Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Court, country, city : British art and architecture, 1660-1735 /Mark Hallett "The late 17th and early 18th centuries saw profound changes in Britain and in its visual arts. This volume provides fresh perspectives on the art of the late Stuart and early Georgian periods, focusing on the concepts, spaces, and audiences of court, country, and city as reflected in an array of objects, materials, and places. The essays discuss the revolutionary political and economic circumstances of the period, which not only forged a new nation-state but also provided a structural setting for artistic production and reception. Essays cover such diverse topics as tapestry in the age of Charles II and painting in the court of Queen Anne; male friendship portraits; mezzotint and the exchange between painting and print; the interpretation of genres such as still life and marine painting; the concept of remembered places; courtly fashion and furnishing; the codification of rules for painting; and the development of aesthetic theory"-- 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 7(42)"1660/1735"

Death in the ice : the shocking story of Franklin's final expedition /Karen Ryan. "Discover one of the most fascinating and mysterious stories in the history of exploration. In 1845, Sir John Franklin led a British search for the Northwest Passage. Two years later, the expedition had not returned. It took more than a decade to establish that all crewmembers were dead, and their ships lost. How and why it happened, however, remain a mystery to this day. In this souvenir catalogue, iconic artifacts recovered following the Expedition's disappearance are featured with more recent finds, including the discovery of the HMS Erebus and Terror. Step into the perilous world of 19th century Arctic exploration and see the conditions aboard the Expedition's vessels - from the voyage's confident beginnings to its tragic end. Discover the critical role played by Inuit in revealing the Expedition's end through artifacts and oral histories - crucial pieces in a story that continues to capture our imagination, more than a century and a half later."-- 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(987)"1845/1848"

The war against the pirates : British and American suppression of Caribbean piracy in the early nineteenth century /Barry Gough, Charles Borras. "Based on hitherto unused sources in English and Spanish in British and American archives, in this book naval historian Barry Gough and legal authority Charles Borras investigate a secret Anglo-American coercive war against Spain, 1815-1835. Described as a war against piracy at the time, the authors explore how British and American interests - diplomatic and military - aligned to contain Spanish power to the critically influential islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico, facilitating the forging of an enduring but unproclaimed Anglo-American alliance which endures to this day. Due attention is given to United States Navy actions under Commodore David Porter, to this day a subject of controversy. More significantly though, through the juxtaposition of British, American and Spanish sources, this book uncovers the roots of piracy - and suppression - that laid the foundation for the tortured decline of the Spanish empire in the Americas and the subsequent rise of British and American empires, instrumental in stamping out Caribbean piracy for good."--Provided by the publisher. 2018 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 341.362.1(42:73)"18"

The Routledge companion to marine and maritime worlds, 1400-1800 / edited by Claire Jowitt, Craig Lambert, and Steve Mentz. "The Routledge Companion to Marine and Maritime Worlds, 1400-1800 explores early modern maritime history, culture, and the current state of the research and approaches taken by experts in the field. Ranging from cartography to poetry and decorative design to naval warfare, the book shows how once-traditional and often Euro-chauvinistic depictions of oceanic 'mastery' during the early modern period have been replaced by newer global ideas. This comprehensive volume challenges underlying assumptions by balancing its assessment of the consequences and accomplishments of European navigators in the era of Columbus, da Gama, and Magellan, with an awareness of the sophistication and maritime expertise in Asia, the Arab world, and the Americas. By imparting riveting new stories and global perceptions of maritime history and culture, the contributors provide readers with fresh insights concerning early modern entanglements between humans and the vast, unpredictable ocean. With maritime studies growing and the ocean's health in decline, this volume is essential reading for academics and students interested in the historicization of the ocean and the ways early modern cultures both conceptualised and utilised seas"--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4

