Tony Matthews

Behind the birth of a nation lies a brutal, lawless world where crime, punishment, and desperation ruled — and shaped the Australia we know today. This gripping true crime collection unearths the darkest chapters of Australia’s colonial past. From the savage penal colonies to the violent gold rush, these stories reveal the human cost behind the nation’s rise — tales of ruthless executioners, bungled robberies, heart-wrenching justice, and mysterious disappearances. From the brutal penal colonies to the feverish gold rush that brought both immense wealth and unimaginable suffering, the book explores the paradoxes that defined the young nation. Meet William Bamford, the one-eyed executioner who survived a savage whipping only to become a figure of dread at Melbourne Gaol. Discover the bungled bank robbery of Joseph Wells, whose tragic end on the gallows highlights the desperation of the era. Witness the emotional complexity of Justice Redmond Barry, a judge who once wept as he sentenced a man to death, yet showed no mercy to the infamous Ned Kelly. Within these pages, you will find tales of mutinies, disappearances, poisonings, and even ‘baby-farming’ — dark episodes often forgotten but essential to understanding the foundations of modern Australia. Convicts, Crimes and Tragic Times offers a vivid window into the tumultuous, often tragic, past that shaped the nation’s destiny. ‘A chilling window into Australia’s dark origins.’ A vivid resurrection of Australia’s lawless past.’

Dark Days of Old Australia

Convicts, Crimes and Tragic Times

"The WHO'S WHO OF EVERTON is the complete guide to the legendary Mersyside club that promises to settle any disputes amongst its supporters once and for all. Packed with facts and stats, it contains profiles of every Everton player to have appeared in a competitive match for the team since 1887, the year the club first entered the FA Cup.Since then, there have been some truly great players registered with the club. These include; footballing genius Cliff Britton; the enormously talented Edgar Chadwick; top goalscorer Tony Cottee, ever reliable full-back Warney Cresswell; 20s and 30s goal machine Dixie Dean; Scottish marksman Duncan Ferguson; 50s inside-forward Wally Fielding; inspirational wild card Paul Gascoigne; elegant midfielder Colin Harvey; championship goal scorers Dave Hickson and Tommy Johnson; stars of the 60s, Howard Kendall and Brian Labone; Joe Mercer, who went on to become England manager; 80s captain Kevin Ratcliffe; twenty first century hero Wayne Rooney; England centre-forward Joe Royle; long-serving, legendary goalkeeper Ted Sagar; Welsh internationalists Neville Southall and Roy Vernon and 125 goal man from the pre-First World War era, Alex 'Sandy' Young. In add

Who's Who of Everton

What would it be like to live as a quiet, intensely introverted recluse, hermit and vegan in a world that likes to party loudly and excessively?What are some of the extraordinary lengths introverts will go to in order to hide, literally, from the rest of the world? What, indeed, is an introvert, or a recluse, and are we perhaps one of them without actually realising it? These and many other thought-provoking questions are answered in this funny, frank, honest, outrageously satirical and occasionally slightly risque examination of a world we rarely see and of people who are often almost invisible to the naked eye. Author and historian Tony Matthews takes us on a hilarious autobiographical journey through the mysterious and at times mystic existences of the reclusive and solitudinous vegan, delving into aspects of this strange world where 'invisibility' is a key element, and an intense love of all animal life a driving force. Invisible - The Essential Guide for Aliens Stranded on Earth, is a compassionate and at times a deeply immersive experience of another completely different human perspective. Tony Matthews guides us through a compelling and entertaining adventure that will keep you smiling, chuckling and, at times, laughing outrageously from cover to cover.

The Essential Guide for Aliens Stranded on Earth

Invisible

Peter Wright

Author Peter Wright identifies and outlines five parameters -- Power, Weight, Tire Grip, Drag and Lift -- and shows how each can be maximized. In addition, he describes the variety of technologies (including those that have been banned over the years) that are involved, not just in the makeup of the Formula 1 cars, but also in the component manufacturing, systems testing, and the actual racing of the cars.

