Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Fleet Air Arm carrier war : the history of British naval aviation /Kev Darling. "This is the story of British naval flying from aircraft carriers, from its conception in World War One to the present day. It includes the types of aircraft and the men who flew them, the carriers and the evolution of their designs, the theatres of war in which they served and their notable achievements and tragedies. It traces navy flying from the early days of the biplane, through the rapid developments during World War Two to the post-war introduction of jet-powered flight. The British inventions of the angled flight deck and later vertical landing jets revolutionised sea warfare and allowed the carrier to play a vital part in many recent land wars when naval aircraft flew in support of Allied land forces"--Publisher's website. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.38(42)"19/..."

The letters of George & Elizabeth Bass / Miriam Estensen. In August 1800, George Bass returned to England after five years in the British colony of New South Wales. Gifted, ambitious and impatient with the limitations of a naval career, he took leave from the navy to purchase a ship of his own and organise a commercial venture to Sydney. He also met Elizabeth Waterhouse, and fell very much in love. They were married on 8 October 1800. On 9 January 1801, George Bass sailed for Australia. For the next two years, and across two oceans, letters were the only link between George and Elizabeth Bass. His were brief, dashed across the page with an impatient hand, embedded with tantalising references to his life at sea or the colony of New South Wales and filled with love for his wife. Hers were many pages of small, neat script with news of her friends and family, her own thoughts and pursuits, and her yearning for a husband who would never return. The separate worlds in which George and Elizabeth lived also come to life in their letters: an England of domestic chatter and streets filled with soldiers awaiting a Napoleonic invasion; the hot humid coastal towns of Brazil, where Bass sought to sell his merchandise and took on board firewood, fresh water and tobacco; Sydney society and the disappointment of the ladies in Elizabeth not having come with her husband to join their small social circle; the exotic and languid Pacific islands where trade was difficult and ship labour hard. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92BASS

Sextants at Greenwich : a catalogue of the mariner's quadrants, mariner's astrolabes, cross-staffs, backstaffs, octants, sextants, quintants, reflecting circles and artificial horizons in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich /W.F.J. Mèorzer Bruyns ; with a contribution by Richard Dunn. Mèorzer Bruyns, W. F. J.-(Willem Frederik Jacob), 2009. • FOLIO • 2 copies available. 520.259:069(26:421)

The Arctic whaling journals of William Scoresby the younger. edited by C. Ian Jackson ; with an appendix by Fred M. Walker. "This is the third and final volume in the set of William Scoresby's journals. It contains the unpublished accounts of his three voyages 1817, 1818 and 1820. [...] In each of the journals, Scoresby wrote detailed descriptions of his landings: on Jan Mayen in 1817, western Spitsbergen in 1818, and the Langanes peninsula in north-east Iceland in 1820. The 1817 voyage, when Scoresby and others found the Greenland Sea relatively free of ice, involved him in the renewed British interest in arctic maritime exploration after the Napoleonic Wars. The Introduction to this volume contains a major reappraisal of Scoresby's role, especially in regard to his alleged mistreatment by John Barrow, Second Secretary of the Admiralty. The volume also contains an appendix by Fred M. Walker on the building of wooden whaleships such as the Baffin that were capable of routine ice navigation under sail as far north as 80ÀN, based on Scoresby's account, as Owners' Representative, at the beginning of the 1820 journal".--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 061.22

Decoding the heavens : solving the mystery of the world's first computer /Jo Marchant. "In 1900 a group of sponge divers blown off course in the Mediterranean discovered an Ancient Greek shipwreck dating from around 70 BC. Lying unnoticed for months amongst their hard-won haul was what appeared to be a formless lump of corroded rock, which turned out to be the most stunning scientific artefact we have from antiquity. For more than a century this 'Antikythera mechanism' puzzled academics, but now, more than 2000 years after the device was lost at sea, scientists have pieced together its intricate workings. In Decoding the Heavens, Jo Marchant tells for the first time the story of the 100-year quest to understand this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters - ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau - and explores the deep roots of modern technology not only in Ancient Greece, the Islamic world and medieval Europe."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 681.111(38)