John Harrison and the quest for longitude / Jonathan Betts. The quest to accurately determine longitude at sea was one of the most remarkable endeavors of the eighteenth century. This is the story of John Harrison (1693-1776), the self-taught English clockmaker who dedicated his life to solving the ocean's longitude problem. From the end of the fifteenth century, merchants, explorers, and adventurers took to the open seas in unprecedented numbers as worldwide trade increased. These journeys were hazardous not only because of the inherent dangers of the ocean but also because, once out of sight of land, sailors had no accurate means of knowing their exact position. Long-distance sea travel was so dangerous that, in 1714, the British Parliament offered a prize to anyone who could solve the problem. Inspired, Harrison designed and built the marine chronometer: the first device to calculate longitude at sea. The chronometer quickly became a vital tool of maritime trade, revolutionizing sea travel and saving countless lives. John Harrison and the Quest for Longitude is the fascinating account of one man's quest to solve one of the greatest practical problems of his time. With sixty full-color images and technical drawings throughout, it sheds important new light on a fundamental piece of British maritime and horological history. 2020. • BOOK • 3 copies available. 92HARRISON

Armoured cruiser Cressy : detailed in the original builders' plans /Andrew Choong. "The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the 'as-fitted' general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-coloured inks and washes that represent the acme of the draughtsman's art. Today they form part of the incomparable collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, which is using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality. This book is one of a series based entirely on these draughts which depict famous warships in an unprecedented degree of detail - complete sets in full colour, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. Extensive captions point the reader to important features to be found in the plans, and an introduction covers the background to the design. The subject of this volume is best known for the disaster of 22 September 1914 in which Cressy and two sister-ships, Aboukir and Hogue, were sunk with great loss of life by a single small submarine in little more than an hour. Having been overtaken by the rapid advance of naval technology in the fifteen years since their construction, the cruisers were regarded as obsolete and employed on a task for which they were never intended. However, in their day they were powerful and innovative ships, with a significant impact on the way the armoured cruiser developed. This becomes clear from the analysis of the plans included in this book, which thus presents an original and more positive view of these ships that will enlighten - and perhaps surprise - many naval historians and enthusiasts."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82530941

Maiden voyages : women and the golden age of transatlantic travel /Siãan Evans. "Migrants and millionairesses, refugees and aristocrats all looking for a way to improve their lives. After WW1 a world of opportunity was opening up for women ... Before convenient air travel, transatlantic travel was the province of the great ocean liners and never more so than in the glory days of the interwar years. It was an extraordinary undertaking made by many women. Some traveled for leisure, some for work; others to find a new life, marriage, to reinvent themselves or find new opportunities. Their stories have remained largely untold - until now. Maiden Voyages is a fascinating portrait of these women, and their lives on board magnificent ocean liners as they sailed between the old and the new worlds. The ocean liner was a microcosm of contemporary society, divided by class: from the luxury of the upper deck, playground for the rich and famous, to the cramped conditions of steerage or third class travel. These iconic liners were filled with women of all ages, classes and backgrounds: celebrities and refugees, migrants and millionairesses, aristocrats and crew members. Full of incredible gossip, stories and intrigue, Maiden Voyages has a diverse cast of inspiring women - from A-listers like Josephine Baker, a dancer from St Louis who found fame in Paris, Marlene Dietrich and Wallis Simpson, Violet 'the unsinkable' Jessop, a crew member who survived the sinking of the Titanic, and entrepreneur Sibyl Colefax, a pioneering interior designer. Whichever direction they were travelling, whatever hopes they entertained, they were all under the spell of life at sea, a spell which would only break when they went ashore. Maiden Voyages is a compelling and highly entertaining account of life on board: part dream factory, part place of work, independence and escape - always moving."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.9163

Not made by slaves : ethical capitalism in the age of abolition /Bronwen Everill. "'East India Sugar Not Made By Slaves'-with these words on a sugar bowl, consumers of the early nineteenth century declared their power to change the global economy. Bronwen Everill examines how abolitionists in the Atlantic world shaped emerging ideas of ethical commerce to fight the system of plantation slavery that had become an engine of modern capitalism. How did consumers define ethical commerce? How did producers create markets for their products? Everill focuses on the everyday economy of the Atlantic world rather than on the more familiar boycott movements against slave-produced goods. Different approaches to making money in ethical commerce-through commercial agriculture, government contracts, international trade, and money management-shaped the relationship between production, consumption, and morality in ways that determined how slavery and freedom came to be defined in the market economy. Companies such as Macaulay & Babington in Sierra Leone, Roberts & Colson in Liberia, and Forster & Smith in the Gambia used commercial networks and government subsidies to make 'legitimate' commerce pay. Ethical commerce was also promoted by former slaves in such organizations as the Colored Free Produce Society, which promoted the idea that consumers bore responsibility for the plight of the slave and could change their buying behavior. This book illuminates global consumer society and industrial capitalism at the turn of the nineteenth century, as well as underscores the roles of slavery and antislavery movements in the development of international capitalism. It also reminds us that concerns over fair trade and labor conditions remain relevant today"--Provided by publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 174/.409182109034

