This book tells the fascinating story of West Ham United Football Club during the First World War, charting the relationship between war and football by following the pursuits of West Ham from 1913/14 to 1918/19. In many ways, it was their success in wartime competitions that led to them being accepted into the Football League in 1919, paving the way for subsequent FA Cup and League success. As well as a football story, this book is about the impact of the war on Britain. It documents the social implications of war on Londoners and the social and political influence of football, the armed forces and civilians alike.

War Hammers I

History

Belton, Brian

Europe

The History Press

Building on the success of War Hammers, this book chronicles how the wartime conditions obliged the club to develop the outlook and approach that would give rise to its most successful period (from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s) and how the culture of the current incarnation of West Ham’s style and support were established in the dark days of the 1940s. A detailed account of the Hammers’ 1940 War Cup victory is included, as well as biographies of most of the players who played for the club between 1939 and 1945. Seminal matches are analyzed together with the power, politics, and intrigue of wartime soccer.

War Hammers II: The story of West Ham United during the Second World War

<p>The Thames Ironworks was an East London, Thames-side shipbuilding company that gave rise to West Ham United. The company also undertook civil engineering, marine engines, electrical engineering, and motor cars, and produced ironwork for Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge and HMS Warrior. Today the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust is restoring a number of fully operational lifeboats. Author Brian Belton, a member of the trust, follows the Hills family (owners), and the Works’ contribution to maritime history. This illustrated history also considers the development of the soccer traditions of the area and the place of the Works in the development of the East London and Dockland communities.</p>

The Thames Ironworks: A History of East London Industrial and Sporting Heritage

Business & Money

Industries

Hammerin' Round: Speedway in the East End

Sports & Outdoors

Miscellaneous

Tempus

Beginning with a loving history of greyhound racing, Brian Belton tells the tale of a time and a place when the punters of the East End of London came together to urge their dogs on.

When West Ham Went to the Dogs

<p>The genesis of West Ham United Football Club is probably the most fascinating of any professional side. The team that would become the pride of East London and pioneers of the modern game first came into the world as Thames Ironworks. Its players were the tough hammer-men who burnt and beat rivets into some of the greatest ships ever built, including the mightly Hms Warrior, a seagoing war-machine, which was, like the company that built it and its football club, ahead of its time. This is a tale of how philanthropy, religious beliefs, Corinthian ethics, entrepreneurial enterprise and teh enthusiasm of working people for a game made a sporting institution that would come to embody the culture and history of the Docklands.</p>

Founded on Iron: Thames Ironworks and the Origins of West Ham United

War Hammers

Football (American)

History Press Ltd

This book is a fascinating and entertaining mixture of the history and characters of the darts world. It features player profiles, trivia—including players' walk-on music, quickest matches, longest matches, 9-dart finishes, the most loved and hated players, and celebrity fans, as well as a treasure trove of statistical information. As such, all the tension, glory, complexity, and irony of the "art of the arras" is portrayed. Funny, interesting, and perplexing, the reader will smile, reminisce, laugh, and occasionally experience bewilderment as the spirit of the oche is brought to life. The wit and skill of players is mixed with expressions of frustration, pain, confusion, and anguish. Fighters, moaners, clowns, and philosophers rub shoulders between the pages, creating an atmosphere that anyone who has either watched or played the game will recognize. With this book, Brian Belton hits the bullseye of a simple passion that has enjoyed a massive resurgence of popularity in recent years.

The Little Book of Darts

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

Few people associate baseball with Great Britain, but for a brief period in the 1930s, America's pastime nearly gained a foothold with the British populace. Though never as popular as the beloved football clubs, or even greyhound races, baseball teams like the West Ham Hammers developed intense local followings, and played some excellent baseball in 1936, the Hammers defeated the U.S. Olympic team. The outbreak of World War II ended the rising popularity of baseball among Britons, but speculation remains that, under different circumstances, British baseball could have flourished.    This book traces the history of baseball as a popular British sport, concentrating on one particularly successful and notable team, the West Ham Hammers. It places the West Ham club within the historical context of 1930s Great Britain, and covers team management, major players (e.g., Roland Gladu, the  Canadian Babe Ruth ), and the fans, many of whom still cling fondly to faded memories of the club and West Ham Stadium. Eight appendices include team rosters, British baseball rules, and year-by-year records from 1890 to 2005.

British Baseball and the West Ham Club: History of a 1930s Professional Team in East London

Chetwynd, Josh

McFarland

Bittersweet Oasis: A History of Ashcroft, the First 100 Years

Village of Ashcroft

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Books by Belton, Brian