1589 – The English Armada and the Fortunes of Don Antonio

Everything was set to deliver a body blow to Spain after the defeat of ‘The Invincible Armada’ in 1588. With aid anticipated from Turkey, Morocco and Holland, and the French looking on with interest, the English Armada, with Sir Francis Drake as its admiral and Sir John Norris as commander-in-chief of the land forces, on Queen Elizabeth’s instructions, was to assist the people of Portugal to rebel against their Spanish overlords, and to place on the throne Don Antonio, Prior of Crato, as King Antony the First of Portugal.

That was the plan, and on the 28th of April 1589 the fleet set sail.

A note about the cover illustrations:

The background shows 16th century Lisbon with the River Tagus in the foreground, the portraits are of the main participants, Queen Elizabeth I of England, King Philip II of Spain, Sir John Norris, Sir Francis Drake, and in the centre, Don Antonio, Prior of Crato.

The Fugitive Shakespeare and Sonnet 144

THE FUGITIVE SHAKESPEARE

AND

SONNET 144

The discovery of a 16^th century manuscript version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 144 is the most important historical and literary find ever made relating to Shakespearean studies. The date of composition of this manuscript indicates ca.1577-78 when William Shakspere (the original spelling of his family name) was aged between 13-14 which would suggest that he couldn’t have written this Sonnet because he was too young. The story behind this discovery and how the document was found is as astonishing as how the document has managed to survive for over 400 years. The connection in this story between Shakespeare and the famous playwright Ben Jonson is also explored as it was Jonson who provided the most important evidence that Shakespeare was the author of the First Folio which was published in 1623.

“At last, after more than four hundred years there is a glimmer of light at the end of the

tunnel, a significant Shakespearean clue has been discovered which may help to solve the Shakespeare authorship question.”

– Sir Derek Jacobi, award-winning Shakespearean actor.

Crowning Glory

As a nation, we like to think we know everything about our Kings and Queens. William I conquered in 1066, Henry VIII had six wives and Queen Victoria was ‘not amused’… But do these ‘pub-quiz facts’ provide a genuine picture of what our monarchs were really like as living, breathing people? As the reader shall find, there is a treasure-trove of wit, wisdom and wonder waiting to be discovered.

Crowning Glory wipes away the cobwebs of fuddy-duddy facts and breathes new life into this surprisingly addictive aspect of history. It challenges our basic understanding of the subject by introducing readers to a colourful cast of characters and revealing little-known insights.

This book reminds us that, behind the formality of the crown, are real human beings. Like you and me, they have known success, failure, sorrow, and laughter. The lives of our kings and queens are so much more vivid than boring, old dates, figures, and facts.

The PI (π) Cycle Secret of the 360-days year calendar

In The PI (π) Cycle, discover the fascinating history of the ancient calendar and how it was ultimately changed by the will of God. Follow the story of King Hezekiah of Judea, whose life was extended by 15 years, and learn about the ground-breaking calendar reforms of Julius Caesar. Explore the observations of ancient astronomers, including the Egyptians and Hipparchus, and how they tracked the length of the year. Uncover the mysteries of how the earth generates natural time at God’s command and how it was altered to accommodate King Hezekiah’s request. This thought-provoking book will leave you marvelling at the power of God and the complexity of time.

Why I’m Not King of England

This book has been thoughtfully crafted by the author to demonstrate that family history can be truly captivating. While genealogy provides us with the facts of who we are and where we came from, it is through the art of storytelling that these details come to life, especially when placed within a rich context.

By exploring the potential motivations of our ancestors and highlighting the timeless nature of human traits, we can better understand that the challenges and obstacles we face today have been encountered by generations before us. The story delves into the questionable morals of various characters, the cunning ways in which responsibility can be shifted, the manipulation of the status quo for personal gain, filial disputes, familial arguments, and the once-prevailing notion of the divine right of Kings (no pun intended).

Rather than serving as a morality tale, this book aims to entertain and illuminate the striking parallels between the past and our modern lives.