Prisoners of the Red Desert : the adventures of the crew of the Tara during the First World War /R.S. Gwatkin-Williams "An incredible adventure from the Great War. This is a unique and riveting book. The steamer Tara and her crew spent the early part of WW1 patrolling the Northern Channel between England and Ireland before a transfer to coastal duties off Egypt and Libya. There she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat operating from a secret base on the Libyan coast. To ensure no intelligence of it's presence leaked to the British, the Germans towed the survivors - including this book's author, the Tara's captain, into captivity at the hands of the Senussi - religious zealots in league with the Ottoman Turkish forces. Then began a tortuous ordeal for the crew who suffered abuse, starvation and in some cases death at the hands of their gaolers. Abortive escape attempts across the relentless 'Red Desert' followed before rescue finally came in the form of a dramatic hunt and final assault by the forty armoured cars of the Duke of Westminster's squadron. An absolutely essential and gripping read which will be a delight to all those interested in the fortunes of British seamen, the war in the Middle East and well told accounts of true adventure."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.353(42)"1914/1918"

Archives and the digital library / William E. Landis, Robin L. Chandler, editors. "Technological advances and innovative perspectives constantly evolve the notion of what makes up a digital library. Archives and the Digital Library provides an insightful snapshot of the current state of archiving in the digital realm. Respected experts in library and information science present the latest research results and illuminating case studies to provide a comprehensive glimpse at the theory, technological advances, and unique approaches to digital information management as it now stands. The book focuses on digitally reformatted surrogates of non-digital textual and graphic materials from archival collections, exploring the roles archivists can play in broadening the scope of digitization efforts through creatively developing policies, procedures, and tools to effectively manage digital content. [...] This resource reviews the current issues and challenges, effective user assessment techniques, various digital resources projects, collaboration strategies, and helpful best practices. The book is extensively referenced and includes helpful illustrative figures."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 930.25

The Arctic gold rush : the new race for tomorrow's natural resources /Roger Howard. "On August 2, 2007, a Russian submarine captured world headlines by making a dangerous journey to the bottom of the Arctic seabed and planting a metal, rustfree national flag more than 14,000 feet beneath the North Pole. The aim was to assert Russia's legal sovereignty over a region whose importance had only recently started to become apparent as its melting ice had made, or was expected to make, vast natural resources open to exploitation. The latest estimates are that the region holds around 13% of the world's undiscovered oil and as much as 30% of undiscovered natural gas reserves that would be hugely profitable for any country that managed to secure control over them. Gold, platinum, copper, and other precious metals have also been found along the coast. Neighboring countries - Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Norway - are already doing everything they can to mark out new borders. The ensuing political disagreements over the issue are already rife. In particular, games of political intrigue between Moscow and Washington are being played out in the region. But as the world's resources become increasingly scarce and valuable, could the scramble for Arctic resources become violent? Could a 'War for the Arctic' be fought?"--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(98):553

The court, the Atlantic and the city : Sir Walter Ralegh v. William Sanderson /by Michael Franks. An account of the relationship between Sir Walter Ralegh, courtier and explorer, and his treasurer William Sanderson, a rich merchant from the City of London. They became acquainted when Sanderson married Ralegh's niece in 1584, quickly becoming friends. Sanderson funded Ralegh's activities including: the building of Sherborne Castle, the establishment of a colony in Roanoke, as well as Ralegh's expensive lifestyle. Both men played a significant role in developing England's overseas empire, through the use of maritime power. They were involved in improving the use of navigational equipment and ship design. The pair fell out over the financing of Ralegh's trip to find El Dorado in 1595. Ralegh owed Sanderson a large sum of money and never paid him for his role as his treasurer. The two families remained on good terms however, and Sanderson visited Ralegh the night before his execution in 1618. Their 34-year relationship has never before been explored in much detail and Michael Frank's work endeavours to provide an in-depth account of it. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92RALEGH

Fatal journey : the final expedition of Henry Hudson: a tale of mutiny and murder in the Arctic /Peter C. Mancall. Tells the story of the fourth and final voyage of Henry Hudson (c.1565-c.1611), the English sea explorer and navigator best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the north-eastern United States, and for his search for the North-West passage, a faster route to Asia from the Atlantic. Leaving England in 1610 on the Discovery, this voyage was sponsored by the Company of the Gentleman under the direction of the East India Company. Entering what would become known as Hudson's Bay, the ship became icebound in James Bay until the spring thaw. Provisions growing scarce and tensions mounting amongst the crew, the voyage ended in mutiny on 22 June 1611 with Hudson, his son and seven others cast adrift and never seen again. After the return of the Discovery to London, the High Court of Admiralty considered charges against Robert Bylot, Abacuk Pricket, the surgeon Edward Wilson, Adrian Matter (Moter), Silvanus Bond and Nicholas Syms. Four of the crew (Abacuk Pricket, Edward Wilson, Francis Clemens and Bennet Mathews) were ultimately charged with murder but acquitted. The text is supported by detailed notes. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.92

