Explore our Collection

Language
Format
Type

showing 657 library results for 'china'

Green smarties : tales of a navy wife /Mary Collingwood Hurst. "After 20 years of involvement with the Navy, which ended in the late 1980s, I can identify an aircraft carrier or a submarine; but anything in between is a blur of grey metal with a pointy end and a blunt end. Except for RFA TIDESURGE which, without any qualifications, I was allowed to steer across the South China Sea for five hours in a moment of madness. That is a ship whose shape and size I will always be able to remember. Sadly she no longer exists and has long been sent to a ships' graveyard to be reduced to razor blades. But I have immense pride that for a while I was on the periphery of the Senior Service and shared life with someone involved in the defence of our country, wardroom rugby, RPCs (Request Pleasure of the Company). In other words alcoholic orgies. With him I endured brushes with the KGB, Special Branch, MI5 & MI6 (not all at once of course). There were sudden surprises such as my husband being sent to the Antarctic for eight months when baby number two was imminent or finding myself in Singapore unofficially and living in a tiny flat in a Chinese village and working in the Navy Base. We were there for the final year of history before the British Forces withdrew forever on the 31 October 1971. Life was never dull and spanned many adventures juggling three children and taking care of the home-made wine while he was away. Or jumping on a plane with a child under each arm to join him on an unaccompanied post in Hong Kong for months. Without the sisterhood of Navy wives, some of whose stories are included in this book, life would have been much more arduous."--Provided by the author 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359:316.811.1
Tramp ships : an illustrated history /Roy Fenton. "The tramp ship was the taxi of the seas. With no regular schedules, it voyaged anywhere and everywhere, picking up and dropping off cargoes, mainly bulk cargoes such as coal, grain, timber, china clay and oil. It was the older and slower vessels that tended to find their way into this trade, hence the tag 'tramp', though new tramps were built, often with the owner's eye on chartering to the liner companies. In this new book by the well-known author Roy Fenton, their evolution is described over the course of more than 100 years, from the 1860s, when the steam tramp developed from the screw collier, until it was largely replaced by the specialist bulk carrier in the 1980s. An introduction looks at the design and building of tramps before going on to describe the machinery, from simple triple-expansion turbines to diesel engines. Their operation and management and the life of the officers and crews is also covered. The meat of the book is to be found in the 300 wonderfully evocative photographs of individual ships which illustrate the development of the tramp and its trades through the last years of the 19th century, the two world wars, and the postwar years. Each caption gives the dimensions, the owners and the builder, and outlines the career, with notes on trades and how they changed over a ship's lifetime. Design features are highlighted and notes on machinery included. This will become a classic work, to inspire all merchant ship enthusiasts and historians."--Provided by the publisher. 2013. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 656.614.34"18/19"
The Victoria Cross wars : battles, campaigns and conflicts of all the VC heroes /Brian Best. "The British Empire at its height stretched around the globe. From Asia to the Americas, scores of countries were conquered or assimilated into the greatest commonwealth of nations in history. Many of these countries were won, and held, at the point of the bayonet, and British soldiers and sailors fought long and hard campaigns in deserts, mountains and jungles to maintain and expand the Empire. Fighting, though, means bloodshed; it also means bravery. Victoria Crosses were awarded in operations against Persia, Abyssinia and China, in New Zealand, Burma and Sudan, in the Perak War, the Andaman Islands Expedition and the Mashona Rebellion to name but a few of the forty-four different campaigns of the colonial era. The Victoria Cross Wars explains Britains involvement in these little-known and forgotten campaigns and details the battles and engagements that resulted in the granting of the most highly regarded award for valour in the face of the enemy. The greater conflicts of the twentieth century receive due treatment as do more recent operations in the troubled parts of the world. A total of 1,358 VCs have been awarded since the cross of valour was first instituted in 1855, the latest of which was announced in February 2015. The stories behind the awarding of these medals have been repeated in countless anthologies but The Victoria Cross Wars explains not just what the men did, but why they were there and what they were fighting for."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.134.22(42)VC
