Jacky Hyams

The Munitions Women of World War II

Bomb Girls : Britain's Secret Army

The first full account of the beautiful, innocent young woman who married Reggie Kray - and became trapped in the violent and terrifying world of the Kray Twins.She was young, very beautiful and had everything to live for - but the life of Frances Shea, wife of Reggie Kray, remains one of the most tragic stories of the Sixties.Courted by Reggie as a schoolgirl, Frances was lured into an outwardly glamorous world of nightclubs, expensive clothes and showbiz parties. Yet she very soon discovered the real world of the Kray Twins, the hidden, twisted world where violence, drink, drugs and terror dominated everything.Frances broke away and briefly enjoyed other relationships, struggling to maintain her freedom. Yet Reggie would never let her go. Paranoid and obsessive, he monitored her every move, stalking her night and day.By the time she married Reggie in their ‘Wedding of the Year’ in 1965, Frances and her family had become inextricably linked with the Twins’ downward spiral from gangland extortion and brutality into senseless murder and mayhem.Trapped, desperate and unable to cope, just two years later Frances died from a drug overdose.Only now, 50 years later, in a revealing and shocking examination of the facts, the truth about the life of Frances Shea and her short marriage to Reggie Kray is finally revealed in this new, revised edition. With hitherto unseen photographs, documents and revelations, the book explodes the many myths surrounding the marriage. In doing so, it uncovers the sordid reality of the Kray world - and shows how the effect of this tragic, doomed relationship haunted the lives of Frances’s loved ones right to the end.

Frances Kray - The Tragic Bride: The True Story of Reggie Kray's First Wife

Hoop skirts and ponytails

They ruled the streets of London in the 1960s. Half a century later, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, unrepentant purveyors of violence and murder, hold more fascination than ever before. Portrayed as charismatic gangsters on the big screen, the saga of the twins, their firm and their thirty-odd years behind bars is one that is determinedly and deliberately embellished with every passing year. Yet it is only recently that the stark, unvarnished truth about the twins has started to emerge after being so cunningly concealed behind the façade of charitable deeds and East End loyalties. Bestselling author Jacky Hyams has carefully re-examined some of the stories, the lies and the myths to reveal a very different portrait of the twins and those closest to them. She reveals the complexity of their relationships and their closest bonds, and contests the police’s belief that Ronnie Kray senselessly murdered ‘one of their own’. Ronnie Kray is said to have described he and his twin as ‘vicious, elegant bastards’. It is one of the few truths ever uttered by either of them.

The Truth Behind the Legend of the Krays

Vicious, Elegant Bastards

Britain's first-ever wartime fighter plane, the Hawker Hurricane, shot down more enemy planes than any other fighter. It was the true aviation hero of the Battle of Britain. Often eclipsed by the legend and aerial heroics of the Spitfire, the Hurricane was the authentic warhorse of aviation history. Stable, rugged, less expensive to build - and far more easily repaired and maintained than the Spitfire - the 'Hurri' as it was affectionately known, proved to be the most fearsome fighter plane in aerial combat - at a time when Britain's survival was at stake like never before. In 1940 the Hurricane made its mark: more than half of the 1,200 German aircraft that were shot down in the war were taken down by Hurricanes. At the time, the RAF could call on 32 squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 Spitfires: the Hurricane was, in fact, the dominant British fighter plane, developing a reputation as a plane that could take more than a few hits from the enemy - and continue to fly. The Spit was the aviation thoroughbred, superb until damaged. The Hurri was much stronger. The skilled airmen came from all over the world; one of them from RAF 80 Squadron would later become a very famous author - Roald Dahl. Using documents, letters and first-hand accounts, this is the historic untold story of the Hawker Hurricane and the lives of the men and women who flew, helped design and construct, fit and worked behind the scenes of the 'Hurri', all contributing in ways big and small, to its outstanding success as a legend of the Second World War.

