Books

Books by Kevin Newman

To order direct from me, please email info@allinclusivehistory.org with a postal address – I will email you an invoice via PayPal and post off the book(s).

Cover & title	About
Sussex Books
Brighton & Hove In 50 Buildings Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Brighton in 50 Buildings is an exciting new look at one of Britain’s most famous and influential cities, telling the story of this ‘city of sin’ and ‘Queen of watering places’. Readers experience a fresh look at the one-time fishing village through fifty of its most famous, unusual, unheard of or influential buildings. It is not simply a guide to Brighton’s most famous architecture but looks also at the buildings that tell a story, whether it be of the rich and famous, the criminal, the go-getters and those left behind in a destination first built for the rich and regal. The book takes you across the many different areas of the city and covers buildings from royal retreats to crumbling cottages.
Lewes Pubs Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Ever since the days when it was reconstructed as one of King Alfred’s burhs (fortified towns), Lewes has experienced a wealth of taverns, inns, alehouses, and public houses. Today the once-county town of Sussex has a range of pubs that reflect this interesting, quirky, affluent yet also sometime fiercely independent and radical town. Kevin Newman, a Sussex author, historian, tour guide and history teacher with years of experience of taking groups around Lewes here takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Lewes’s watering houses past and present.  He explores the trivial, the unknown, the spooky, the unusual and the achievements that have taken place in Lewes pubs.  He also tells of the many characters that have frequented or run Lewes’s public houses.  Ranging from the happiest of times, to the pub on the spot of the UK’s highest deathtoll from an avalanche, Lewes inns tells many tales and ‘Lewes Pubs’ will make locals and visitors alike want to run down to one of the towns terrific taverns straight away.
Secret Brighton Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Secret Brighton offers a unique insight into the intriguing and eccentric city of Brighton through the lesser-known aspects of its history. It attempts to highlight the history ‘below the surface’ of Brighton, revealing lesser-known aspects that even most Brightonians don’t know. Brighton has been a town of the rich and royal, the famous and the filmed, so it is not surprising that the city holds many secrets of those in power and with patronage, who were able to live secretive and private lives. At the other end of the spectrum, it has experienced extremes of poverty in the slums and dark alleyways just streets from the wealthiest. These communities also kept their own secrets.  It was a transient town (11,000,000 visitors make their way here still every year), and so many of these visitors brought and still bring secrets with them. Brighton is also the biggest city on the South Coast, and its many houses, hotels and hostelries also have lesser-known stories to tell. Kevin Newman, a Brighton-born author, historian, tour guide around the city and history teacher takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Brighton’s lesser-known history.  He tells of the Prince’s Regent’s numerous trips to the site of what is a council estate today, the little-known plans for Brighton’s hotels and piers in the First World War and reveals which Brightonian multi-million-selling author was once Orson Welles’ house cleaner!
50 Gems of Sussex Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Famous for its coastal playgrounds and rural retreats, Sussex is a county filled with natural appeal and is just an hour from the City of London. With a timeline dating back to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex and beyond, this south-eastern county is full of attractive and iconic treasures. From the bustling seaside metropolis of Brighton to cosy chocolate-box villages such as Amberley and the magnificent Chichester Cathedral, this book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through market towns, vast landscapes and distinctive places of notable interest. The beautiful valley of Devil’s Dyke, the medieval Pevensey Castle and the history of Norman Sussex draw countless visitors and are among this collection of Sussex sites that capture the character and intrigue of the striking county. Breweries and beaches, castles and museums and those scenes of bucolic splendour that continue to attract artists, celebrities, photographers and writers are all here in a lovingly painted picture of Sussex today. In 50 Gems of Sussex, historian, tour guide and author Kevin Newman explores fifty unmissable gems that make this southern county special.
The Story of St Mary’s School, Washington Currently out of print	For the school’s 150th anniversary, Kevin was commissioned to write the history of this school and its place within the Downland village of Washington. Kevin investigates ex-pupils such as Alice Cooper, Dick Whittington and Harry Hill (not the famous ones!), the school’s mysterious early days and the excitement and fears during wartime with evacuation, air raids and a nearby exploding ammunition lorry.   “A very readable tale of this historic and happy school.” – Kevin’s Mum
Visitors’ Historic Britain: West Sussex Buy Online Publisher: Pen & Sword £14.99	The Visitors’ Historic Britain series is a literate but lively guide to the different counties of the British Isles, and the WEST SUSSEX edition by Kevin creates a modern interpretation of the guides to Sussex of the early to mid-twentieth century by writers such as E.V. Lucas and F.R. Banks (who wrote Penguin’s guide to the county). You are encouraged to switch your GPS or satnav off and use directions from a local author who knows the county well to be taken on an historic tour of each era of the county’s history.
