At the turn of the 19th century, in support of the first animal welfare campaigners, cats told their own stories through a series of best-selling children’s books. They moused in high places but pay was often poor, as revealed by Florence Nightingale in her memo complaining of the meagre rations for cats in the War Office. Many cats worked at home in London - where rats were a scourge – and enjoyed the luxury of a daily fast food service: a slice of horse flesh on a skewer delivered through the letterbox by the Cats-meat man. On the steam railway network, cats had power: the safety of the travelling public was largely dependent on the hunting skills of the signal box ratters.
Crowds flocked to the first cat show held at the Crystal Palace in 1871, when aristocrats and royalty obsessed over their competitive hobby of breeding longhairs.
Published:
April 2019
Paperback:
166 pages
Size:
250 x 250 mm
Price:
£18.50
ISBN:
9-781912-419579
Paperback edition (UK only)
£18.50 (+ £2.50 postage)
Number of copies:
Also available from Amazon
Hardback edition (UK only)
£27.50 (+ £2.50 postage)
Number of copies:
A spoilt Persian puss scratched the hand of the Prince of Wales and even more spoilt ladies chased the terrified exhibition organizer round the hall for something he had forgotten to do. The National Cat Club was founded along with the first stud book as a guide for ‘points of excellence.’
Technical advances in colour printing raised the profile of cats; their image was everywhere, on greetings cards, valentines, picture post-cards, sheet music and advertisements that sold every kind of product imaginable.
Poor Puss is the story of cats as they bravely clawed their way up the social ladder - out of persecution and superstition - to gain their rightful place as cherished family pets today. With impressive research, over three hundred archival pictures and entertaining anecdotal detail, meaty as a plump mouse.
You may never view your cat in the same way again!
Reviews...
Jilly Cooper Marvellous historical background and all the glorious illustrations
Dear Marilyn, A million congratulations on your wonderful book Poor Puss. A Social History of English Cats, the marvellous historical background and all the glorious illustrations make it the perfect present for any cat lover. Truly well done, Love, Jilly Cooper.
London Metropolitan Archives 'impressive in every way'
First there was Love and Suicide.
Then, we felt a heat and hell closing in.
Soon there will be the realisation that
broken will always be broken.
But now, we follow the writer, the observer and the lost mind through the various stages of one man’s life using poetry, sketches, short stories and observations.
A writer, an observer, a lost mind.
A journey inside, outside and
beyond the musings of one man.
Born in 1782, Charles Waterton was the eldest child of Thomas and Anne Waterton, of Walton Hall in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Based on extensive research, Barbara Phipps's fascinating, fictionalised biography show us an intelligent, and fearless man, one gifted with humour and strongly held opinions. His early love of nature, especially of birds, meant he was often in trouble as a tree-climbing, bird-nesting boy. He travelled extensively, seeking to show others all he had observed by publishing his notes and preserving specimens. His method of taxidermy has never been bettered. He survived yellow fever and malaria, earthquakes and shipwreck, and many accidents both at home and abroad.
By building a wall around his parkland, and banning the gun, he created a sanctuary for all creatures with the exception of the fox and the rat, having a particular dislike of the latter. His book, ‘Wanderings in South America, the North-West of the United States and the Antilles,’ has never been out of print.
Waterton can justifiably be given credit for creating the first nature reserve. It is a concept that has spread, not just around Britain, but also right across the world. Bill Oddie
Reviews...
28.6.2019 - Amazon, five star: Great Story Telling Took me back to my own childhood, a lovely read. Anyone with a love of nature will identify with Charles Waterton.
15.4.2020 - Amazon, five star: Easy Read An interesting book about a fascinating if accident prone man. The author writes through Waterton’s eyes bringing alive his adventures in an easy to read manner.
There’s trouble brewing in the Yorkshire Dales when the natives of Richmondshire start behaving out of character. It just so happens that a local pub is trialling a new organic cider – and it’s going down a treat.
Cider should make people merry but this normally docile community of Yorkshire folk finds itself in the grip of paranoia, fear, and confusion. That’s when casual boozer, Lenny Plant, discovers that the disruption is down to something far more sinister than a glass or two of an apple beverage: lying dormant in the corner of his best friend’s garage there lurks a threat to humanity deadlier than a thousand nuclear wars. The cider is almost an innocent bystander.
