27s Best Churches P/B|606|~1176~1256~~

Dorset's Forgotten Heroes~The story of more tham 100 Dorset men and women whose exceptional courage or outstanding qualities make them true heroes. Original research by David Beaton has unearthed the story of many Dorset folk whose heroism had until recently almost been forgotten. With 24 pages of black and white illustrations.

DAVID BEATON

ISBN 1 874336 99 7

~~Dorset%27s Forgotten Heroes|543|~1176~891~~

Dorset, The Complete Guide~The indispensable guide to Dorset. Alphabetical Gazetteer to the entire county, cross-referenced to a full colour map. 20 special interest sections, area introductions, town maps, 400 illustrations. Recently updated.Described by one reviewer as 'the most important and valuable book about the county to have been published for many years'.

JO DRAPER

Large format paperback  ISBN 0 946159 40 8

FULLY REVISED NEW EDITION

~~Dorset, The Complete Guide|297|~1176~759~~

Dorset, The County in Colour~Over 200 glorious colour photographs of Dorset, one of England's most varied and unspoilt counties, accompanied by detailed captions and a text describing each of the different landscapes that give Dorset its character. An immediate bestseller inside the county.

DAVID BURNETT
PHOTOGRAPHS: JULIAN COMRIE

Large format hardback  ISBN 0 946159 88 2

~~Dorset, The County in Colour|298|~1176~593~~

Dorset 1900 - 1999, The Twentieth Century in Photographs~SPECIAL OFFER - REDUCED PRICE FROM £14.95 TO £9.95

This is a book to treasure - and you will probably want to buy at least two... In our office this was the most fought-over review book of the year!’ BLACKMORE VALE MAGAZINE.

The impact of the twentieth century on Dorset has been extraordinary. No less remarkable are the photographs David Burnett has chosen to portray the last hundred years, for they throw a refreshingly different light on the recent history of the whole of England, both in peace and war.

DAVID BURNETT

Large format hardback  ISBN 1 874336 68 7

~~Dorset 1900 - 1999, The Twentieth Century in Photographs|299|~1176~1128~~

Just Bournemouth~SPECIAL OFFER - REDUCED PRICE FROM £14.95 TO £6.95

Probably the most unusual book about the town to be published. A fascinating treasure trove of unlikely facts as well as an orthodox account of the town's growth. As a resident for over fifty years, and an ex-Mayor, there is little that Keith Rawlings does not know about his adopted town. Profusley illustrated.

KEITH RAWLINGS

Large format hardback  ISBN 1 904349 39 0

~~Just Bournemouth|540|~1176~887~~

Poole, A Portrait in Colour~A full colour guide to the town of Poole and surrounding area.

DAVID BURNETT

Large format paperback  ISBN 978-1-904-34960-0

~~Poole, A Portrait in Colour|540|~1176~1317~~

Portland, A Portrait in Colour~A full colour guide to the Island of Portland, recently included in the new 'Jurassic Coast' World Heritage Site.

260 x 201 mms, 32 pages, paperback.

STUART MORRIS

ISBN 1 874336 91 1

~~Portland A Portrait in Colour|300|~1176~1318~~

Portland, An Illustrated History~The first full history of the 'Island' and the Royal Manor of Portland, illustrated with 150 photographs, drawings and maps. Less than 10 miles square, a solid block of limestone jutting our sharply into the Channel, Portland's virtual isolation until the 19th century delayed change and gave its inhabitants a highly individual character. For centuries quarrying and smuggling were its principal occupations. Stuart Morris, himself a Portlander, has gone back to original sources to help describe its long and eventful past.

STUART MORRIS

Large format paperback  ISBN 0 946159 34 3

~~Portland, An Illustrated History|301|~1176~1069~~

Portland Then and Now~Published in October 2006 and already Portland's fastest bestseller!

Nearly 300 'then' and 'now' photographs capturing the changing character of the Island and Royal Manor of Portland through the most momentous 150 years in its history.
Portland's past and present set side by side in 144 pages of fascinating photographs that are both a record of Island life and show how some places remain the same, whilst others have altered almost beyond recognition.