Visitors’ Historic Britain: East Sussex/ Brighton and Hove Buy Online Publisher: Pen & Sword £14.99	The Visitors’ Historic Britain series is a literate but lively guide to the different counties of the British Isles, and the EAST SUSSEX/ Brighton and Hove edition by Kevin creates a modern interpretation of the guides to Sussex of the early to mid-twentieth century by writers such as E.V. Lucas and F.R. Banks (who wrote Penguin’s guide to the county). You are encouraged to switch your GPS or satnav off and use directions from a local author who knows the county well to be taken on an historic tour of each era of the county’s history.
Historic England: Sussex Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Sussex has been the home of everyone from dinosaurs and early humans, to holidaymakers and the health-conscious. It has been Iron Age, Saxon, Viking and Norman battleground, gateway to England for invaders and home to monarchs, aristocrats, writers, painters and photographers.  Since the 1750s it has also been the leading destination of those seeking coastal contentment or rural retreat.  Boasting a backbone of seventy miles of the South Downs, beautiful beaches, and thriving resorts has meant the county maintains a warm place in many British hearts, and so many aspects of Sussex life have been captured on film or canvas. In Historic England: Sussex Brighton-born author Kevin Newman takes readers on a unique and illustrated journey through a personal selection of Sussex’s past. Kevin brings his knowledge as author of numerous publications on Sussex and as a Sussex tour guide to the Historic England and Britain From Above archives to explain and bring alive photographs and illustrations ranging from the 1850s to the present day. Subjects include…… Historic England: Sussex presents the reader with a visual history of this most picturesque and popular of counties in this showcase of this unique resource of archive images.
Historic England: Brighton and Hove Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Brighton and Hove may only have been combined as a city since the turn of the millennium, but it is one of the country’s most famous locations.  It witnessed prehistoric human activity and has packed in an awful lot of history since the establishment as ‘Brighthelmstone’ by Saxon settlers. Brighton and Hove have grown from their early days as small fishing and farming settlements to become the country’s premier seaside resort, and the historic journey experienced by these two is what brings many of the near 11 million visitors the city welcomes each year. In Historic England: Brighton, Brighton-born author Kevin Newman takes readers on a unique and illustrated journey through his personal selection of images from the Historic England and Britain From Above archives. Kevin brings his knowledge as author of numerous publications about the city, as teacher of local history and as Sussex tour guide to explain, interpret and bring alive photographs and illustrations ranging from the 1850s to the present day. We explore places to play, stay, live, love, work and learn.  In this sequel to Kevin’s Historic England: Sussex, in Historic England: Brighton & Hove the reader is presented with a visual selection of the history of this most vibrant, cultural, cosmopolitan and eccentric city. This unique showcase of archive images has never published before and presents a fascinating look at the city’s past.
A-Z of Brighton and Hove Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99	Brighton-born author Kevin Newman takes the reader on a selective tour of the past of Britain’s premier coastal resort in alphabetical order. A-Z of Brighton and Hove delves into the stories behind the city’s most notable streets, places, parks and buildings, as well as the dark secrets of its inhabitants, lesser-known lanes and twittens (the Sussex name for alleyways). The book reveals the stories behind of some of the more unusual place names and the history of many of its distinctive features and citizens. Also here are tales of the town’s less-famous (and infamous) sons and daughters and the places they frequented. Building upon and updating the work of Tim Carder’s wonderful Encyclopaedia of Brighton and its early 21st century successor, A-Z of Brighton and Hove provides something for everyone, whether visiting or a citizen of the ‘Old Ocean’s Bauble’ as Brighton was once described.
