Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

A poem on the death of Admiral Lord Nelson, with hints for erecting a national monument to perpetuate his honoured memory, and that of the gallant heroes, who with him have fought, bled, and conquered, in the cause of Britain : dedicated (by permission) to Thomas Harris, Esq /by Thomas Marshall. Marshall, Thomas 1806. • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 820-1

Eloquent witnesses : bookbindings and their history : a volume of essays dedicated to the memory of Dr Phiroze Randeria /edited by Mirjam M. Foot. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 686.1

Memoirs of the life and achievements of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson Captain of the British Navy, A 1805 • RARE-BOOK • 3 copies available. 094:92Nelson

Biographical memoirs of the life of the late Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson ... with an appendix, containing the particulars of Sir R J Strachan's capture of four sail of the combined fleet ... Jones, John (comp) 1805 • RARE-BOOK • 2 copies available. 094:92Nelson

The naval history of Great Britain / W. M. James ; new introductions by Andrew Lambert. James, William, 2001. • BOOK • 6 copies available. 355.49"1793/1827"(42)

An authentic narrative of the proceedings of His Majesty's squadron under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, from its sailing from Gibraltar to the conclusion of the glorious Battle of the Nile : drawn up from the minutes of an officer of rank in the squadron. Berry, Edward,-Sir, 1798. • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 094:355.49"1798"(42:44)

The Queen's House : Greenwich /Pieter van der Merwe. "This highly illustrated book contextualises The Queen's House within its setting of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site. From its origins as a royal residence designed by Inigo Jones, to its use by the Royal Naval Asylum and Greenwich Hospital School and more recently as the home to the National Maritime Museum's vast painting collection, the book explores the architectural significance of the house and provides an insight into its cultural and social uses. Beautifully illustrated throughout with nearly 100 images from the National Maritime Museum's collection,The Queen's House: Greenwich is a delightful mix of historic prints, scenic paintings and up-to-date photography."--Provided by the publisher. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 725.171(421.6)

Astronomical and nautical tables : with precepts, for finding the longitude and latitude of places, by lunar distances, double altitudes, &c. and for solving other the most useful problems in practical astronomy connected with the use of the Nautical Almanac. /by James Andrew, A.M. Andrew, James. 1805. • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 527(083.5):094

Gale force 10 : the life and legacy of Admiral Beaufort A biography of Francis Beaufort (1774-1857). Beginning his career with the East India Company, Beaufort joined the Royal Navy in 1790 and rose through the ranks, retiring with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1846 at the age of seventy-two. In 1805, Beaufort devised the first objective measure of wind strength, now known as the Beaufort Scale, officially adopted by the Royal Navy on voyages during the 1830s. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1829, was appointed the British Admiralty Hydrographer of the Royal Navy, serving in that position for twenty-six years, and helped to found the Royal Geographical Society. He trained Robert Fitzroy, commander of the Beagle, and in response to Fitzroy's request for a "well-educated and scientific gentleman", Beaufort's enquiries led to Charles Darwin joining the Beagle for her second voyage. Beaufort promoted the publication of reliable tide tables, expanded the British Admiralty Chart Series to some 2000 charts, directed some of the major naval explorations of the time, and played a leading role in the search for the explorer Sir John Franklin. He was knighted in 1848. 2002 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.124(42)"17/18"

Regulations and instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea : established by His Majesty in council. Great Britain.-Admiralty 1790 • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 094:355.51(42)"1790"

Evolution's captain : the tragic fate of Robert Fitzroy, the man who sailed Charles Darwin around the world A biography of Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865). Joining the navy at the age of 12, Fitzroy became a skilled hydrographer and was given command of the Beagle in 1828. This book concentrates on the two voyages undertaken by Fitzroy on the Beagle and their impact on him, particularly in the light of his later suicide. Fitzroy returned from his first voyage to survey the southern coastlines of South America with four Feugian captives with the intention of educating them in Christian values. He returned to South America on the second voyage (1831-1836) with the three surviving Feugians, this time also accompanied by Charles Darwin. On their return to England, Fitzroy, a devout Christian, became increasingly estranged from Darwin as their views on evolutionary theory diverged. Fitzroy was also a Member of Parliament and briefly Governor of New Zealand before his assignment to the new Meteorological Office within the Marine Department of the Board of Trade. Establishing the fundamental techniques of weather observation and early coastal weather stations, his work went largely unrecognised and his daily forecasts were often ridiculed. He died after committing suicide in 1865. 2003 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82BEAGLE