STUART MORRIS

Large format hardback  ISBN 1 904349 48 X

~~Portland Then and Now|623|~1176~1261~~

Purbeck, The Ingrained Island~The paperback edition of one of the most acclaimed books on the English landscape to have been published in recent years, and already regarded as a modern classic.

'A model of what a topographical study should be. Compulsive reading.' Oxford Mail

PAUL HYLAND

Paperback  ISBN 0 946159 65 3

~~Purbeck The Ingrained Island|303|~1176~598~~

Roads, Tracks & Turnpikes~Dorset's roads and tracks have sustained the movement of man, livestock and goods since time immemorial. They are a delightful way of discovering the county, both by car and on foot. Green roads, holloways, ancient ox droves, priests' ways, packhorse bridges, bridleways - all are to be found here. The turnpikes remain the backbone of the modern road system, leaving in their wake a rich legacy of milestones, finger posts, tollhouses and coaching inns.

David Viner

ISBN 9781904349143

~~Roads, Tracks & Turnpikes|608|~1176~1281~~

Seaside Sovereign~SPECIAL OFFER - REDUCED PRICE FROM £8.95 TO £1.95

George III's annual summer holidays with his family in Weymouth in order to go 'sea-bathing' at the end of the 18th century helped preserve his fragile sanity. They also transformed the down-at-heel Dorset port, turning it into the most fashionable resort in England.

This fascinating account - with its long-suffering queen (she bore George III fifteen children), wayward Prince of Wales and attractive unmarried princesses - adds greatly to our sympathy for 'farmer' George. It also brings into focus a period when the constant fear of invasion by the French acted as a counterpoint to the petty intrigues that then surrounded the Royal Family.

ALAN CHEDZOY

Paperback  ISBN 1 904349 12 9

~~Seaside Sovereign|304|~1176~599~~

The Big Book of Dorset~A selection of the very best of the cover photographs and double-page spreads used by Dorset Life, The Dorset Magazine in the past few years, including many of the best colour photographs taken by Dorset's elite group of landscape photographers. An excellent value introduction to this most beautiful of counties.

Large format paperback  ISBN 1 904349 20 X

~~The Big Book of Dorset|305|~1176~600~~

The Making of the English Landscape - DORSET~A long-awaited first paperback edition of one of the most acclaimed books on Dorset to be published in recent years. The story of the ways in which man has shaped and moulded the Dorset landscape we enjoy today.CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR

Paperback  ISBN 1 874336 76 8

~~The Making of the English Landscape - DORSET|306|~1176~601~~

The Manor Houses of Dorset~Dorset's manor houses are one of its greatest glories and a high quality illustrated book on them has long been overdue. The authors have spent seven years researching and writing the text, which is illustrated with 200 specially commissioned colour photographs and nearly 100 engravings, portraits, watercolours and drawings.

Once the hub of a self-sufficient rural community, their fortunes have varied. Some are still lived in by the descendants of those who built them, others have become modest farmhouses. A handful have endured partial demolition, whilst restoration by recent owners has given others a new lease of life, ushering in a golden age the equal of any in the past.

Dorset's manor houses also chart the lives of those who have lived in them. Love affairs, contested wills, now forgotten gentry happiest in the saddle, imprisonment for debt, the tragedy of war, extravagance, even murder - the rich ebb and flow of human weaknesses and strengths breathes vigorous life into The Manor Houses of Dorset.