Untold histories : Black people in England and Wales during the period of the British slave trade, c. 1660-1807 /Kathleen Chater. A study of black people living in England and Wales during the period of the British slave trade (1660-1807) and their experiences. This is based on research carried out for the author's doctoral thesis. The evidence is obtained from sources including parish records, newspaper reports and trial proceedings. The author firstly examines the black population in England and Wales and particularly London, in terms of its size and composition. Further chapters consider freedom and enslavement, treatment by the criminal justice system, settlement and the poor laws and the extent to which black people assimilated or integrated into wider British society. The author looks at naming conventions used, evidence of marriage and family life as well as work. The text is supported by a detailed bibliography and notes. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92(42)(=013)"16/18"

Maps in those days : cartographic methods before 1850 /John Harwood Andrews. "For some years the emphasis in map-historical literature has been either on traditional cartobibliography or on various cultural, social and ideological aspects of the mapping process. By contrast, few recent books have described what early cartographers actually did. Maps in Those Days addresses this question. It deals with non-thematic maps of all kinds and of all parts of the world from earliest times to the mid-nineteenth century, with particular reference to classical antiquity, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment in Europe and in countries of European settlement, especially Britain and Ireland. A brief introduction to map history is followed by a review of the scientific or pseudo-scientific presuppositions that cartographers have brought to their task. Later chapters deal with different phases of production - sketching, instrumental surveying, plotting and projection. The contents of topographical, military, exploratory and maritime maps are distinguished, and consideration is given to methods of relief representation and to placenames. Production then gives way to presentation as maps as seen in the course of being copied, re-compiled, edited and embellished. This book should interest researchers who use early maps as historical sources as well as connoisseurs of cartography for its own sake."--Publisher's description. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 528.9".../1850"

Britons : forging the nation, 1707-1837 /Linda Colley. Colley, Linda 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 941-44"1707/1837"

Maritime casualties : causes and consequences /Capt. Tuuli Messer-Bookman ; foreword by Capt. Robert J. Meurn. "Since the Titanic disaster of 1912, the horrors of major maritime casualties have prompted international conventions and domestic legislation, but the link between events and outcomes (which are often separated by many years) is rarely understood by those working in the maritime industry. This book, the only comprehensive guide to this link, sets forth the major casualties of the last hundred years and explains resulting regulatory changes. Taking a macro-level view, it describes the trends and reactions across decades, and how, over time, focus has shifted from equipment failures to people and their behaviors as the primary cause of maritime casualties. Timely and thorough, it also explores the alarming increase in the criminalization of maritime accidents, especially the relatively recent reclassification of pollution incidents as "environmental crimes." This book offers broad insight to the history, laws, and conventions that regulate worldwide commercial maritime activity." 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.88/84

Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by H.M.S. Beagle / Charles Darwin. "Even before Charles Darwin changed the world with his theory of natural selection, he was recognised as an eminent scientist and natural historian. Published in 1840, and reproduced here from the first edition, his Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle reveals him as a writer of formidable intelligence and a keen observer of natural and human life. Darwin's journal encompasses every observable detail of the animals, birds and plants he encountered on the five-year voyage. It includes minute descriptions and even sketches of the movements and habits of hitherto unfamiliar species. Accompanying the entries are his own conclusions, analyses and classificatory notes that demonstrate his skill and talent as a naturalist. Darwin's entries on natural phenomena are interspersed with anecdotes of the indigenous peoples he encountered, transforming his journal from an impersonal scientific record to a book of true human interest."--Back cover. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(100)"1831/1836"