Sietas and its ships / Bernard McCall. "The shipyard of J J Sietas is arguably one of the best-known in northern Europe. It was founded in 1653 and from its inception, the company was continuously owned by the founding family. This was the ninth generation by 2009. The first vessels were made out of wood but this changed to steel from the early 20th century. By 2009 the shipyard was experiencing financial difficulties due to rising steel prices, the rapid fall in demand for container ships and miscalculation fo costs. The global recession led to cancelled orders and the shipyard's largest creditor, HSH Nordbank, took over management in early March 2009, the first time the company had been managed by someone outside of the founding family since 1635. The yard continued to experience financial problems until April 2014 when it became part of the Pella group, a Russian company owned by the Tsaturof family. They yard is now known as Pella Sietas Werft. It was in the mid-1950s when production was starting to increase that a decision was made to classify the vessels according to types. At first letters were used, so in 1955 six examples of the Type HG were built, named after the Hertha Gerdau. Type A and Type F also appeared before it was decided to adopt a numerical scheme beginning with Karin in 1958. This scheme has continued to the present day. It should be understood that the yard was building several different types at the same time. Especially in the 1970s, it was unable to keep up with demand and several vessels were subcontracted to the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg. In this book we shall be concentrating on cargo ships but other types will also appear to illustrate the variety of ships that were built. We have realised that two volumes will be needed to cover the various types. vol I: 2020 ; vol II: 2021 • BOOK • 2 copies available.

Austral Enterprises : a history of shore, bay-based and pelagic whaling and sealing in the Southern Ocean encompassing The Southern Whaling & Sealing Company, The Kerguelen Sealing & Whaling Company and their associated enterprises at South Georgia, the Antarctic peninsula, the South Indian Ocean and South Africa /Ian Hart. "There have been many accounts of twentieth century heroic British expeditions to the waters of the Antarctic and southern hemisphere but very few to date have covered another important British endeavour - the hunting of whales and seals. This book contributes towards putting this right. The Southern Whaling and Sealing Company of North Shields and Cape Town and its successors owned and managed by Lever Irvin and Johnson of Cape Town became some of the most important companies that plied this trade. Whaling and sealing in the southern oceans in the early 1900s was an honoured and respected industry, employing thousands of skilled men and workers in harsh, remote and demanding conditions, bringing home important raw materials and products that the country was glad to receive. The result is a fascinating account of British involvement in the whaling and sealing industry which operated from the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, in the ice-strewn Indian Ocean as well as from land stations on the east and west coasts of southern Africa. The book also explores how the availability and marketing of whale and seal oil by the companies concerned had a considerable influence in the edible oil market and the improtant consumable products that were derived from this trade. Over time this trade had a profound effect on the whale and seal populations of the Southern Ocean, leading to a revulsion in the methods used, at least in sealing, and the start of proposals to conserve stocks and create wildlife sanctuaries."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Sounds of war : music in the British armed forces during the Great War /Emma Hanna. "Comparatively little is known about the musical cultures of the British armed forces during the Great War. This groundbreaking study is the first to examine music's vital presence in a range of military contexts including military camps, ships, aerodromes and battlefields, canteen huts, hospitals and PoW camps. Emma Hanna argues that music was omnipresent in servicemen's wartime existence and was a vital element for the maintenance of morale. She shows how music was utilised to stimulate recruitment and fundraising, for diplomatic and propaganda purposes, and for religious, educational and therapeutic reasons. Music was not in any way ephemeral, it was unmatched in its power to cajole, console, cheer and inspire during the conflict and its aftermath. This study is a major contribution to our understanding of the wartime realities of the British armed forces during the Great War"--Provided by publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 781.5/99094109041