The Plane that Won the War

Hurricane

Jennifer Saunders is Britain’s best-loved comedian, screenwriter, and actress. For the first time, author Jacky Hyams reveals the story behind Jennifer’s rise to fame, her successful career as the Queen of Comedy, and the highs and lows of her remarkable life. Jennifer was born in1958, and in 1977, she attended the Central School of Speech and Drama where she met her comedy partner Dawn French. After graduating, Jennifer began her career at The Comedy Store in London, and it was during this time she met Adrian Edmondson, who would later become her husband. After starring in, and having great success with The Comic Strip Presents..., The Young Ones, Girls on Top, and Happy Families, Jennifer went on to write a TV show with the lovable Dawn French, self-titled French and Saunders, which ran for 10 years. They fast became Britain’s most loved female comedy duo. It was a sketch in the TV show, entitled Modern Mother and Daughter, which led Jennifer to write and create a brand new series: Absolutely Fabulous. AbFab became one of most loved, hilarious, and ingenious TV shows in history, and the part Jennifer was to play, Edina "Eddie" Monsoon, brought her international acclaim and attention. Although perhaps best known for her role as Eddie, working alongside the glamorous Joanna Lumley, Jennifer’s career has taken her on many different paths, including working on the internationally successful movie Shrek 2 as the voice of the Fairy Godmother, declining an OBE and ranking fifth in Top Gear’s "Star in a Reasonably-priced Car" challenge. In 2010, Jennifer faced her toughest challenge yet—being diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her diagnosis she has since made a full recovery and reprised her role as Eddie in Absolutely Fabulous for a Christmas special in 2011. This is Jennifer’s full, unauthorized story.

The Biography

Jennifer Saunders

They ruled the streets of London in the 1960s. Yet half a century later, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, unrepentant purveyors of violence and murder, hold more fascination than ever before. Portrayed as charismatic gangsters on the big screen, the saga of the twins, their firm and their 30-odd years behind bars is one which they determinedly and deliberately embellished with every passing year. Yet it is only recently that the stark, unvarnished truth about the twins has started to emerge, so cunningly concealed it was behind the façade of charitable deeds and East End loyalties. Bestselling author Jacky Hyams has carefully re-examined some of the stories, the lies and the myths to reveal a very different portrait of the twins and those closest to them. It reveals the complexity of their relationships with women, the close bonds of family that drove them, and confounds the police's belief that Ronnie Kray senselessly murdered 'one of their own' when in fact the 'victim' survived into old age, dying after both twins had gone. Ronnie Kray once described them as 'vicious, elegant bastards'. It is one of the few true statements ever uttered by either of them.

She was young, very beautiful, and had everything to live for--but the life of Frances Shea, briefly married to Reggie Kray, remains one of the most tragic stories of the Swinging Sixties. Courted by Reggie as a schoolgirl, her eight year relationship with him drew Frances into a world of nightclubs, fast cars, beautiful clothes, and showbiz parties. Yet as time passed, she struggled to cope with the horrific world of the Kray twins, full of violence, drink, drugs--and sheer terror. By the time of her marriage, she had become inextricably linked with the Krays and their downward spiral from gangland extortion and brutality into senseless murder and mayhem. Reggie, obsessed by his wife from the day he met her, was never prepared to let her go. Despite her attempts to break free, two years after their wedding, Frances was found dead from a drug overdose. She was 23. Only now can the truth about Frances Shea and her marriage to Reggie Kray finally be revealed, along with the long-hidden story behind his obsession with her. Unseen until now, documents and diaries reveal the reality of their life together--and how their tragic, doomed relationship continued to haunt the lives of those closest to Frances right to the end.

Frances

Step back a hundred years to the world of the pampered, privileged upper classes and look inside Downton Abbey to find out exactly what goes on behind the magisterial doors of TV's favourite stately home. They were the super rich of their times, pampered beyond belief - the early 20th century Edwardian gentry, who lived like superstars, their every desire or need catered to by an army of butlers, servants, footmen, housekeepers and grooms. Class, money, inheritance, luxury and snobbery dominated every aspect of the lives of the upper crust Edwardian family, led by Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham - played in the hit show by Hugh Bonneville. While below stairs the staff, including Carson the Butler (Jim Carter), Bates the Valet (Brendan Coyle), O'Brien the Ladies' Maid (Siobhan Finneran), and Daisy the Kitchen Maid (Sophie McSherra), inhabited a completely different world, their very lives dependent on servicing the rich, pandering to their masters' every whim, rubbing shoulders with wealth and privilege, privy to their most intimate and darkest secrets - yet faced ruin and shame if they ventured to make the smallest step outside the boundaries of their class ridden world. From manners and morals to etiquette and style, The Real Life Downton Abbey opens the doors to TV's favourite stately home.