Mary, Queen of Scots Slept Here

Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate her throne in Scotland and fled to England, seeking help from Queen Elizabeth I to regain her throne. However, Queen Elizabeth, fearing Catholic plots to replace her with Mary, was not inclined to offer assistance. Instead, she ensured that Mary was housed in castles and manors owned by her own supporters.

Mary became a definite prisoner, guarded by people trusted by Elizabeth. Gradually, she was moved through England to her final imprisonment in Fotheringhay Castle, leading to the final chapter of her tempestuous life.

On Wadi Wadi Country – From the Mountains to the Sea

Australia is a large continent and before British colonisation there were over 250 First Nation areas with different languages and cultures. The Wadi Wadi nation lived on an eastern coastal region south of Sydney, which was covered with thick subtropical rainforest and bordered by the Pacific Ocean which provided fish and shellfish in abundance. With its rich volcanic soil, it was one of the first areas to be taken by colonising farmers. The land was cleared and the food, culture and Dharawal language were all almost wiped out. Many First Nations people died from massacres, hunger, and European diseases.This story began in a deep valley ‘Willow Gully’ with remnant rare subtropical rainforest, inhabited by wallabies, echidnas, possums and hundreds of birds in a small coastal town called Kiama. The gully was settled in the 1840s by two British farming families, and in 2015 the remains of a small farm cottage was unearthed in the rainforest. By coincidence the Aboriginal family who lived there in the 20th century were discovered and they have shared their personal stories. This has provided links to the amazing history of the Wadi Wadi people all along the coast. Through this book find their stories, but also meet an Indigenous King and Queen, WW1 soldiers, a poet, fishermen, sports stars, and silent film makers. Many people have hidden their Aboriginal heritage as racism was rife. The 50,000 years of continuous indigenous heritage is at last being recognised. However, a referendum to recognise Aboriginal people in the constitution, held in October 2023, failed due to misinformation by opponents. But there is still hope!

Aliens on Earth

In Aliens on Earth, author Tony Street challenges the conventional narrative of human history and argues that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in ancient times, greatly influencing the development of human culture and technology. Drawing upon evidence from archaeology, mythology, and religious texts from around the world, Street presents a compelling case that advanced alien civilizations interacted with and shaped early human societies, leaving behind tantalizing clues in the form of megalithic structures, advanced technologies, and cultural traditions.

From the mysterious Pyramids of Giza to the enigmatic Nazca Lines, and from the ancient Sumerian tales of the Anunnaki to the biblical accounts of the Nephilim, Street takes readers on a thrilling journey through the ancient world, revealing the hidden history of alien intervention on Earth. Thought-provoking and meticulously researched, Aliens on Earth offers a fresh perspective on the origins of human civilization that will challenge readers to question everything they have been taught about our past.

Bubbles, Crashes and Financial Disasters

Throughout history, the allure of promising opportunities has often ignited a speculative frenzy, arousing the get-rich-quick syndrome in millions of credulous souls, driving them to the extremes of ambition and greed in their quest for wealth. The symptoms of such behaviour frequently manifest during the build-up to a market crash, when months or even years of gains are wiped out in mere hours. This phenomenon is known as the ‘boom-and-bust scenario’, characterized by an economic bubble followed by a devastating crash.

In this book, we delve into a number of remarkable events that have taken place between the seventeenth century and the present day, culminating in enormous financial losses for the general public or even the collapse of entire economies. The Great Crash of 1929 and some of the instances depicted from the 1980s onwards had seismic effects felt on a global scale.

Today, despite living in a highly sophisticated world of economic regulation, financial manipulation, and extensive application of fiscal policy, economic bubbles still seem to burgeon from invisible beginnings, grow rapidly out of control, and then fragment into a melee of problems for modern society. While many believe that the random forces of human nature are responsible, spiralling out of control during periods of heady speculation, others share a different view. They argue that large economic bubbles are non-organic, engineered from within the system itself.