Against his better nature, Lenny decides to take matters into his own hands, only to find himself up against the KGB, a psychotic war veteran and, perhaps worst of all - his affection for the cider.
Andrew Price was born ages ago in Saltburn by the Sea. He didn’t write for forty-nine years – much too young.
Andrew allows that, although the British are useless at most things, sport in particular, their fluency in humour is without equal.
His novels “Poor Enid” and “Poor Ronnie” are humble contributions to the cause – a manifestation of all that has inspired him. For every sentence is etched onto the hard drive with stubborn purpose, goaded by a duty of care, to celebrate, perpetuate, and create.
Reviews...
Roger Ordish, TV Producer and Director Remarkable imagination. As a retired piss artist, I laughed most at the wonderful pub scenes.
Willie O'Kane
Andy Price does it again! Just when you thought things in Yorkshire couldn't get any worse, along comes Lenny Plant and his cohort of assorted wasters to foil another evil plan to take over the world.
The story ties in (and picks up from) where 'Poor Enid' left off, as centenarian monomaniac Art Schitthelm locks horns with Russian spies and local winos in a bid to control the entire world. In a plot that defies description, Andy deploys his wide-ranging knowledge of quantum physics, time-travel and the workings of the human alimentary canal to create a truly madcap story where nothing is as it seems. In a dim-lit world where gargantuan guzzling of alcohol truly makes a man, Lenny and co prove that it takes more than scientific know-how to take over the world, and once again our heroes win out despite the odds and without their even really trying.
A tale for our times, 'Poor Ronnie' will make the reader marvel at the dexterity with which the main players face up to fate - and despite the occasional jolt to one's digestive system it has to be recommended for its raucous energy and imaginative spirit.
John Vickers, Amazon Review “Intricately funny. A very enjoyable read which complements the first book.
Funny, dark and twisted; you can really relate to the piss-heads in the book.”
Peter Ullathorne, Amazon Review “It is always said the measure of a good book is if you cannot put it down.
This one is so entertaining and funny that you always have that ‘just another chapter’ thought.
In this highly engaging, instructive and even inspirational inquiry, Jonathan Mirvis illuminates the tapestry of Jewish education innovation with the lens of the work and theory of social entrepreneurship. He tells us how and why some Jewish educational innovators succeed and how to recognize the most promising ventures in the field. This work will appeal to anyone engaged in Jewish educational change or social entrepreneurship of any kind, as it contributes to our understanding of both worlds of thought – Jewish education and the applied theory of social innovation. Professor Steven M. Cohen Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Jonathan Mirvis has written a provocative and invaluable tract for our times, and for the uncertain times ahead. Whether Jewish “peoplehood” will have any meaning for the next generation in Israel and the Diaspora, depends largely on whether Jewish education can re-invent itself. Not only for our children and grand-children, but for “adults” and whole communities as well. Jerry Silverman President/CEO, Jewish Federations of North America
Australia : AUS$ 25.00 Discount price: AUS$16.99 Free delivery
South Africa : Israel: Discount price: £14.99 Free delivery by Courier
The good news is that Mirvis believes it can happen. He shows us how to build on the trailblazing initiatives of some of the visionary Jewish educators and funders who’ve “changed the rules” – and whose stories Mirvis tells with great warmth and insight. And, critically for the author, by adapting his theory of change as it applies to social entrepreneurship marketing, and the online knowledge revolution. This is not just an important book about the need for more “disruptive innovation” in the Jewish world; Mirvis is himself the “disruptive innovator”. He’s brought together his wide experience in adult Jewish education internationally, his deep immersion in Yiddishkeit, and some novel, even radical thinking about – dare we say it – how to market and sell a social product. Ever the teacher, he’s given educators, funders, policy-makers, and community leaders essential homework to complete. Read this book!
Dr. Jonathan Mirvis is a senior lecturer at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He specializes in social entrepreneurship, social innovation and adult education. He lectures in these areas to graduate students studying Jewish education, nonprofit management, business administration, and community development.
