Peter Speiser Livres

The book explores the complex transformation of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) from an occupying force to an ally in post-war West Germany between 1945 and 1957. It delves into the interactions between British troops and the German civilian population, highlighting the influence of British media on perceptions and the Army's initiatives to foster better relations. Despite the challenges and tensions, the BAOR's presence played a crucial role in stabilizing the relationship during a pivotal time in the Cold War, even if it did not significantly improve it.

'When the respectable Londoner wants to feel devilish, he goes to Soho', wrote Thomas Burke in 1915 - but these words could have been uttered at any point in Soho's colourful history. From humble beginnings, Soho developed into a fashionable centre for London's nobility in the eighteenth century. This same area was to become a poverty-stricken Victorian hub of cheap lodging houses, the Soho of the devastating cholera outbreak of 1854. A new focus on business and manufacturing transformed Soho in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the 1960s, Carnaby Street became the fashion and retail centre of the world. The nightclubs of Soho played host to the Teddies, Mods, Rockers, Punks and New Romantics of post-war British youth culture. Complete with illustrations evoking the life and times of Soho, this new history explores the people and places that brought the area to worldwide fame.