UNA RUSSELL AND AUDREY GRINDROD

Hardback, 288 pages

ISBN 978-1-904-34952-5

~~The Manor Houses of Dorset|608|~1176~1294~~

The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar~

As a contribution to the celebrations marking the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the Dovecote Press reprinted an edition of 750 copies of The Three Dorset Captains at Trafalgar, originally published in 1906 shortly after the centenary of the battle, and of which secondhand copies are now rare.
Undoubtedly, the best-known of the trio is Thomas Masterman Hardy, Nelson's flag-captain at Trafalgar on HMS Victory, who was born at Portesham and put to sea aged twelve as a 'captain's servant'. The two other captains are no less distinguished. Like Hardy, both were knighted and became Admirals of the Blue. Henry Digby was born in Minterne, where he is buried, but before exchanging a life at sea for that of a Dorset squire he was captain of the 64-gun HMS Africa, the smallest ship of the line at Trafalgar. Charles Bullen spent much of his childhood at Weymouth, rising from eleven-year-old first class volunteer on a frigate to become captain of HMS Britannia at Trafalgar.
The historian Maureen Attwooll has contributed a lengthy new Introduction describing the background to the book and saying something about the principal characters. The 16 pages of original photographs have all been rescanned and this new edition is enriched by 4 pages of colour plates. There is also a Foreword by the present Lord Digby.
Overseas p&p will cost £10.

A.M. BROADLEY & R.G BARTELOT

Hardback, 360 pages, ISBN 1 904349 38 2

£25.00 with overseas p&p afterwards

~~THE THREE DORSET CAPTAINS AT TRAFALGAR|348|~1176~1259~~

Tyneham, A Lost Heritage~The classic portrait of Dorset's most famous village. The Elizabethan manor house of Tyneham was Lilian Bond's home until 1914. Her account of growing up in the isolated coastal community in the years leading up to the 1st World War vividly evokes a way of life that ended when the Army forced the villagers to leave their homes in 1943, never to return.LILIAN BOND

Paperback  ISBN 0 946159 18 1

~~Tyneham A Lost Heritage|309|~1176~605~~

Walking Dorset History~15 circular walks exploring different aspects of Dorset's history, complete with maps, directions and information on the historical features. Covering all periods, from 'Iron Age Hillforts in West Dorset' to 'Tanks in the Heathland'.

JO DRAPER & CHRISTOPHER CHAPLIN

Paperback  ISBN 1 874336 37 7

~~Walking Dorset History|310|~1176~606~~

Walking in Purbeck~Revised and Updated Edition

15 circular walks from 2 to 8 miles in length. Starting points, facilities, problems, general information. Line drawings and detailed maps.

ANDREW BIBBY

Paperback  ISBN 0 946159 64 5

~~Walking in Purbeck|311|~1176~607~~

Weymouth, A Portrait in Colour~A full colour guide to the Dorset resort and the surrounding villages.

STUART MORRIS

Large format paperback  ISBN 1 904349 16 1

~~Weymouth A Portrait in Colour|312|~1176~608~~

WILD DORSET, The Year in Photographs~Wild Dorset, The Year in Photographs documents Dorset's landscape and natural history through the course of the year, beginning with a portrait of a tawny owl in January - which is when nesting a site is established - and ending nearly 200 glorious photographs later in December with a view out over the Fleet and Chesil Beach, when a low wintry sun both rises and sets over the sea.

Subtle changes continuously occur in the Dorset countryside throughout the year, in response to breeding, migration, weather conditions, and the natural ebb and flow of the seasons. The result is a portrait of Dorset's flowers, insects, birds and animals by one of Britain's most talented photographers.

Casebound and jacketed, large format (232 x 226 mms) 128 pages, illustrated in colour throughout.

COLIN VARNDELL

Large format hardback  ISBN 1 904349 35 8

~~WILD DORSET The Year in Photographs|313|~1176~609~~

William Barnes, The Dorset Poet~SPECIAL OFFER - REDUCED PRICE FROM £8.95 TO £3.95

A comprehensive selection of poetry and prose by the greatest and most popular of the English dialect poets.

ED. CHRIS WRIGLEY

Paperback  ISBN 0 946159 17 3

~~William Barnes The Dorset Poet|314|~1176~610~~

Wings over Weymouth~A look at the contribution Weymouth and Chickerell played in the history of aviation in the 20th century. Victorian balloon flights, the arrival of the Royal Flying Corps, the first take off by an aeroplane from a moving ship, 'flying circuses', Weymouth's Air Sea Rescue Unit and much more. Complemented by excellent photographs and diagrams, many of which have never been published before. Essential reading for all those with an interest in Weymouth's history or the neglected story of local avaition.

COLIN POMEROY

Large format hardback  ISBN 1 874336 77 6

~~Wings over Weymouth|545|~1176~894~~