Celebrating Brighton and Hove Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £14.99 2021	Celebrating Brighton & Hove aims to select, shout and sing from the rooftops the positive people, amazing animals and exciting events of Sussex’s premier city’s past and present? It takes a cheeky, sneaky peak at the historical celebrations of yesteryear, at remarkable local people, notable events and feats of great achievement and ambition.  It celebrates the people and places that make Brighton and Hove unique, vibrant and irresistible to visitors.    So many history books focus on what is lost, but the book explores traditions touching today, and investigates industry and industrialists that have provided employment and prosperity.  It finds festivals and events that Brighton and Hove hosts, and tells of local heroes and benefactors, as well as heart-warming stories of restoration and rejuvenation as well as Brighton and Hove’s ‘firsts’.    The book provides a miscellany of greatness; detailing the history of how and what makes this seaside city so iconic and worth celebrating.
Pond Puddings and Sussex Smokies Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £15.99 2021	Pond Puddings and Sussex Smokies takes its name from two of Sussex’s traditional dishes and is an investigation into Sussex’s Food and Drink across the centuries. It highlights the culinary history and specialities of the county, together with its famous food and drink producers, markets and the county’s food-themed events. It starts with an exploration of interesting and unusual Sussex dishes and drinks, as well as the people behind them in the past and today.  It will visit wonderful watering holes and incredible eating places and well as past and present Sussex traditions, events and past times where food features.  The book will also provide both walking and motorized food and drink tours as well as an investigation into the history behind fab foods, festivals and the backstory to beers.
Brighton at Work Pre-Order Online Publisher: Amberley £15.99 due out Aug 2026	Brighton was a relatively small town on the South Coast of England until its transformation as a resort in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Fashionable visitors led to the development of hotels and new housing and the population grew rapidly. The arrival of the railways brought more visitors, as well as a large locomotive engineering works, and the town became known as a major commercial centre. Neighbouring Hove, originally a fishing village, grew alongside its larger neighbour and today the city of Brighton and Hove is one of the largest conurbations in the south of England.      Brighton at Work explores the working life of this city on the South Coast of England and its people and the industries that have characterised it through the ages. The book will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of Brighton.
A-Z of Worthing Buy Online  Publisher: Amberley £15.99 2023	A–Z of Worthing delves into the stories behind the town’s most notable streets, places, parks and buildings, as well as the dark secrets of its inhabitants, lesser-known lanes and its numerous twittens. The book reveals the tales behind some of its more unusual place names, including why seven streets in the town are named after the crew of a Lancaster bomber. Sussex-born author, teacher and historian Kevin Newman uncovers the history behind many of Worthing’s distinctive features, visitors and citizens, exploring tales of the town’s less famous (and infamous) sons and daughters and the places they frequented, from the dance school that handled fascist mail to the former school of Pam St Clements who played TV’s Pat Butcher. The book switches from light-hearted engagement with the quirkier side of Worthing’s history to a more serious look at the darker side of the town’s past. Inside is something for everyone, be that visitor, Worthingite or simply those with a love of wonderful Worthing.
The Little History of Sussex (Hardback only) Buy Online Publisher: History Press £14.99 2023	Sussex may be a comparatively narrow county from north to south but it includes a huge wealth of history. The Little History of Sussex is much the same – it packs a whole lot of history into a relatively small book. From prehistory to the present, this historic county provides reminders of our earliest ancestors and its past as a battleground for the Vikings. Whether being the gateway for the Normans, a playground for princely playboys or a home to holidaymakers, the people of Sussex have seen it all. This means it’s not surprising the county still today contains residents who, at times, very much ‘wunt be druv!’.
National History/ Architecture Books
Clocktowers of England Buy Online Publisher: Amberley £15.99 2021	Clocktowers of England is a nationwide exploration of an intriguing type of building the Victorians and Edwardians built in great numbers, even after they were less needed as many people had watches. Historian and author of Brighton and Hove In 50 Buildings, Kevin Newman investigates these interesting obsolete buildings in a celebration of their architecture, their locations, their role in popular culture and their history.  He poses the question of whether they had other purposes than just to tell the time, and ask what exactly does their construction in large numbers have to tell us about our ancestors? The book focusses especially on Brighton and Leeds two, the ‘cities of clocktowers’ whose Victorian inhabitants especially went on clocktower-building sprees’. Newman investigates clocktowers that are loved, long-lost and hidden and asks whether these Victorian ‘follies’ still have any role in today’s society; also looking at their modern equivalents still being built.