Reviews...
Jewish Philanthropy.
Dr. Jonathan Mirvis has just released a very exciting book, It’s Our Challenge: A Social Entrepreneurship Approach to Jewish Education. Its most surprising aspect is that it has implications not just for Jewish education providers but also for all Jewish organizations and their professional and volunteer leadership around the globe. Dr. Mirvis, who is a senior lecturer at The Hebrew University’s Melton Centre for Jewish Education , is a pioneer in teaching social entrepreneurship to students in education, nonprofit management and business administration. Although the book gives a spot-on analysis of entrepreneurship in Jewish education, its salient contribution is demonstrating not only the importance of creative and innovative thinking but also the impact that volunteer leaders and professionals can have in the Jewish community by thinking differently about what they do and how they do it.
A Sheffield Turner's Tale
Life with an Unsung Hero of Steel
When the Sheffield steel industry dramatically collapsed in the 1980s the stories of its highly-skilled workforce were lost. People left the city in their thousands or disappeared into the army of unemployed. The part they had played in the building of the city became, overnight, unconsidered and unvalued. It has taken a generation for the city to begin to reclaim the stories of the men and women of steel.
This is the tale of one of them, Frank Allott, a lad from the east end of Sheffield who began his working life as an apprentice turner on the eve of war and rose to become Manager of the vast and complex Heavy Machine Shops at Firth Brown. In his forty-four years in the firm he acquired a unique range of experience and knowledge, appreciated by those he worked with not only in Sheffield, but in Canada, Turkey and Brazil.
Published:
Feb 2020
Paperback:
222 pages
Price:
£9.99
ISBN:
9-781913-425081
£9.99 (+ £2 postage) Number of copies:
A self-taught engineer and linguist, amateur singer and artist, and Football League linesman, he was widely known and loved not merely for his outstanding skills but also for his extraordinary humanity and humour. It is a portrait not only of a remarkable man, but also of the times in which he lived, the historic company he served and the city that made them both.
Reader Reviews...
Mary Buckley, Professor, Cambridge university Beautifully written and hard to put down, this is an engrossing and touching personal story of a father’s encouraging relationship with his daughter and of his working life in different phases of Sheffield’s steel industry. Sue Allott traces the impact on one family’s life of how and why the steel industry grew and declined as they moved from the closely-knit community of back-to-back housing, to new council house and finally to a purchased semi-detached. It is an important economic and social history of industry and life whose details and emotions should not be lost.
It is also a compelling tribute to a father from a proud daughter. It is a must-read for all only children who were daughters who had loving fathers in the 1950s and 1960s who spurred them on. It includes delightful details of the early student exchanges to Russia, essential reading for anyone who was sent on one and for those who were not.
Derek Reed, economist A Sheffield Turner’s Tale is a moving and hilarious mixture of social history and the biography of a remarkable man. The backdrop of industrial Sheffield from the 1950s to the 1990s will strike a chord with anybody who has memories either of the working class life and upward social mobility of the fifties, sixties and seventies, or of the economic wrecking ball of the Thatcher years.
As for the book’s principal hero, Frank Allott, his humour, integrity, intellectual curiosity and occasional cussedness, as he rose from the shop floor to weighty management responsibilities in the Sheffield steel industry, no doubt bore the stamp of South Yorkshire, but there’s enough in his character and in his story to make him immediately recognisable to anyone who grew up working class in any other corner of industrial Britain. It is the story of a man who was at once unique and yet emblematic of a time and place that, just a few decades later, seem like another world.
A poetry book full of treasures for the reader. The treasurers will make you laugh, feel happy, be thought provoking, bring you comfort and peace. The poet has brought to the fore front one poem which describes a person collecting water from the well and used this as a focus to use the proceeds from half of every book to fundraise for the charity CAFOD. She wants to do this as she believes that each poem has been written for other people’s enrichment.
Details of CAFOD projects are found on their website cafod.org.uk
As a result of the incredible response and feedback to my autobiography, A Reason To Love Me, I felt A Reason To Love Them to be the most logical follow up. Although not a sequel per se, the two are very much linked. Whilst offering further insight into my life experiences, with this book I aim to challenge views and beliefs by suggesting alternative perspectives, perspectives which have helped me heal and take my life back.