The German invasion of Norway, April 1940 / Geirr H. Haarr. "This new book documents the German invasion of Norway, focussing on the events at sea. More than most other campaigns of WWII, Operation Weserèubung has been shrouded in mystery, legend and flawed knowledge. Strategic, political and legal issues were at best unclear, while military issues were dominated by risk; the German success was the result of improvisation and the application of available forces far beyond the comprehension of British and Norwegian military and civilian authorities. Weserèubung was the first combined operation ever where air force, army and navy operated closely together. Troops were transported directly into battle simultaneously by warship and aircraft, and success required co-operation between normally fiercely competing services. It was also the first time that paratroopers were used. The following days were to witness the first dive bomber attack to sink a major warship and the first carrier task-force operations. The narrative is based on primary sources from British, German and Norwegian archives, and it gives a balanced account of the reasons behind the invasion. With its unrivalled collection of photographs, many of which have never before appeared in print, this is a major new WWII history and a definitive account of Germany's first and last major seaborne invasion."--Provided by the publisher. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545.9(481)

The Spanish convoy of 1750 : heaven's hammer and international diplomacy /James A. Lewis ; foreword by James C. Bradford and Gene Allen Smith. Spanish flotas (convoys) traversed the Atlantic throughout the colonial period, shuttling men and goods between the Old and New Worlds. In August 1750, at the height of hurricane season, a small convoy of seven ships left Havana for Cadiz. A fierce storm scattered the ships from North Carolina's outer banks to Maryland's eastern shore. Spanish merchants, military officers, and sailors struggled to survive, protect their valuable cargo, and, eventually, find a way home. They faced piracy, rapacious English officials, and discord among crew and passengers (including dozens of English prisoners). Two and a half centuries later, the discovery of the wreckage of the convoy's flagship, La Galga, set off a legal battle between Spain and American treasure companies over salvage rights. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.085.3

Black flag : the surrender of Germany's U-boat forces 1945 /Lawrence Paterson. "On the eve of Germany's surrender in May 1945, Grossadmiral Karl Dèonitz commanded thousands of loyal and active men of the U-boat service. Still fully armed and unbroken in morale, enclaves of these men occupied bases stretching from Norway to France, where cadres of U-boat men fought on in ports that defied besieging Allied troops to the last. At sea U-boats still operated on a war footing around Britain, the coasts of the United States and as far as Malaya. Following the agreement to surrender, these large formations needed to be disarmed - often by markedly inferior forces - and the boats at sea located and escorted into the harbours of their erstwhile enemies. Neither side knew entirely what to expect, and many of the encounters were tense; in some cases there were unsavoury incidents, and stories of worse. For many Allied personnel it was their first glimpse of the dreaded U-boat menace and both sides were forced to exercise considerable restraint to avoid compromising the terms of Germany's surrender. One of the last but most dramatic acts of the naval war, the story of how the surrender was handled has never been treated at length before. This book uncovers much new material about the process itself and the ruthless aftermath for both the crews and their boats."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545.1(43)"1945"

Scapa Flow : the defences of Britain's great fleet anchorage, 1914-45 /Angus Konstam "A strategically important natural harbor in the Orkney Islands, Scapa Flow served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II. In 1914 and again in 1939, the British began building a comprehensive defensive network by fortifying the entrances to Scapa Flow, and then extended these defenses to cover most of Orkney. By 1940, it had become an island fortress, the largest integrated defensive network of its kind in Europe, manned by as many as 50,000 Commonwealth troops. Backed by newly commissioned artwork, naval historian Angus Konstam tells the story of this mighty naval fortress, many pieces of which can still be seen on the island today."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.49(411.2)

If we must die : shipboard insurrections in the era of the Atlantic slave trade /Eric Robert Taylor. "If We Must Die examines nearly five hundred shipboard rebellions that occurred over the course of the entire slave trade, directly challenging the prevailing thesis that such resistance was infrequent or insignificant. As Eric Robert Taylor shows, though most revolts were crushed quickly, others raged on for hours, days, or weeks, and, occasionally, the Africans captured the vessel and returned themselves to freedom. In recounting these rebellions, Taylor suggests that certain factors like geographic location, the involvement of women and children, and the timing of a shipboard revolt, determined the difference between success and failure. These uprisings, Taylor argues, ultimately helped limit and end the traffic in enslaved Africans and also served as crucial predecessors to the many revolts that occurred subsequently on plantations throughout the Americas. If We Must Die expands the historical view of slave resistance, revealing a continuum of rebellions that spanned the Atlantic as well as the centuries."--Provided by the publisher. 2009, Ã2006. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 976