How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago

The Real Life Downton Abbey

They were the unsung heroines of World War II; the wives, mums and teenage girls, all 'doing their bit' for the war effort, clocking in daily to work in cast munitions factories, helping make the explosives, bullets and war machines that would ensure victory for Britain.It was dangerous, dirty and exhaustive work. They worked round the clock, often exposed to toxic, lethal chemicals. A factory accident could mean blindness, loss of limbs - or worse. Many went home with acid burns, yellow skin or discoloured hair. Others were forced to leave their loved ones and move to live with total strangers in unfamiliar surroundings. Frequently, their male bosses were coarse and unsympathetic.Yet this hidden army of nearly two million women toiled on regardless through the worst years of the war, cheerfully ignoring the dangers and the exhaustion, as bombing, rationing and the heartbreak of loss or separation took their toll on everyone in the country.Only now, all these years later, have they chosen to tell their remarkable stories. Here, in their own words, are the vivid wartime memories of the 'secret army' of female munitions workers, whose resilience and sheer grit in the face of danger has only now started to emerge.These are the intimate and personal stories of an unforgettable group of women, whose hard work and quiet courage made a significant contribution to Britain's war effort. They didn't fire the bullets, but they filled them up with explosives. And in doing so, they helped Britain win the war.

Bomb Girls - Britain's Secret Army: The Munitions Women of World War II

The Spitfire is the world's most iconic airplane. Yet the history of the Spitfire contains many hitherto hidden or little-known stories of the men and women behind the plane; not only the gifted creators and inventors, or the brave fighter pilots who triumphed in battle, but also the thousands of other people whose lives were affected by their personal connection to it--engineers, ground crew, factory or office workers, and their families. This book recounts the memories and stories of these people, from the birth of the Spitfire in the 1930s to the present day. Among these accounts is the extraordinary tale of the fighter pilot who only discovered, 50 years on, the tragic truth of his last Spitfire flight, the businessman whose blank check changed the course of the war, the 95-year-old RAF engineer who was determined to be reunited with his beloved Spit before he died, and the little girl who inspired the plane's creation--and went on to marry a movie star. Using documents, letters and photographs from the Imperial War Museums' unparalleled archive, plus exclusive first-hand interviews, these stories of the Spitfire are a revelatory collection of small but significant histories, to be treasured by all who love and admire the iconic plane.

Spitfire Stories

Through the darkest days of the Second World War, an elite group of courageous civilian women risked their lives as aerial courier pilots, flying Lancaster bombers, Spitfires and many other powerful war machines in thousands of perilous missions. The dangers these women faced were many: they flew unarmed, without radio and in some cases without instruments, in conditions where even unexpected cloud could mean disaster.In The Female Few, five of these astonishingly brave women tell their awe-inspiring tales of incredible risk, tenacity and sacrifice. Their spirit and fearlessness in the face of death still resonates down the years, and their accounts reveal a forgotten chapter in the history of the Second World War.

Spitfire Heroines

The Female Few

Spitfire Stories, published in association with Imperial War Museums, is a fascinating anthology of first-hand stories from Spitfire heroes and heroines of the Second World War. The Spitfire is the world's most iconic aeroplane. Coming into its own during the Battle of Britain, it became famous during the Second World War as the only plane that could match the enemy fighters in the sky. Yet, even today, the history of the Spitfire contains many hitherto hidden or little-known stories of the men and women behind the plane; not only the gifted creators and inventors who brought the Spitfire to life, or the brave fighter pilots from many countries who triumphed in battle, but also the thousands of other people whose lives were affected by their personal connection to it - engineers, ground crew, factory or office workers, and their families. Spitfire Stories recounts the memories and stories of these people, from the birth of the iconic Spitfire in the 1930s to the present day. Among these accounts is the extraordinary tale of the fighter pilot who only discovered, fifty years on, the tragic truth of his last Spitfire flight, the businessman whose blank cheque changed the course of the war, the ninety-five-year-old Royal Air Force engineer who was determined to be reunited with his beloved Spit before he died, and the little girl who inspired the plane's creation - and went on to marry a movie star. Using documents, letters and photographs from the Imperial War Museums' unparalleled archive, plus exclusive first-hand interviews, these stories of the Spitfire are a revelatory collection of small but significant histories, to be treasured by all who love and admire the iconic plane.