Outsourcing empire : how company-states made the modern world /Andrew Phillips and J. C. Sharman. "From Spanish conquistadors through to pith-helmeted British colonialists, the prevailing vision of European empire-builders has been staunchly statist. But from the early 1600s through to the early twentieth century, from the East Indies to North America to Africa and the South Pacific, it was company states - not sovereign states - that played the most important role in driving European worldwide commercial and colonial expansion. In Asia, the Dutch and English East India Companies ingratiated themselves with mighty Asian rulers such as the Mughal and Qing Emperors to infiltrate Asian markets. In North America, the Hudson's Bay Company maintained a network of forts and factories across the continent closely integrated with American Indian trading routes and practices. And in Africa, the company states were first key intermediaries in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and later the colonial vanguards of the 'scramble for Africa.' Notwithstanding their central importance for both International Relations scholars and students of global history, company states remain largely ignored in studies of the modern international system's evolution and expansion. Beholden to an outdated historiography, most scholarship on the expansion of the international system looks only at sovereign states. Historians and historical sociologists have done more to acknowledge company states' pioneering role. But these studies have typically focused on individual company states in isolation, and have thus missed the significance of company states as key progenitors of the modern international system. As a result of this neglect, we lack an understanding of what defined the company states as a distinctive form of international actor, and how they served as crucial but now largely forgotten builders of the world's first truly global international system. Existing works struggle to account for rise, fall and fleeting nineteenth century resurrection of company states as agents of long distance commerce and conquest, as well as their sharply contrasting fortunes in different regions. Finally, unless we understand the nature and significance of company states, we cannot understand how inter-civilizational relations were mediated across trans-continental distances and deep cultural differences for the majority of the modern era. These are the vital gaps in our knowledge which the authors seek to address in this book."-- 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 909.08

War, trade and the state : Anglo-Dutch conflict, 1652-89 /edited by David Ormrod and Gijs Rommelse. "This book re-examines the history of Anglo-Dutch conflict during the seventeenth century, of which the three wars of 1652-54, 1665-67 and 1672-74 were the most obvious manifestation. Low-intensity conflict spanned a longer period. From 1618-19 hostilities in Asia between the Dutch and English East India Companies added new elements of tension beyond earlier disputes over the North Sea fisheries, merchant shipping and the cloth trade. The emerging multilateral trades of the Atlantic world added new challenges. This book integrates the European, Asian, American and African dimensions of the Anglo-Dutch Wars in an authentically global view. The role of the state receives special attention during a period in which both countries are best understood as 'fiscal-naval states'. The significance of seapower is reflected in the public history of the Anglo-Dutch wars, acknowledged in the concluding chapters. The book includes important new research findings and imaginative new thinking by leading historians of the subject."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 949.204

Queer and trans African mobilities : migration, asylum and diaspora /B Camminga and John Marnell. "Recent years have seen increased scholarly and media interest in the movement of LGBTIQ persons, particularly those seeking protection in Europe and North America. While this has helped focus attention on the plight of individuals facing persecution, it has also reinvigorated racist tropes about sexual or gender rights in the Global South. In the case of Africa, the existence of anti-LGBTIQ laws and the prevalence of hetero-patriarchal discourses are regularly cited as evidence of the continent's inescapable savagery. Colonial notions of an uncivilised continent in need of salvation have been repackaged and repurposed for the twenty-first century, with LGBTIQ migrants serving as the ultimate case in point."--Provided by publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 306.76096

Cayman's 1794 Wreck of the Ten Sail : peace, war, and peril in the Caribbean /Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton. "The story has been passed through generations for more than two centuries. Details vary depending on who is doing the telling, but all refer to this momentous maritime event as the Wreck of the Ten Sail. Sometimes misunderstood as the loss of a single ship, it was in fact the wreck of ten vessels at once, comprising one of the most dramatic maritime disasters in all of Caribbean naval history. Surviving historical documents and the remains of the wrecked ships in the sea confirm that the narrative is more than folklore. It is a legend based on a historical event in which HMS Convert, formerly L'Inconstante, a recent prize from the French, and 9 of her 58-ship merchant convoy sailing from Jamaica to Britain, wrecked on the jagged eastern reefs of Grand Cayman in 1794. The incident has historical significance far beyond the boundaries of the Cayman Islands. It is tied to British and French history during the French Revolution, when these and other European nations were competing for military and commercial dominance around the globe. The Wreck of the Ten Sail attests to the worldwide distribution of European war and trade at the close of the eighteenth century. In Cayman's 1794 Wreck of the Ten Sail: Peace, War, and Peril in the Caribbean, Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton focuses on the ships, the people, and the wreck itself to define their place in Caymanian, Caribbean, and European history. This well-researched volume weaves together rich oral folklore accounts, invaluable supporting documents found in archives in the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and France, and tangible evidence of the disaster from archaeological sites on the reefs of the East End."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.9163/65