Novels
Chronophobia #1 – The Desadomy Element Paperback – Buy Online Buy the Amazon Kindle version	Chronophobia – The Desadomy Element is the first in a series of books for teenage readers that hopefully adults will also enjoy centred around Ray Hadley, a 12-year-old boy.  He discovers that a secret society, the Chronomen, have been long expecting him when he unwittingly breaks into one of their secret bases for time manipulation, a chronoport, which to outsiders appears as a clocktower in a park in Brighton.     Ray discovers that the Chronomen have an important task: to stop another secret order, the Tionites (short for ‘Creationites’ – so pronounced as in ‘sh’) from destroying humankind.  The Tionites believe the work of Charles Darwin was a signal that humankind needed to end and they go about this by using futuristic devices (chronomorphisers) to literally use elements from the past to destroy the present – and therefore the future.  This process is described to Ray by his mentor, an enigmatic Chronoman called Hugo Blaste as ‘chronophobia’ as it means that those who try and stop this will never know what frightening aspect the Tionites could bring out of the past to kill humans (such as plague, lighting, hurricanes) – or those Chronomen dedicated to trying to prevent ‘the end’ of humankind.  In this world, even walking across an empty road can be fatal if a Tionite decides to bring a lorry out of the past in front of you where you are crossing. The Chronomen, armed only with chronomorphisers also must duel with the Tionites to use the past too to stop them.  Both sides are involved in a war of ‘timefighting’ – taking whatever has been in the past around them to duel with.  This war has been going on unbeknown to humans in general for 150 years and as Ray soon discovers, it has been predicted that from now on he will go on to save the Chronomen at their lowest ebb – in a series of mysterious messages sent back in time.  He is one of a small number of the Order who can timefight exceptionally well whilst having an encyclopaedic memory of all periods of the past – despite the fact he hates history lessons at school!     The first book follows Ray as he leaves behind his neglectful foster family into this whole new world, where he eventually joins the Order, through his first meeting with Blaste, his first timefight, meeting other gifted young Chronomen and women and through his first major challenge, that  of stopping the Tionites in their attempt to end the world on New Year’s Eve, 1997.  Along the way, he makes new friends and enemies, and finds out some of the truth about the car accident that killed his father and put his mother in a coma back in 1987. He travels back in time to the Ice Age, the Black Death, the building of No.10 Downing Street, Big Ben and Victorian Brighton before fighting a climactic battle on top of Brighton’s strangest church with a leader of the Tionites, Telemachus Cruikshank.
Beef Every Day But No Latin Buy Online Publisher: The Real Press 2020/ All- Inclusive Books 2026 £10 (Children’s version also available)	Beef Every Day But No Latin is based on the true story of James Bernard Clifton, an 11-yr old schoolboy, who back in 1925 set up his own school in Hove, Sussex – which is still going today in Sussex!  James and his school had to contend with a drunken headmaster, a one-legged swimming teacher, a dismal school cricket team, wartime bombing and a school dog fond of stealing the school’s only ball! A heart-warming tale that today’s children who are weary of Ofsted, constant testing and the pressures of adolescence will love. The thought of being someone who designs their own school will appeal to adults and children alike, as they see James get his own way on most things and choose the school’s subjects (no Latin), but have no luck on what he and his fellow pupils would have for school dinners (beef!).
The Ghost’s Train: The Linetraveller Chronicles Book 1 Paperback – Buy Online Amazon Kindle Version Publisher: All- Inclusive Books £10 2026	Peggy Brunarrius is a lonely and angry thirteen-year-old girl. She is continually left on her own by her parents and has a long and dull summer holiday stretching ahead of her with no friends to spend it with. Sidelined by her few female friends; even her one male friend hasn’t been in touch in ages. Her only contact seems to be via strange messages from a remote and eccentric aunt, Margaret who, (even though she has never met her) messages her through the odd mobile phone she has bought for her. Worse still are the headaches which won’t go away.    Left to her own devices, Peg finds herself heading out on her bike more and more to the one place she finds solace – and where her headaches subside: the long-closed Fetham railway station. Fetham is not what it seems though and everything in Peg’s world is about to change forever on the day a strange rumbling can be heard down the long-removed railway track….
Poetry & Verse
Making Chutney with Michael Gove TBC	A series of surreal, bizarre, rude and unusual (as well as sometimes political) poems for adults.
How to Tell If Your Parents Hate You TBC	A series of poems for children following in the vein of Belloc, Lear and Milligan.