White Van Man’ is a larger-than-life presence on Britain’s road, but he’s no fool. Given the choice, he inevitably opts for a Ford Transit…and indeed he has been doing so, more than for any other van, for the past 45-plus years. Why? Because the Transit better suits the needs of working drivers than anything else around.

A commemorative history of fifty years of the iconic Ford Transit van, from the launch of the first-generation Transit in 1965, right up to the present day. Covering the full range of Transit models and with over three hundred photographs (including previously unpublished pictures from Ford's picture archive), Ford Transit - Fifty Years is an ideal resource for anyone with an interest in this world-beating commercial vehicle. Written by acknowledged Ford Transit expert Peter Lee, the book covers the development era, light commercial vehicles in the 1950s, the 'Project Redcap' prototypes and the first Transit. It goes on to describe the production and development of all eight generations and variants of Transits, including custom vans, camper vans, minibuses and special vehicle options. Specification guides, awards, and sales figures are all included as well as marketing worldwide. Finally, there are interviews with designers, engineers and Ford employees, along with owners' experiences. The Transit has and continues to receive numerous awards, voted 'International Van of the Year' in 2001 and 2013, and with the 2014 launch of the all-new two-tonne Transit and its pioneering technology, this looks to be only the first fifty years of the Ford Transit story. Fully illustrated with 200 colour and 100 black & white photographs, many previously unseen from Ford's archives.

The full inside story of the iconic Ford Transit by an acknowledged expert

The Ford Transit van is 40 years old in 2005 and this fun book - packed with facts, anecdotes, photographs, adverts and publicity shots - celebrates what has been one of the most successful Light Commercial Vehicles ever produced in Europe. Built on several sites and in many varieties, successive generations of Transit have set every industry standard since the mid-1960s. They have myriad uses, from mobile shop to racer, powered by a Formula 1 engine.

Very few cars inspire as much affection as the original Mini. It’s the small car everyone loves to eulogise because it oozes energetic fun, classless minimalism and evergreen style.But it’s also of massive historical importance: the 1959 Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis, set the template from which all successful compact cars have been created ever after. It was the technological wonder of its age. The original Mini was on sale for 41 years, during which its 5.3m sales made it the best-selling British car of all time – an achievement unlikely ever to be beaten.And just when it looked like the little car would shrivel and die, BMW had the vision to reinvent it as the planet’s most desirable small car range, and put it back on the serious motoring map as the MINI.Here, award-winning writer Giles Chapman tells the whole, amazing story.

Bright and colourful, slow and easy, narrowboats are seen today as the epitome of a peaceful life and a wonderful way to get away from the stresses of modern living. Although true, this is a far cry from their origins as the workhorses of the early days of industrial revolution, without which Britain may never have developed as far and fast as it did. Packed with colourful illustrations and little known snippets of information, this entertaining and informative guide retraces the story of how narrowboats have evolved, how their very existence was once challenged and how they have risen phoenix-like into the holiday craft of today. Nick Corble is a renowned canal expert and has written a number of books on the waterways for The History Press, including James Brindley: The First Canal Builder and Living Aboard, the definitive guide for anyone contemplating making a life afloat.

One of the world's greatest aircraft, for three decades pilots enthused about the Hunter and its smooth lines, Rolls-Royce Avon engine, outstanding handling characteristics and lively performance. Designed by Sir Sydney Camm, the genius behind the Hurricane, work on the Hunter commenced late in 1948, but the post-war economic situation in Britain delayed its first flight until 20 July 1951. In September 1953 Neville Duke piloted a Hunter to shatter the world speed record. This book traces the history of the Hunter across RAF and worldwide service, from design and development to the glory days and the unforgettable aerobatic displays with the Black Knights, Black Arrows and Blue Diamonds. A real pilot's aeroplane, the Hunter reigned supreme for fifty years, with the last example retired in July 2001.