Ships, shawls and loyal service : the stories of three East Anglian brothers /David Blakely. "Ships, Shawls and Loyal Service details the history of three 19th century brothers, each of whom saw some success in his chosen occupation, but each quite distinct from the others in what he achieved. Inspired by the extensive family tree drawn up in the early 20th century by one of his great-uncles, David Blakely relates the stories of his three ancestors. With strong roots in rural Suffolk, the three Blakely brothers were born at the end of the 18th century into a long-established family. Their ancestors had been gentlemen farmers, but none of the brothers followed that occupation. The eldest spent a year as a midshipman in the Royal Navy and six years as an officer in the Army, before becoming involved in a rural church community in north Norfolk. The second served as an officer on East India Company ships, sailing to India and China and finally being promoted to captain. The youngest brother lived in Norwich and became a well-respected retailer and manufacturer in the textile trade. Ships, Shawls and Loyal Service is a fascinating insight into the lives of three brothers, each of whom took a very different path in life. Early history of the brothers' family is also explored, including their grandfather's business as proprietor of a stage-coach company in Ipswich and his acquaintance with the artist Thomas Gainsborough. This book will appeal to those interested in East Anglian life and trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Readers interested in naval and military actions in Napoleonic times and in sailing between England and the Far East will also find this a valuable account."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 929.52
Barons of the sea : and their race to build the world's fastest clipper ship /Steven Ujifusa. "There was a time, back when the United States was young and the robber barons were just starting to come into their own, when fortunes were made and lost importing luxury goods from China. It was a secretive, glamorous, often brutal business--one where teas and silks and porcelain were purchased with profits from the opium trade. But the journey by sea back home to New York could take six agonizing months, and so the most pressing technological challenge of the day became ensuring one's goods arrived first to market, so they might fetch the highest price--making their sellers some of the first millionaires. Barons of the Sea tells the story of a handful of cutthroat competitors who raced to build the fastest, finest, most profitable clipper ships to carry their precious cargo to American shores. They were visionary, eccentric shipbuilders, debonair captains, and socially ambitious merchants with names like Forbes and Delano--men whose business interests took them from the cloistered confines of China's expatriate communities to the sin-city decadence of Gold Rush-era San Francisco and from the teeming hubbub of East Boston's shipyards and to the lavish sitting rooms of New Yorks Hudson Valley estates. Elegantly written and meticulously researched, Barons of the Sea is a riveting tale of innovation and ingenuity that draws back the curtain on the making of some of the nation's greatest fortunes, and the rise and fall of an all-American industry as sordid as it was genteel"--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123.13(73)
Curious encounters : voyaging, collecting, and making knowledge in the long eighteenth century /edited by Adriana Craciun and Mary Terrall. "With contributions from historians, literary critics, and geographers, Curious Encounters uncovers a rich history of global voyaging, collecting, and scientific exploration in the long eighteenth century. Leaving behind grand narratives of discovery, these essays collectively restore a degree of symmetry and contingency to our understanding of encounters between European and Indigenous people. To do this the essays consider diverse agents of historical change, both human and inanimate: commodities, curiosities, texts, animals, and specimens moved through their own global circuits of knowledge and power. The voyages and collections rediscovered here do not move from a European center to a distant periphery, nor do they position European authorities as the central agents of this early era of globalization. Long distance voyagers from Greenland to the Ottoman Empire crossed paths with French, British, Polynesian, and Spanish travelers across the world, trading objects and knowledge for diverse ends. The dynamic contact zones of these curious encounters include the ice floes of the Arctic, the sociable spaces of the tea table, the hybrid material texts and objects in imperial archives, and the collections belonging to key figures of the Enlightenment, including Sir Hans Sloane and James Petiver."-- 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(100)"17"
Champion of the quarterdeck : Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower (1742-1814) /Ian M Bates "Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower is little known today, having never been one to blow his own trumpet. From humble beginnings as a captain's servant in 1755 he rose on his own merit, over more than 50 years, to the top of his profession. Living by old-fashioned values of loyalty and service, Gower's humanity and concern for others gained him the approbation and loyalty of his officers, crews and peers. Although recognised by his contemporaries as a leading navigator, he has been overlooked by historians until now. While many Royal Navy officers achieved fame for leadership, isolated acts of bravery or great discoveries, Gower accomplished a diversified and esteemed career that no other officer in the Georgian Navy could claim to equal. He was explorer, master navigator, commander-in-chief, Governor and diplomat. Having rejected great wealth for the sake of the Navy, he was knighted, conveyed a first-of-its-type diplomatic mission to China, charted unexplored seas, received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament and was pivotal in suppressing the Nore mutiny. He sat on the largest court martial in the Navy's history, was appointed Governor of Newfoundland and a full admiral, having personally shared in the capture of more than fifty enemy ships during his career. Every warship in the Age of Sail was a training ground for seamen, and every captain exerted extraordinary influence over his men. While some good men stumbled under oppressive officers, others thrived under thoughtful leadership such as Gower's. A constant supporter of young men of promise, he championed and developed the careers of several of Nelson's 'Band of Brothers' in what latter-day historians have termed 'Nelson's Navy'. Many others followed Gower from ship to ship and subsequently mapped out significant naval careers. As an upright and loyal champion of His Majesty's Navy during a career of remarkable exploits and achievements, Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower is to be celebrated for his unswerving devotion to duty and his training of many who were to follow in his footsteps with integrity and fortitude."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92GOWER
Colonialism : a moral reckoning /Nigel Biggar. "A new assessment of the West's colonial record. In the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet empire in 1989, many believed that we had arrived at the 'End of History' - that the global dominance of liberal democracy had been secured forever. Now however, with Russia rattling its sabre on the borders of Europe and China rising to challenge the post-1945 world order, the liberal West faces major threats. These threats are not only external. Especially in the Anglosphere, the 'decolonisation' movement corrodes the West's self-confidence by retelling the history of European and American colonial dominance as a litany of racism, exploitation, and massively murderous violence. Nigel Biggar tests this indictment, addressing the crucial questions in eight chapters: Was the British Empire driven primarily by greed and the lust to dominate? Should we speak of 'colonialism and slavery' in the same breath, as if they were identical? Was the Empire essentially racist? How far was it based on the theft of land? Did it involve genocide? Was it driven fundamentally by the motive of economic exploitation? Was undemocratic colonial government necessarily illegitimate? and, Was the Empire essentially violent, and its violence pervasively racist and terroristic? Biggar makes clear that, like any other long-standing state, the British Empire involved elements of injustice, sometimes appalling. On occasions it was culpably incompetent and presided over moments of dreadful tragedy. Nevertheless, from the early 1800s the Empire was committed to abolishing the slave trade in the name of a Christian conviction of the basic equality of all human beings. It ended endemic inter-tribal warfare, opened local economies to the opportunities of global trade, moderated the impact of inescapable modernisation, established the rule of law and liberal institutions such as a free press, and spent itself in defeating the murderously racist Nazi and Japanese empires in the Second World War. As encyclopaedic in historical breadth as it is penetrating in analytical depth, Colonialism offers a moral inquest into the colonial past, forensically contesting damaging falsehoods and thereby helping to rejuvenate faith in the West's future"--Publisher's description. 2023. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 325/.341
Down to the sea in submarines : a Cold War odyssey /Dan Conley ; foreweord by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB, OBE, DL. "This memoir charts the career of the author in the Royal Navy Submarine Service, and in doing so details many of the Silent Service's remarkable achievements since the end of the Second World War. And it provides a dramatic first-hand account of the underwater confrontation during the Cold War between submarines of the West and those of the Soviet Union. Dan Conley narrates the successive stages from his basic submarine training to taking command of two nuclear attack submarines. He sets out in detail what life was like serving onboard submarines, and in particular the book describes the British submariner's remarkable transformation from a kind of buccaneering free spirit, serving on a worn-out WW2 boat during the sunset of the British Empire, to the highly professional individual who spends prolonged periods under the sea in a vessel which matches the complexity of a space craft. The book also sets out the long and difficult challenges encountered in developing effective weapon systems and discusses the difficulties and shortcomings in the UK?s defence procurement system, a situation which still exists today. Ultimately, however, Western technological superiority and crew proficiency enabled the submarines of the Royal and United States Navies to match those of the Soviet Union, and he describes vividly the suspense and tension of underwater confrontations which might so easily have escalated to another terrifyng dimension of warfare. Though the Cold War is in the past, the West now confronts an aggressive, recidivist Russia and a more aggressive China. Britain?s submarine force once again will be key to the security of all its citizens. This fine memoir, while capturing vividly the key events and history of the Cold War, will open the reader's eyes to the significance and importance today of the Royal Navy Submarine Service." 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available.