Invasion scare 1940 / Michael Glover "In the summer of 1940, after evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk and the Franco/German armistice which followed the fall of France, Britain stood alone against the armed might of Hitler's Germany, supported only by the forced of her dominions and inspired by little but the rhetoric of her newly-appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. It seemed inevitable at the time that Hitler's next move would be the invasion of Britain and Churchill was not slow to use this threat to unite the people of Britain behind him; for not a few people in influential circles in Britain then favoured a quick settlement with the Fuhrer. Michael Glover's penetrating analysis of the mood of British people that summer, of the German ability to mount an amphibious invasion at the time and of Britain's ability to repel such an invasion shows how ill-founded the scare was, while explaining how well it served the British cause. Hitler, as he shows, had embarked upon a course to which there were only two outcomes - either of which was bound to lead to his ultimate downfall. But in the summer of 1940 the beleaguered inhabitants of Britain were in no mood or position to relax in the comfort of such historical hindsight. Unprepared they may have been, but as the author shows, they were unflinching, unbowed - and, ultimately, undefeated. This is, however, by no means a work of chauvinistic self-congratulations; it is rather a distinguished historian's assessment of the last great invasion scare the British Isles have endured since the Martello towers were built in 1805."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

The post-captain, or, The wooden walls well manned : comprehending a view of naval society and manners /by the author of 'Edward, ' 'A view of society in France, ' &c. Davis, John, 1808. • RARE-BOOK • 2 copies available. 820-3

Aquatint worlds : travel, print, and empire, 1770-1820 /Douglas Fordham. "In the late 18th century, British artists embraced the medium of aquatint for its ability to produce prints with rich and varied tones that became even more stunning with the addition of color. At the same time, the expanding purview of the British empire created a market for images of far-away places. Book publishers quickly seized on these two trends and began producing travel books illustrated with aquatint prints of Indian cave temples, Chinese waterways, African villages, and more. Offering a close analysis of three exceptional publications--Thomas and William Daniell's Oriental Scenery (1795-1808), William Alexander's Costume of China (1797-1805), and Samuel Daniell's African Scenery and Animals (1804-5)--this volume examines how aquatint became a preferred medium for the visual representation of cultural difference, and how it subtly shaped the direction of Western modernism."--Provided by the publisher. 2019. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 769.922

African memoranda : relative to an attempt to establish a British settlement on the island of Bulama, on the western coast of Africa, in the year 1792. With a brief notice of the neighbouring tribes, soil, productions, &c and some observations on the facility of colonizing that part of Africa, with a view to cultivation; and the introduction of letters and religion to its inhabitants :but more particularly as the means of gradually abolishing African slavery /by Captain Philip Beaver. Beaver, Philip, 1805. • RARE-FOLIO • 1 copy available.

Victory : from fighting the Armada to Trafalgar and beyond /Iain Ballantyne & Jonathan Eastland. There is no more illustrious warship name in British naval history than HMS Victory, which is inextricably linked with Admiral Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1805 the most famous Victory was the scene of Nelson's greatest triumph and also his death. She is today preserved at Portsmouth as the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Less well known is that six previous warships also carried the name. The first Victory was Sir John Hawkins' flagship during the Battle of the Armada in 1588 while the loss of the sixth in 1744 was considered a national tragedy. All manner of maritime life is included in this book, from piracy in the Azores to gentlemanly encounters between fleets and the battle of annihilation that was Trafalgar. The full horror, majesty and thunder of naval strategy and warfare in the age of fighting sail are all revealed via first-hand accounts of the action and key events. The post-Trafalgar career of Victory is also studied, including her part in destroying Napoleon's hopes of conquering Russia. We also learn how HMS Victory was saved for the British nation and the world. 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82VICTORY

The empire of necessity : slavery, freedom, and deception in the New World /Greg Grandin. One morning in 1805, off a remote island in the South Pacific, Captain Amasa Delano, a New England seal hunter, climbed aboard a distressed Spanish ship carrying scores of West Africans who appeared to be slaves. They weren't. Having earlier seized control of the vessel and slaughtered most of the crew, they were staging an elaborate ruse. When Delano, an idealistic, anti-slavery republican, finally realized the deception--that the men and women he thought were slaves were actually running the ship--he responded with explosive violence. Drawing on research on four continents, historian Greg Grandin explores the multiple forces that culminated in this extraordinary event--an event that inspired Herman Melville's masterpiece "Benito Cereno". Now historian Greg Grandin, with the gripping storytelling that was praised in Fordlandia, uses the dramatic happenings of that day to map a new transnational history of slavery in the Americas, capturing the clash of peoples, economies, and faiths that was the New World in the early 1800s.--Provided by the publisher. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 326.1

Frigate commander / by Tom Wareham. Based on the previously unpublished private journal of Admiral Sir Graham Moore (1764-1843), this work primarily focuses on Moore's career as a frigate commander beginning with his service in the Perseus, Dido and Adamant. Commanding first the Orestes and the sloop Bonetta in 1790, Moore was promoted to post captain in 1794 with command of the Syren, his first frigate command. His later commands included the larger frigates Melampus and Indefatigable which he commanded until 1805 when ill-health forced him to relinquish the command and ended Moore's career as a frigate commander. However, his naval career continued with commands of the Marlborough and Chatham. Moore was promoted first to the rank of rear admiral and commander-in-chief in the Baltic in 1812, and then in 1819 to vice admiral when he was given command of the Mediterranean station. Moore was promoted in 1837 to full admiral and commander-in-chief Plymouth, but his health continued to deteriorate and he died in 1843. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92MOORE, GRAHAM