Although it can be incredibly hard at times for us to love ourselves, it can feel almost impossible for us to love ’them’, those whom we view as the perpetrators. A lesson without which inner peace cannot be achieved.
A book that offers techniques, methods and alternative perspectives which deal with overcoming trauma and abuse. From mental health to physical abuse the author through her own life experience as a survivor, with courage, love and acceptance, proves that nothing is insurmountable.
Daniela began her journey in rural Italy, surrounded by scrutiny and judgement, searching for love, acceptance and purpose. Her determination and hopes led her on a tumultuous journey that has seen her deal with the dramatic realities of her life. Using the strength and knowledge gained she has sought and found a balance and tranquillity she now channels into guiding and supporting others. Through her counselling and public speaking, she is now dedicated to helping others face and overcome their difficulties and demons in life and continues to deliver her message of love, hope and peace.
Reader Reviews...
5.0 out of 5 stars A very beautiful and powerful book
This beautifully written book has the potential to be life changing for its reader.
Using her own experiences, Daniela takes you on a journey of deep self-reflection and offers you a different way of perceiving the world. She tackles the most difficult topics with such awareness and understanding, consistently promoting messages of love, compassion and kindness. Each chapter delves into a different topic, always finishing with a ‘reason to love them’. This is a powerful way of guiding you through a shift in perception, and the process of forgiveness.
Daniela has clearly experienced some very dark moments- as have many of us - but she has has found a way to shine light onto them and in doing so has become free from their chains. In reading this book, I guarantee you will be inspired to do the same. I thank her for sharing the story of her own healing to help others.
When you have produced the final draft of your book, it is always advisable to have the text read and checked by a professional editor or proof reader.
You may have friends that are willing and competent to do this and we can advise you on the type of editing that is required.
We can offer four levels of editing as well as proof-reading.
You choose which, if any, are appropriate in your case: 1. Edit of sample pages and short report (£30)
We will edit a few pages to highlight editorial issues so that you can look for similar problems throughout the book.
This will reduce the amount of further copy-editing required when the book is finished. 2. Broad structural editing and criticism (£5 per thousand words)
A structural review is particularly relevant for works of fiction.
The structural reviewer will address the following main areas and produce a short report for the author ” Read More 3. Copy editing (£10 per thousand words)
A copy-editor takes a close look at your text, line by line, with an eye to grammatical errors, repetition, inconsistency and lack of clarity. The copy editor will make changes to the text, with suggestions for rewriting, grammar, and punctuation. When you receive the edited version, you have the final choice about accepting of rejecting the individual changes. 4. Proof Reading (£8 per thousand words)
Proof reading is a line-by-line check that the book is ready for publication. Proof readers will make small corrections for punctuation, grammar and spelling but they will not make significant changes to the text.
A proof reader will identify any significant issues and add comments to the text so that you can make those corrections yourself. 5. Consistency Scan
If you decide your book doesn’t need a full proof reading, we offer an electronic scan to search for common errors and inconsistencies. This looks at issues such as inconsistent spelling and inconsistencies of hyphenation and capitalisation.
We can also identify inconsistencies in the spelling of proper names. 6. Cover text
The quality of the text on the cover is very important as it indicates the quality of the writing in the book.
The title, sub-title and back-cover blurb are all important elements and we can work with you to make sure that these are correct and effective.
Copy Edit
Copy-editors get the raw material into shape for publication i.e they edit the copy.
When they have finished, the designer can lay out or typeset the book and produce a proof.
It is quite normal for the author to make additional changes after a book has been copy-edited.
Working through the material, the copy-editor may identify errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, style and usage, but also very long sentences and overuse of italic, bold, capitals and exclamation marks.
They should correct or query doubtful facts, weak arguments, plot holes and gaps in numbering.
In fiction, they should also check that characters haven’t changed their name or hair colour, look for sudden changes from first to third person among other things.
The Copy-editor is not a proof reader and should not be expected to find all of the errors in the text particularly if the text is badly written to start with.
This is the job of the proof reader.
The final proof should be checked by a proof reader or an experienced reader friend before going to print.