Early ships and seafaring. Sean McGrail. "In this volume Professor Sean McGrail introduces the reader to a relatively new branch of Archaeology - the study of water transport - how early rafts, boats and ships were built and used. Concepts, such as boatbuilding traditions, ship stability and navigation without instruments, are first described. Archaeological research is then discussed, including sea levels in earlier times, how to distinguish the vestigial remains of a cargo vessel from those of a fighting craft; and the difference between a boat and a ship. Chapters 2 and 3, the heart of the text, deal with the early water transport of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe, from the Stone Age to Medieval times. Each chapter includes a description of the region's maritime geography and an exposition of its boat-building traditions. The third element is a discussion of the propulsion, the steering and the navigation of these early vessels. The sparse, often jumbled, remains of excavated vessels have to be interpreted, a process that is assisted by consideration of early descriptions and illustrations. Studies of the way traditional builders of wooden boats ply their trade today are also a great help. Experimental boat archaeology is still at an early stage but, when undertaken rigorously, it can reveal aspects of the vessel's capabilities. Such information is used in this volume to further our understanding of data from boat and ship excavations, and to present as coherent, comprehensive and accurate a picture as is now possible, of early European boatbuilding and use."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123.11
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
The boundless sea : a human history of the oceans /David Abulafia. "For most of human history, the seas and oceans have been the main means of long-distance trade and communication between peoples - for the spread of ideas and religion as well as commerce. This book traces the history of human movement and interaction around and across the world's greatest bodies of water, charting our relationship with the oceans from the time of the first voyagers. David Abulafia begins with the earliest of seafaring societies - the Polynesians of the Pacific, the possessors of intuitive navigational skills long before the invention of the compass, who by the first century were trading between their far-flung islands. By the seventh century, trading routes stretched from the coasts of Arabia and Africa to southern China and Japan, bringing together the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific and linking half the world through the international spice trade. In the Atlantic, centuries before the little kingdom of Portugal carved out its powerful, seaborne empire, many peoples sought new lands across the sea - the Bretons, the Frisians and, most notably, the Vikings, now known to be the first Europeans to reach North America. As Portuguese supremacy dwindled in the late sixteenth century, the Spanish, the Dutch and then the British each successively ruled the waves. Following merchants, explorers, pirates, cartographers and travellers in their quests for spices, gold, ivory, slaves, lands for settlement and knowledge of what lay beyond, Abulafia has created an extraordinary narrative of humanity and the oceans. From the earliest forays of peoples in hand-hewn canoes through uncharted waters to the routes now taken daily by supertankers in their thousands, The Boundless Sea shows how maritime networks came to form a continuum of interaction and interconnection across the globe: 90 per cent of global trade is still conducted by sea. This is history of the grandest scale and scope, and from a bracingly different perspective - not, as in most global histories, from the land, but from the boundless seas."--Provided by the publsher. 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 551.46