Mapping an Atlantic world, circa 1500 / Alida C. Metcalf. "Beginning around 1500, in the decades following Columbus's voyages, the Atlantic Ocean moved from the periphery to the center on European world maps. This brief but highly significant moment in early modern European history marks not only a paradigm shift in how the world was mapped but also the opening of what historians call the Atlantic World. But how did sixteenth-century chartmakers and mapmakers begin to conceptualize?and present to the public?an interconnected Atlantic World that was open and navigable, in comparison to the mysterious ocean that had blocked off the Western hemisphere before Columbus's exploration? In Mapping an Atlantic World, circa 1500, Alida C. Metcalf argues that the earliest surviving maps from this era, which depict trade, colonization, evangelism, and the movement of peoples, reveal powerful and persuasive arguments about the possibility of an interconnected Atlantic World. Blending scholarship from two fields, historical cartography and Atlantic history, Metcalf explains why Renaissance cosmographers first incorporated sailing charts into their maps and began to reject classical models for mapping the world. Combined with the new placement of the Atlantic, the visual imagery on Atlantic maps?which featured decorative compass roses, animals, landscapes, and native peoples - communicated the accessibility of distant places with valuable commodities. Even though individual maps became outdated quickly, Metcalf reveals, new mapmakers copied their imagery, which then repeated on map after map. Individual maps might fall out of date, be lost, discarded, or forgotten, but their geographic and visual design promoted a new way of seeing the world, with an interconnected Atlantic World at its center. Describing the negotiation that took place between a small cadre of explorers and a wider class of cartographers, chartmakers, cosmographers, and artists, Metcalf shows how exploration informed mapmaking and vice versa. Recognizing early modern cartographers as significant agents in the intellectual history of the Atlantic, Mapping an Atlantic World, circa 1500 includes around 50 beautiful and illuminating historical maps."--Provided by publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 526.09182/109031

Broadsides : caricatures and the Navy 1756-1815 /James Davey & Richard Johns. "Broadsides explores the history of the Royal Navy during the second half of the eighteenth centuries through the lens of contemporary caricature. This was a period of intense naval activity encompassing the Seven Years War, the American War of Independence, the wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and the War of 1812. Naval caricatures were utilised by the press to comment on events, simultaneously reminding the British public of the immediacy of war, whilst satirising the same Navy it was meant to be supporting. The thematic narrative explores topics from politics to invasion, whilst encompassing detailed analysis of the context and content of individual prints. It explores pivotal figures within the Navy and the feelings and apprehensions of the people back home and their perception of the former. The text, like the cariactures themselves, balances humour with the more serious nature of the content. The emergence of this popular new form of graphic satire culminated in the works of James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson, both here well represented, but a mass of other contemporary illustration makes this work a hugely important source book for those with any interest in the wars and history of this era."--From publisher. 2012. • FOLIO • 4 copies available. 7.049.2:355.49(42)

Mastermind of Dunkirk and D-Day : The vision of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay /Brian Izzard. "This is the first major biography of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay in fifty years. Ramsay masterminded the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940. Initially, it was thought that 40,000 troops at most could be rescued. But Ramsay's planning and determination led to some 338,000 being brought back to fight another day, although the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy paid a high price in ships and men. Ramsay continued to play a crucial role in the conduct of the Second World War - the invasion of Sicily in 1943 was successful in large part due to his vision, and he had a key role in the planning and execution of the D-Day invasion - coordinating and commanding the 7,000 ships that delivered the invasion force onto the beaches of Normandy. After forty years in the Royal Navy he was forced to retire in 1938 after falling out with a future First Sea Lord but months later, with war looming, he was given a new post. However he was not reinstated on the Active List until April 1944, at which point he was promoted to Admiral and appointed Naval Commander-in-Chief for the D-Day naval expeditionary force. Dying in a mysterious air crash in 1945, Ramsay's legacy has been remembered by the Royal Navy but his key role in the Allied victory has been widely forgotten. After the war ended his achievements ranked alongside those of Sir Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery and General Dwight Eisenhower, yet he never received the public recognition he deserved. Brian Izzard's new biography of Ramsay puts him and his work back centre-stage, arguing that Ramsay was the mastermind without whom the outcome of both Dunkirk and D-Day - and perhaps the entire war - could have been very different."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92RAMSAY, B H