True Tales from Those Who Designed, Maintained and Flew the Iconic Plane

Jack Hyams

World War Two is finally over. Millions all over the country are starting to wonder if peacetime really is much of an improvement on the War. Food shortages, endless queues, power cuts, rationing and freezing winters make it extremely difficult to make ends meet as husbands return from battlefields to families they hardly know. Yet some East Enders are living large...in a bombed out damp and squalid Hackney slum, one family are leading a life of luxury, a loadsamoney world funded by illegal betting, where virtually everything is available, thanks to a thriving black market. The Hyams family has a retinue of unofficial servants: a chauffeur, a cleaner and an army of delivery men. They take seaside holidays in posh hotels and dine on the finest foods and delicacies money can buy...but at the core of their daily life, an ever-growing nightmare lurks, threatening to wreck their luxurious existence. In this honest and sincere memoir, Jacky Hyams revisits the 'live for today' world of her childhood, a world where money was no object, growing up in a household underpinned by betting, booze and bribes. From stories of her parents partying with the Krays in the East End of old, to the optimistic swinging sixties of London's West End, this is the intimate story of a unique childhood, set against the backdrop of squalid, post-War Hackney.

My 1950s East End Childhood

Bombsites and Lollipops - My 1950s East End Childhood

Elvis is waiting outside in a big pink Caddy. Or rather, he would be if the dreams and fantasies of millions of teenage girls could only come true... And like so many other thirteen-year-olds, East End schoolgirl Jacky Hyams has fallen under the spell of the man with the swivel hips and sexy voice, an unforgettable moment in time amidst a tidal wave of social change in Britain: the era of the Fifties teenager. All around her, people are shaking off the memory of the drab austerity years after the Second World War. Ration books are now history. The good times have finally arrived. Families like Jacky’s are starting to be tempted by the incredible new household goods in high-street shop windows: TVs, fridges, washing machines, electric heaters, now widely available on credit. Wimpy bars and frozen fish fingers are changing the culinary landscape. Even the Prime Minister is telling the country: ‘You Never Had it So Good.’ Now, for the first time ever, teenagers are being wooed as never before, consumers in their own right, rather than mere mini versions of their elders. It is a dramatic cultural shift that sparks a huge rift between the generations. As bewildered parents struggle to cope with her teenage rebellion against old-fashioned attitudes, for Jacky all these tempting changes can only lead her in one direction – an all embracing desire for freedom – and a growing determination to break free of the traditional East End way of life.

Hoop Skirts and Ponytails - A Fifties Memoir

Jennifer Saunders is Britain's best-loved comedienne, screenwriter and actress. For the first time, author Jacky Hyams reveals the story behind Jennifer's rise to fame, her successful career as the Queen of Comedy and the highs and lows of her remarkable life. Born in 1958 in Sleaford, Jennifer's mother was a biology teacher and her father was a pilot in the Royal Air Force. In 1977 she attended the Central School of Speech and Drama where she met her comedy partner Dawn French. After graduating, Jennifer began her career at The Comedy Store in London, and it was during this time she was to meet comedian, actor and writer Adrian Edmondson, who she would later marry. In July 2010 Jennifer was to face her toughest challenge, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her diagnosis she has made a full recovery. This is Jennifer's full, unauthorised story.

Jennifer Saunders - The Unauthorised Biography of the Absolutely Fabulous Star

Lysa Walder

A teenage boy lies on the pavement, bleeding to death from a stab wound; a distraught mother watches, in mute shock, as her daughter suffers a terrifying fatal asthma attack; a young girl is gang raped and her distraught boyfriend takes an overdose; a disturbed young man flings himself in front of a speeding train at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Few people can imagine living in a world where such situations are part of everyday life. Yet for London ambulance paramedic Lysa Walder, these and thousands of other emergency calls are part of a day's work—scenes of tragedy, loss, and horror—but also stories of triumph and humor, and all the result of an urgent call to the biggest and busiest free ambulance service in the world. Lysa has been an A&E nurse and paramedic for more than 15 years. Here, she tells the inside story behind the screaming sirens and flashing blue lights of the emergency services and reveals what it's really like to work in a job that frequently brings paramedic teams face to face with death—and destiny. These are the fascinating real life stories of heartbreak and hope, direct from the frontline.

Jacky Hyams

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