This book takes a light-hearted journey through the subject matter, considering both the historical events and the intriguing possibility that financial engineering plays a role in the creation and destruction of economic bubbles.

Robin Unhooded

Two great mysteries of English history – who was the real Robin Hood and who killed William II, ‘Rufus’, in the New Forest, in 1100? ROBIN unHOODed presents new evidence in solving these unanswered questions of our history. Perhaps the most in-depth, innovative study of these mysteries for decades, Peter Staveley’s ground breaking book provides totally fresh and startling hypotheses - once the hood is off. The search for Robin’s true identity has led to a plethora of books over many years and the dust-covers of these volumes might lead one to believe that the mystery was indeed solved. However, not one of the various suggestions put forward have ever seemed truly convincing as fitting the life and character of the man depicted in the original ballads…until now.

ROBIN UnHOODed uncovers not only a totally fresh candidate for the man behind the myth but also the identity of many of the other well-known protagonists. This detailed study reveals a man whose life and times would have mirrored precisely those depicted in the original ballads. Placing Robin in an era a full century prior to that timeline of Prince John and King Richard I, so loved by Hollywood directors, Robin is implicated in the death of King William II, Rufus. Startling new evidence regarding the plot to kill the king and a CSI style investigation of the death, reveals previously unseen elements to explain those mysterious events in the New Forest in August 1100 that changed our history.

The final tragic dénouement of Robin Hood’s death is revisited in refreshing new detail. Actual personages are identified for the treacherous prioress and Roger, her lover, and a totally new location for the whole débâcle is revealed.

This new work of historical detection will shatter many of the myths surrounding the legend of Robin Hood and reveals the real man under the hood.

Farewell My Beloved, Goodbye Dear Leader

The only certainty in life is death. Even the most powerful leaders throughout history were unable to cheat the Grim Reaper. World leaders, whether revered or reviled, are rarely allowed to exit gracefully from life but instead receive a state funeral, a major international event incorporating splendid symbols and messages, religious faith, and tradition.

The body of Tsar Alexander III was carried across half of Russia before finally being buried in St. Petersburg. People paid obscene amounts of money for a room that gave a glimpse of Queen Victoria’s fascinating State funeral. The cortège for China’s Empress-Dowager Cixi was not to be photographed – nevertheless photos showed up a century later. For political reasons Generalissimo Franco’s body was exhumed decades after his death. The world became acquainted with a rather unusual ancient Roman Catholic ritual, when Pope John Paul I died. The body of India’s Indira Gandhi was confined to sacred flames. The last journey of Marshal Tito turned into an event of “Funeral Diplomacy”, whilst Khomeini’s funeral ended in frenzy and tumult. In 2021 the massive restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant a rigid downsizing of Prince Philip’s funeral, hardly any guests were allowed to attend.

This revealing and entertaining book provides an insight into unique obsequies from across the world, seen as both a celebration of life and the honouring of death.

Brian Jones, the Founder of the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones were founded by Brian Jones who selected Jagger, Richards, Stewart, Wyman and Watts to join his group. He continues to be vilified as a callous nerd, and those who perhaps give him credit for musical creativity and a good dress style, quickly hasten to claim his character was flawed. Despite persistently badmouthed as a misfit who had some of the devil in him, the truth is that the devil did not impregnate his mother any better than the Holy Ghost impregnated Mary mother of Jesus.

He was the product of an abysmally dysfunctional family with bigoted Christian parents inflicting malicious manipulation on their son, whose only failure was not to be what his parents wanted. His father was an intolerant, egotistical tyrant convinced of paternal omnipotence as the head of the family. Brian Jones’ mental development was thwarted in the hands of his parents who neglected their son’s emotional needs, and his distress manifested itself as the psychosomatic asthma he developed. An alleged social bastard without ethics, he was, in fact, a badly mistreated human being with problems. The depth of his artistic talent goes painfully unrecognized. Like a stray cat in the street, he died as a result of human mistreatment, yet like everyone else, Brian Jones deserves to be considered in his circumstances.