Churchill's admiral in two world wars : admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes of Zeebrugge and Dover GCB KCVO CMG DSO /Jim Crossley. "Roger Keyes was the archetype of 19th to 20th century Royal Navy officers. A superb seaman, inspiring leader and fearless fighter he immediately caught the eye of senior figures in the naval establishment as well as the up and coming politician, Winston Churchill. The relationship between these two brave men survived disappointment, disagreement and eventually disillusion. Unlike some of his contemporaries Keyes was unable to make the transition from sailor to politician and was inclined to embarrass his friends and allies by his intemperate language and total lack of political acumen. Always eager to lead from the front and hurl himself at the enemy his mind set tended to be that of a junior officer trying to prove himself, not that of a senior Admiral. Trained in some of the last of Britain's sailing warships, Keyes served in submarines in the North Sea, destroyers in China and as a senior staff officer in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. As commander of the Dover Patrol he planned and led the highly controversial Zeebrugge Raid and successfully combated U-boats passing along the English Channel. In World War II he begged to be given a combat command but, in spite of their close personal friendship, Churchill realised that he was too old to be suitable for a front line role and his undisguised contempt for many senior Naval and Airforce officers made him extremely unpopular in official circles. To his credit, Churchill did not let his personal friendship and admiration of Keyes blind him to his temperamental and intellectual limitations. Both men were big enough not to let professional conflict destroy mutual personal admiration and friendship."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92KEYES

Stripes and types of the Royal Navy : a little handbook of sketches showing all ranks from admiral to boy signaller /by F.W.R.M. and J.S.H ; introduction written by Robert Blyth. "A very British introduction to the dress and duties of officers and men of the Royal Navy upon whom the responsibility of its efficiency falls. This nostalgic handbook from the archive of the National Maritime Museum was originally published in 1909 and was intended to interest and educate the public mind in the men who constitute the first line of our defensive forces. Each rank is beautifully illustrated, with additional information provided on the distinctive insignia of each rank of officers in the Royal Navy in the Executive and Civil branches, and the distinguishing badges of petty officers, men and boys." 2020. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 355.14(42)"1909"

Sovereign of the Seas, 1637 : a reconstruction of the most powerful warship of its day /John McKay. "Sovereign of the Seas was the most spectacular, extravagant and controversial warship of the early seventeenth century. The ultimate royal prestige project, whose armament was increased by the King's decree to the unheard-of figure of 100 guns, the ship finally cost the equivalent of ten more conventional warships. A significant proportion of this total was spent on her gilded decoration, which gave the ship a unique combination of firepower and visual impact in battle that led her Dutch opponents to dub her the 'Golden Devil'. The vessel was the poster-child of the notorious 'Ship Money' tax, raised without parliamentary approval and so unpopular it was a major factor leading to the Civil War in which Charles I lost his sovereignty and his head. In that sense, she was a ship that cost a kingdom. It is unsurprising that such a high-profile ship should be well-documented, but there are no contemporary plans and much of the visual evidence is contradictory. In this book, John McKay sets out to analyse the data and reconstruct the design and appearance of the ship in a degree of detail never previously attempted. The results are presented as a folio of superbly draughted plans, isometric drawings and coloured renderings, covering every aspect of the design from the hull form to the minutiae of sails and rigging. Each section is accompanied by an explanatory text, setting out the rationale for his conclusions, so the book will be of value to historians of the period as well as providing superb reference for any modeller tackling of one of the most popular of all sailing ship subjects."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS

British naval intelligence through the twentieth century / Andrew Boyd ; foreword by Andrew Lambert. "This major work is the first comprehensive account of how intelligence influenced and sustained British naval power from the late nineteenth century, when the Admiralty first created a dedicated intelligence department, through to the end of the Cold War. It brings a critical new dimension to understanding British naval history in this period setting naval intelligence in a wide context and emphasising the many parts of the British state that contributed to naval requirements. It is also a fascinating study of how naval needs and personalities shaped the British intelligence community that exists today as well as the concepts and values that underpin it. Andrew Boyd explains why and how intelligence was collected and assesses its real impact on both wartime operations and peacetime policy. He confirms that naval intelligence made a vital contribution to Britain s survival and ultimate victory in the two World Wars, but he reappraises its role, highlighting the importance of communications intelligence to an effective blockade in the First, and according Enigma-generated Ultra less dominance compared to other sources in the Second. He reveals that coverage of Germany before 1914 and of the three Axis powers in the interwar period was more effective than previously suggested. And though Britain s power declined rapidly after 1945, he shows how intelligence helped the Royal Navy to remain a significant global force for the rest of the twentieth century, and in submarine warfare during the second half of the Cold War, to achieve influence and impact for Britain far exceeding the resources expended. This compelling new history will have wide appeal to all readers interested in intelligence and its impact on naval policy and operations. It will transform their understanding of how Britain ensured its national security across the twentieth century."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 327.1241

Warships after London : the end of the treaty era in the five major fleets, 1930-1936 /John Jordan. "The Washington Treaty of February 1922 put a cap on the construction of capital ships and aircraft carriers while failing to impose similar restraints on auxiliary' vessels or submarines. This led to a competition in treaty cruisers' - ships of the maximum 10,000-ton displacement allowed, armed with multiple 8in guns - and in submarines, many of which were designed for long range and high speed on the surface. During the 1920s the French and the Japanese took particular advantage of the absence of quantitative or qualitative limits for these vessels to compensate for their inferiority in capital ships. Thus, as the ten-year review of Washington approached, Britain and the United States attempted to extend the ratios agreed in 1922 to the newly-defined categories of cruisers, destroyers and submarines. The negotiations which resulted in the Treaty of London of April 1930 were fraught, and the agreement proved controversial, particularly in Japan. Warships After London examines warship developments in the five major navies during the period 1930-1936. Long-term plans were disrupted, and new construction had to be reviewed in the light of the new treaty regulations. The imposition of new quantitative limits for cruisers, destroyers and submarines led to new, often smaller designs, and a need to balance unit size against overall numbers within each of the categories. As ships produced under these restrictions were the newest available when war broke out in 1939, this book is a major contribution to understanding the nature of the navies involved. Its value is enhanced by well-chosen photographs and by the author's specially-prepared line drawings showing the overall layout, armament, protection and propulsion of the ships laid down during the period. Warships After London is a fitting sequel to the author's acclaimed Warships After Washington, first published by Seaforth in 2011."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.8

Mutiny on the Spanish Main : HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's revenge /Angus Konstam. "In 1797 the 32-gun Royal Navy frigate HMS Hermione was serving in the Caribbean, at the forefront of Britain's bitter sea war against Spain and Revolutionary France. Its commander, the sadistic and mercurial Captain Hugh Pigot ruled through terror, flogging his men mercilessly and pushing them beyond the limits of human endurance. On the night of 21 September 1797, past breaking point and drunk on stolen rum, the crew rebelled, slaughtering Pigot and nine of his officers in the bloodiest mutiny in the history of the Royal Navy. Handing the ship over to the Spanish, the crew fled, sparking a manhunt that would last a decade. Seeking to wipe clean this stain on its name, the Royal Navy pursued the traitorous mutineers relentlessly, hunting them across the globe, and, in 1801, seized the chance to recover its lost ship in one of the most daring raids of the Age of Fighting Sail. Anchored in a heavily fortified Venezuelan harbour, the Hermione - now known as the Santa Cecilia - was retaken in a bold night-time action, stolen out from under the Spanish guns. Back in British hands, the Hermione was renamed once more - its new identity a stark warning to would-be mutineers: Retribution. Drawing on letters, reports, ships' logs, and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account to create a fascinating retelling of one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy, and its extraordinary, wide-ranging aftermath."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 359.1334

Explore our Collection