Formula 1 Technology

Packed with facts and stats, Who's Who of Aston Villa contains profiles of every Villa player to have appeared in a competitive match for the team since 1879, the year the club first entered the FA Cup. Their great players include Charlie Aitken, Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel, George Cummings, 1957 FA Cup-winning captain Johnny Dixon, Allan Evans, Eric Houghton, '80s stars Gary Shaw and Nigel Spink, and European Cup final hero Peter Withe. As well as providing full details on these legends and many others, this indispensable guide also profiles the men who have managed Villa down the years, including current gaffer David O'Leary, Joe Mercer, Graham Taylor, Graham Turner, Ron Saunders, and Alex Massie. Featuring rare photos of Villa heroes past and present, Who's Who of Aston Villa is essential reading for any supporter who wants to know everything there is to know about this Premiership club.

Who's Who of Aston Villa

Around 1,000 players have represented Aston Villa at various levels since 1874, but only about one-tenth have been given credibility in this book - chosen after great deliberation. Aston Villa, founded in 1874 and one of the great clubs in world soccer, w

The Legends of Aston Villa, 1874-2007

Aston Villa Football Club

What would it be like to be trapped deep underground for six long years with no hope of rescue or escape? This is a profound question explored deeply in Entombed. And the key point here is that Entombed is inspired by an astonishing true story and real events. Six German soldiers led by Captain Hans von Roth are accidentally buried alive in a vast subterranean stores bunker at the port of Gdynia, Poland, in 1945. At first they believe they will soon be rescued, but as the weeks drag into years it becomes appallingly clear that the men will almost certainly face a terrifying death in the grim darkness that surrounds them. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Hans von Roth's wife, Erika, is desperately attempting to survive the fall of the city and the Russian hordes destined shortly to occupy it. Facing starvation, massive aerial bombing, Soviet shelling and a host of other dangers, she is also attempting to discover what has become of her lost husband. In Entombed, the author has woven a tale of great love and a desperate struggle for survival like no other. The story literally pushes all the frontiers of human frailty and courage to their very edges.

Six Men Buried Alive for Over Six Years

Entombed

The Middlesbrough FC Miscellany is packed with all the facts, stats, trivia, stories and legends that make up the heart of the club. This is the ultimate book of footballing trivia on a club with a rich, proud and incredible history. Written by sports master Tony Matthews, this is a book no self-respecting Boro fan should be without.

Middlesbrough FC Miscellany

An in-depth study of England's World Cup appearances 1950-2014

England in the World Cup 1950-2014

What could induce a young pilot to walk out onto the wing of his burning aircraft at 13,000 feet? Why would a plucky young woman descend into the bowels of a sinking ship knowing that she would almost certainly die there? Why did a family remain on their farm, tending crops while suffering four long years of deadly artillery shelling? How did a former fishing trawler sink one of Hitler’s deadliest U-boats, and who were the two Australian nurses who protected wounded patients with their own bodies while experiencing a savage machine-gun attack? Why did a young naval apprentice keep rowing when his hands had been so badly burned, they were literally glued to his oar? And who were the two selfless ‘Dad’s Army’ soldiers who miraculously saved the lives of hundreds of their comrades even when it meant sacrificing their own? These and many other fascinating questions are answered in one of the most remarkable books of gallantry, fortitude and selfsacrifice you will ever read. Quiet Courage: Forgotten Heroes of World War Two is a book about thoughtful, intelligent actions and above all, an enviable capacity for bravery.

Forgotten Heroes of World War Two

Quiet Courage

What would it be like to be trapped deep underground for six long years with no hope of rescue or escape? This is a profound question explored deeply in Entombed. And the key point here is that Entombed is inspired by an astonishing true story and real events. Six German soldiers led by Captain Hans von Roth are accidentally buried alive in a vast subterranean stores bunker at the port of Gdynia, Poland, in 1945. At first they believe they will soon be rescued, but as the weeks drag into years it becomes appallingly clear that the men will almost certainly face a terrifying death in the grim darkness that surrounds them. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Hans von Roth’s wife, Erika, is desperately attempting to survive the fall of the city and the Russian hordes destined shortly to occupy it. Facing starvation, massive aerial bombing, Soviet shelling and a host of other dangers, she is also attempting to discover what has become of her lost husband. In Entombed, the author has woven a tale of great love and a desperate struggle for survival like no other. The story literally pushes all the frontiers of human frailty and courage to their very edges.