Principes gâenâeraux de l'exacte mesure du temps par les horloges; ouvrage contenant les principes elementaires de l'Art de la mesure du temps par les horloges, la description de plusieurs echappemens et de deux nouveaux proposes aux Artistes par l'Auteur, les meileurs moyens de compensation des effets de la temperature, trois plans ou calibres de differentes montres, la description d'une pendule astronomique et d'une montre marine projetees par l'Auteur, ainsi que la description d'un nouveau thermometre metallique portatis / Par Urbain Jèurgensen, horloger Jurgensen, Urbain 1805 • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 681.11:094

The Royal Navy in the Napoleonic age : senior service, 1800-1815 /Mark Jessop. "In 1801 the newly forged United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland commenced life at war with France and her allies and remained so until 1815. After 1812 she had to shoulder the extra burden of a war against the United States of America. With conflict on multiple fronts, hardships continued to be inflicted at home. Trade was made precarious. People became bone-weary of hostilities and the threat of invasion ran high. Napoleon Bonaparte was no ordinary opponent, and the United States navy showed the world the worth of her ships, but what stood in their way was the Royal Navy. Despite notable losses, after the victory of Trafalgar in 1805 she dominated the seas. Although not the only means, her warships were the nation's first line of defence that helped keep British shores safe. As the era ended it was obvious the navy had to change. Steam began to alter perspectives with new opportunities. From the vantage point of later decades it could be seen what the Royal Navy had once been and still was. A naval superpower. Britain's oldest continual military force. The senior service."--Provided by the publisher. 24 cm • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.2745

Tsushima / Rotem Kowner. "The Battle of Tsushima was the most decisive naval engagement in the century that elapsed since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Although these two battles are often compared, the Battle of Tsushima, in which the Japanese Imperial Navy defeated the Russian Imperial Navy, was also unprecedented in many ways. It marks the first naval victory of an Asian power over a major European power; the most devastating defeat suffered by the Imperial Russian Navy in its entire history; and the only truly decisive engagement between two battleship fleets in modern times. In addition, the Battle of Tsushima was also the most decisive naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War and one that exerted a major impact on the course of that war. Its impact was so dramatic, in fact, that the two belligerents concluded a peace agreement within three months of the battle's conclusion. At the same time, and because it involved two of the world's largest fleets, the influence this battle exerted was both far reaching and long standing. In subsequent years, the symbolic victory of an "Eastern" power over Tsarist Russia using modern technology was feared and celebrated in both the Western and the Colonial worlds. Similarly, and in both Japan and Russia, the Battle of Tsushima had a prolonged impact on their respective navies as well as on their geopolitical ambitions in Asia and beyond. By relying on a diverse array of primary sources, this book examines the battle in depth and is the first to offer a penetrating analysis of its global impact as well as the way its memory has evolved in both Japan and Russia."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 952.03/1

Nelson letter inventory / [J. Skidmore ; National Maritime Museum Manuscripts Section]. Skidmore, J. • FOLIO • 15 copies available. 92NELSON(083.82)

A history of the Royal Navy : the Napoleonic Wars /Martin Robson. The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were the first truly global conflicts. The Royal Navy was a key player in the wars and the key enabler of British success - at the cessation of hostilities Britain emerged as the only power capable of sustained global hegemony based on maritime and naval strength. The most iconic battles of any era were fought at sea - from the Battle of the Nile in 1798 to Nelson's momentous victory at Trafalgar in October 1805. This book looks at the history of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from a broad perspective, examining the strategy, operations and tactics of British seapower. While it delves into the details of Royal Navy operations such as battle, blockade, commerce protection and exploration, it also covers a myriad of other aspects often overlooked in narrative histories including the importance of naval logistics, transport, relations with the army and manning. An assessment of key naval figures and combined eyewitness accounts situate the reader firmly in Nelson's navy. Through an exploration of the relationship between the Navy, trade and empire, Martin Robson highlights the contribution the Royal Navy made to Britain's rise to global hegemony through the nineteenth century Pax Britannica. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.49"1793/1815"(42:44)

An Universal dictionary of the marine : or a copious explanation of the technical terms and phrases employed in the construction, equipment, furniture, machinery, movements, and military operations of a ship, illustrated with variety of original designs of shipping, in different situations; together with separate views of their masts, sails, yards and rigging. To which is annexed, a translation of the French sea-terms and phrases, collected from the works of Mess. Du Hamel, Aubin, Saverien, etc. / By William Falconer, author of The Shipwreck. Falconer, William, 1780. • RARE-FOLIO • 1 copy available. 094:629.12(038)

Explore our Collection