It is almost inevitable (and acceptable) to miss a few errors which can be corrected in a later edition.
Proof Reading
Proof reading is a line-by-line check that the book is ready for publication.
Proof readers will make small corrections for punctuation, grammar and spelling but they will not make significant changes to the text.
A proof reader will identify any significant issues and add comments to the text so that you can make those corrections yourself.
If you have decided to complete this stage of the process yourself, we will send a detailed check-list to help you.
We ask you to try and ensure that the book is completely ready before we start the layout.
Once the layout has started, we expect that you might want to to make a small number of amendments but
if there are a significant number, we may need to charge for the extra time it takes to change the layout
so best to discuss this with us first.
Structural Review
In fiction, the main areas that a structural editor will address are:
Plot: Does the plot make sense? Is it believable? Is it satisfying or does it leave the reader frustrated? Themes: Are the themes effectively handled? Are there so many that the book lacks focus? Do they interfere with the plot or complement it?
Characterisation: Are your characters well developed and believable? Are they cast in a role that fits their personality? Do they sometimes behave out of character? Point of view/voice: Is the voice consistent or is it sometimes confused? Is the voice authentic? Are you using too many or too few POVs? Pace: Does the plot move forward at an appropriate pace? Should you cut that preface? Should the action happen sooner or should the tension build more slowly? Dialogue: Do your characters sound real when they speak? Is your dialogue cluttered with adverbs and beats? Do you use clunky dialogue to move the plot forward? Flow: Is the narrative interrupted by dead-ends and tangents? Is there so much back story that the main plot is dwarfed? Are there missing plot points that would give the narrative greater integrity?
In non-fiction, the principle is the same, but the specific issues are slightly different:
Thesis: Is your thesis relevant? Is it clearly defined or is it lost among marginal issues? Exposition: Are your arguments clear and cogent? Are they well researched and properly supported? Do they have a clear relationship with your thesis? Content: Are all the necessary topics sufficiently dealt with? Are the chapters weighted correctly? Is there superfluous content? Organisation: Is the information organised logically? Are tables and illustrations used appropriately? How many levels of subheads do you need and how should they be arranged? Tone: Is the tone appropriate for the audience? Do you need to eliminate jargon? Is the text accessible? Pace: Are there passages that are bogged down in detail? Do you spend too long on detail irrelevant to the main thesis? Are there areas that need further exposition lest they be skipped over?
Cover Text
The quality of the text on the cover is very important as it indicates the quality of the writing in the book.
The title, sub-title and back-cover blurb are all important elements and we work with you to make sure that these are as effective as possible.
Consistency check
If you decide your book doesn’t need a full proof reading, we can run an electronic scan to search for common errors and inconsistencies.
This looks at issues such as inconsistent spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation.
It also checks for consistent formatting of numbers and dates as well as undefined abbreviations.
Subsequent Script Edit
It is very normal and generally beneficial for the script-editing process to go through at least a couple of cycles
i.e. the rewritten draft to be worked through once again by an experienced script practitioner – though this would be entirely at the discretion and behest of the writer.
Full Script Edit
The script that you deliver to us will probably constitute what the industry would classify as the ‘Initial Rough Draft’, i.e. a full screenplay written without any other professional input or advice, and probably without a great deal of rewriting. We work through your draft, line by line, scene by scene, and come back to you with a comprehensive set of notes from which you can then work towards the official ‘1st Draft’. Some of our notes will be broad and general, dealing with such areas as the overall shape and structure, pacing, plot and character development; others will be far more specific, with corrections, clarifications and suggested cuts etc. It is of course entirely up to you whether or not to take these suggestions on board, and to what extent.
Ongoing Support
We aim to make your self-publishing venture an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Publishing is a complex business and we treat every book as a separate project.
We explain all of the stages at the outset and we manage the project schedule for you. This will include all of the expert services you have requested for editorial, design, printing, distribution and collection of royalties, keeping in close contact with you throughout the process.
You will be allocated a project-sheet on the YouCaxton website so that you can monitor progress and ensure that all stages are properly completed.
If you would like to see an example of a Project-Sheet…
go to My project on the menu and enter…
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