Fifty matches that shaped the career of one of football's greatest managers... JOSÉ MOURINHO is regarded by some to be the world's best manager and one of the greatest of all time. Starting out as a player in the Portuguese Second Division, he later impressed with successful managerial periods at Benfica and Uniao de Leiria. As head coach to Porto, he won the Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and UEFA Cup in 2003. Moving to Chelsea the following year, they won the Premier League title with a record 95 points and the League Cup in his first season. In 2013, after several years with Serie A club Internazionale, Mourinho returned to Chelsea, taking the club to third in the Premier League in season 2013/14.

Fifty Definitive Fixtures

Jose Mourinho

Fifty fixtures that defined the career of an ordinary footballer, who went on to become a legend.

Steven Gerrard Fifty Defining Fixtures

Cyrille Regis, MBE, enjoyed a long career in football. During his playing years, he made well over 750 club and international appearances, scoring more than 200 goals, including 159 in 614 League appearances. Cyrille won the FA Cup with Coventry in 1987 and represented England five times at senior international level. In this fascinating new book, author Tony Matthews tells the story of Cyrilles long and successful career through 50 important games - although he admits that he could easily have chosen 100! This book covers Cyrilles life in full, from his early days in the Caribbean, through his school years, playing at non-League level before entering the world of professional football and gaining England recognition. It also tells how Cyrille came close to an early death in a car crash in Spain and how he went on to become a soccer coach and a players agent, receiving an MBE in 2008. With forewords by Cyrilles former manager, Ron Atkinson, and professional footballers, Darren Moore and Derek Statham, as well as a host of other tributes, this is a book no football fan will want to miss.

The Matches, Goals, Triumphs and Disappointments

Cyrille Regis MBE

Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He has played much of his career in a centre midfield role, but he has also been used as a second striker, holding midfielder, right back and right winger. Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his debut in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in 2000, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as team captain in 2003. His honours include two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, and two Super Cups. On 21 July 2014, Gerrard announced his retirement from international football. He represented England at 114 caps (the third most capped player ever, after Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham (115)) scoring 21 times. Jordan described Gerrard as "probably the best player this country has ever seen - not only as a player, but also as a leader and a captain."

Fifty Defining Fixtures

Steven Gerrard

A History of Maryborough and District

River of Dreams

The true story of a deeply murderous intent that lurked menacingly beneath the waves during World War Two. The torpedoes strike explosively and nine thousand people die — five thousand of them are just defenceless children. Another ship founders after being attacked by a brutal submarine commander and the ship’s crew and passengers are used in a murderous kind of blood-sport. Merchant seamen are savagely machine-gunned in the water, callously slaughtered with hand-grenades or simply left to the circling sharks. And hundreds of doctors, nurses, ship’s crew, ambulance drivers and hospital orderlies are viciously killed without compassion, despite being protected by the Geneva Convention. From the heart-rending account of the sinking of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945 — the worst maritime disaster in world history — through to a variety of other brutal actions carried out by numerous submarine commanders, including the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur in 1943, this book comes from the deep shadows of a tragic past. It reveals the terrible truth of a secretive war that was responsible for the deaths of unimaginable numbers of innocent people. Sea Monsters includes powerful and poignant interviews with survivors — never before published.

Savage Submarine Commanders of World War Two

Sea Monsters

Alan Shearer Fifty Defining Fixtures

The true story of a deeply murderous intent that lurked menacingly beneath the waves during World War Two. The torpedoes strike explosively and nine thousand people die -- five thousand of them are just defenceless children. Another ship founders after being attacked by a brutal submarine commander and the ship's crew and passengers are used in a murderous kind of blood-sport. Merchant seamen are savagely machine-gunned in the water, callously slaughtered with hand-grenades or simply left to the circling sharks. And hundreds of doctors, nurses, ship's crew, ambulance drivers and hospital orderlies are viciously killed without compassion, despite being protected by the Geneva Convention. From the heart-rending account of the sinking of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945 -- the worst maritime disaster in world history -- through to a variety of other brutal actions carried out by numerous submarine commanders, including the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur in 1943, this book comes from the deep shadows of a tragic past. It reveals the terrible truth of a secretive war that was responsible for the deaths of unimaginable numbers of innocent people. Sea Monsters includes powerful and poignant interviews with survivors -- never before published.

Tony Matthews

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