Nelson's officers and midshipmen / by Gregory Fremont-Barnes ; illustrated by Steve Noon. "Filled with the promise of adventure and glory, the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic era enticed hundreds of young men to enlist as officers in its bitter struggle against the French fleet. With some as young as nine, these boys were confronted with the harsh realities of warfare at sea: cramped conditions, ruthless storms and fierce combat. In spite of their youth, these sailors showed enormous courage and valour in the face of battle, their bravery immortalised in the literary works of Patrick O'Brian, C. S. Forester and Alexander Kent. Drawing from letters, poems and personal accounts, this book uncovers the remarkable story of those boys who fought aboard His Majesty's mighty ships-of-the-line to defend their kingdom against the French."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.124(42)"1793/1815"

Silent warriors : submarine wrecks of the United Kingdom /Ron Young "This is the story of the submarines which failed to come home in both war and peace. They will remain for eternity as the Silent Warriors of the British coast. In both the First and the Second World Wars submarine warfare transformed the West Coast of Britain into a pitiless arena where a life or death struggle was played out between U-boats attempting to close the sea-lanes and Allied ships striving to keep them open. Combining years of international archival research and expert analysis, this series describes how these submarine wrecks came to be here. The third in a comprehensive trilogy exploring the British Isles' submarine wrecks, in this volume Pamela Armstrong and Ron Young recount the submarines lost along the coast of north Cornwall to the Isle of Man. Authoritative and meticulously sourced, wherever possible accounts are told in the words of those who were present, relating miraculous escapes from stricken submarines, relentless pursuit and merciless attack. We hear of the mysterious last patrol of UB 65, her fate as enigmatic as her spectral crewmen, as well as the last-minute escapes from UC 44 and H 47. Most poignantly of all, the book re-evaluates one of the darkest episodes of British maritime history, the loss of HMS Thetis in Liverpool Bay in June 1939 - one of the few vessels to have been lost twice - revealing crucial new information on this disaster. An excellent reference guide for maritime historians and wreck divers, this series is an invaluable contribution to submarine history."--Provided by the publisher. 2009 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.085.3

K boat catastrophe : eight ships and five collisions : the full story of the 'Battle of the Isle of May' /N.S. Nash. "On 31 January 1918 nine K Class steam-powered submarines sailed with the Grand Fleet to Exercise in the North Sea. The ships left the Firth of Forth at a speed of 21 knots on a cold winter night with the flagship HMS Courageous leading the way. Following in her wake was HMS Ithuriel and the K Class submarines of the 13th Submarine Flotilla and then 5 nautical miles astern of them, four more capital warships. As they approached The Isle of May navigational confusion broke out, caused by the misinterpretation of ship's steaming lights and mayhem followed. During the next couple of hours five collisions occurred involving eight ships and resulting in the death of 105 officers and ratings. This fiasco and the resulting naval investigation and court marshal [sic] were shielded from the general public and kept in secret files until the full details were released in 1994. From this official report, the author now tells the full story of that dreadful night and the proceedings that followed. Background information on the evolution of the ill-fated and much hated K Class submarines is also included together with the investigation and court marshal [sic] proceedings of the events surrounding that tragic night."--Provided by the publisher. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.54/5941

The trials and travels of Willem Leyel : an account of the Danish East India Company in Tranquebar, 1639-48 /Asta Bredsdorff. "On 8 November 1639, Willem Leyel left Denmark as commander of the ship Christianshavn bound for the Danish colony of Tranquebar with its fortress Dansborg, where he was to take charge of all trading operations of the first Danish East India Company. The voyage, however, became a seemingly endless nightmare of difficulties and disasters. When Leyel finally reached Tranquebar almost four years later, he found the fortress in a state of complete disrepair -- with the former governor having run off with everything of value. But despite having only a few men in his service, barely any capital and almost no possibility of communicating with the managers of the Company in Copenhagen, Leyel managed to turn things around -- befriending local princes and establishing a profitable trade with their kingdoms, at times even resorting to piracy in order to preserve Tranquebar on Danish hands. Drawing on Leyel's own letters and papers located in The National Archives in Copenhagen, Asta Bredsdorff ingeniously weaves together the rich narrative strains in order to produce a moving and memorable account of Leyel's exploits in the East Indies. The source material even allows for a reconstruction of several dramatic episodes down to the last detail. This book offers a fascinating account of personal fortitude, courage and determination as well as a unique and fantastic glimpse of the conditions in Tranquebar at the time, of life at sea during the dangerous voyages and of Danish history in general."--Back cover. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92LEYEL:347.71DANISH EAST INDIA

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