Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

The Development of Nuclear Propulsion in the Royal Navy, 1946-1975 / Gareth Michael Jones. "This book examines the development of nuclear propulsion in the Royal Navy from the first proposal in 1946 to the start-up of the last core improvement for the first submarine reactor power plant PWR 1 in December 1974. Drawing from unreleased records and archives, the book answers questions around three main themes. Political: what problems were encountered in transferring nuclear knowledge from the USA to the UK in the post-war period, and how much support was there for the development of nuclear propulsion? Military: why was there a requirement to develop nuclear propulsion, and in particular, why submarines? Technical: were the problems associated with nuclear energy fully appreciated, and did the UK have the technical and engineering capability to develop nuclear propulsion? Aside from the political considerations and military motives for developing nuclear propulsion in the Royal Navy, the author focuses on the technical problems that had to be overcome by all participants in the Royal Navy's development of nuclear propulsion, adding significantly to naval historiography. Providing a critical analysis of the political, technological, operational and industrial issues of introducing nuclear propulsion into the Royal Navy, the author situates his research in the context of the evolving Cold War, changing Anglo-American relations, the end of Empire and the relative decline of British power."--Provided by the publisher. [2022] • BOOK • 1 copy available. txt

The beachman's coast Suffolk : coastal communities and their boats /Robert Simper. "This book is Robert?s fortieth and is a record of the men and the boats that worked off the open beaches of Suffolk. Aldeburgh, Southwold and Lowestoft were the main beach landings but there were sixteen places where boats were once worked off a beach. Most of the boats were used for fishing but in the nineteenth century, there were also yawls operated by the Beach Companies that were the fastest work-boats in the British Isles. The golden period for beachmen was in the mid-Victorian period and there was a mini boom in inshore fishing in the 1960-70s. In 1900 there had been many hundreds of boats working from Suffolk beaches and by 2015 there were just five. By this time wooden boats had given way to high-speed fibreglass boats."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.618.2

British warship names / Captain T. D. Manning & Commander C. F. Walker "Their [Captain Manning and Commander Walker] book opens with a history of ship-naming from the earliest times for which records are available down to the present day, in the course of which they trace the changing fashions in names. This is followed by a comprehensive dictionary of ship names, which forms the main content of the book and includes the name of ever warship of importance which has served in the navy. From this the reader learns not only the derivations of the names themselves, but also the dates and brief details, including war services, of the ships which have borne them."--Book flap 1959 • BOOK • 2 copies available. 623.82(038)

Springboard to victory : Great Yarmouth and the Royal Navy's dominance in the North Sea and the Baltic during the French Wars 1793-1815 /David Higgins. "Great Yarmouth is best known for being a seaside resort and for its former status as the country's leading herring fishing port, but what has largely been forgotten is that during the French Revolutionary War (1793-1802) and the two Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) it was the main support base for naval and military operations in the North Sea and the Baltic. It was not until I researched a book called The Beachmen that I became aware of this dramatic period in the history of the town and the nation and I was surprised to find that nothing substantial had been written on the subject. Of course, a great many books had been produced on the navy's involvement in these wars, but most concentrated on the high drama of the six major fleet actions and the exploits of Horatio Nelson rather than the equally important, but more mundane, means by which the navy's warships were kept at sea."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

San Carlos to Stanley : 40 commando in the Falklands War /Peter Jackson-Lee. "San Carlos to Stanley is the first history of 40 Commando in the Falklands and dispels the belief that their only role was to look after the beachhead during this conflict. Commadore Clapp requested the men of 40 Commando remain at San Carlos as he knew he could trust them to defend his vital anchorage against Argentine counterattack from West Falkland, without which there could be no advance. Initially tasked to fly to the Falklands as tension heightened prior to the Argentine invasion, A Company, 40 Commando eventually left the UK onboard HMS Hermes ahead of the main task force. After the Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad tragedy, A and C Companies, 40 Commando replaced the Welsh Guards' losses and moved forward with that battalion to be the reserve force for the Scots Guards' attack on Mount Tumbledown and the 1/7 Gurkhas attack on Mount William. Men of 40 Commando were involved in the only daylight helicopter assault of the Falklands conflict, against an Argentine position on Sapper Hill, and if the Argentines had not surrendered and all British movements stopped, C Company followed by A Company would have been first to reach Stanley."--Provided by the Publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 997.11

The Caird Library report : an account of history of the Caird Library and other remaining pre 1948 interiors within the west central wing (ground floor) of the National Maritime Museum 1990 • FOLIO • 3 copies available. 027.54(26:421.6)

Birds of the sea : 150 years of the General Steam Navigation Company /by Nick Robins. A history of the General Steam Navigation (GSN) company, incorporated in 1824, formed by a small consortium of shipowners, including Thomas Brockelbank, with an original fleet of five Thames steamers. The book includes tables covering fleet disposition in 1826, the main routes served in 1914, losses to enemy action in the First World War, second-hand purchases between 1921-24, and excursion fleets of the New Medway Steam Packet company in 1936. The GSN was aquired by P&O in 1920 and in the 1960s became part of the North Sea Ferries and Normandy Ferries consortiums. Included is a comprehensive fleet list, including separate lists for excursion steamers, the New Medway Steam Packet Company, Moss Hutchison Line, Great Yarmouth Shipping Company, and the Grand Union (Shipping) Company. Illustrated extensively with black-and-white photographs and some colour reproductions. 2007. • FOLIO • 2 copies available. 347.792General Steam Navigation Company

Ship dioramas : bringing your models to life /by David Griffith. "This book is about the art of displaying waterline models. By their very nature, ship models that do not show the full hull and are not mounted on an artificial stand cry out for a realistic setting. At its most basic this can be just a representation of the sea itself, but to give the model a context - even to tell some sort of story - is far more challenging. This is the province of the diorama, which at its most effective is a depiction of a scene or an event in which the ship model takes centre stage. As with a painting, the composition is a vital element and this book devotes much of its space to what works and what does not, and illustrates with photographic examples why the best maritime dioramas have visual power and how to achieve that impact. Individual chapters explore themes like having small craft in attendance on the main subject, multiple-model scenarios, dockyards and naval bases, and the difficulties of replicating naval combat realistically. It also looks at both extremes of modelmaking ambition: the small single-ship exposition and the largest, most ambitions projects of the kind meant for museum display. The book concludes with some of the most advanced concepts - how to create drama and the illusion of movement, and how to manipulate perspective. Illustrated throughout with colour photos, the more abstract discussion is backed with practical 'how to' sections, so anyone who builds waterline ship model will benefit from reading this book."--Provided by the publisher. 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 086.5:629.123

Dawn of the electronic age : electrical technologies in the shaping of the modern world, 1914 to 1945 /Frederik Nebeker. "Much of the infrastructure of today's industrialized world arose in the period from the outbreak of World War I to the conclusion of World War II. It was during these years that the capabilities of traditional electrical engineering--generators, power transmission, motors, electric lighting and heating, home appliances, and so on--became ubiquitous. Even more importantly, it was during this time that a new type of electrical engineering--electronics--emerged. Because of its applications in communications (both wire-based and wireless), entertainment (notably radio, the phonograph, and sound movies), industry, science and medicine, and the military, the electronics industry became a major part of the economy. Dawn of the Electronic Age explores how this engineering knowledge and its main applications developed in various scientific, economic, and social contexts, and explains how each was profoundly affected by electrical technologies. It takes an international perspective and a narrative approach, unfolding the story chronologically."--P. 4 of cover. c2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 621.3"1914/1945"

Sputniks and spinningdales : a history of pocket trawlers /Sam Henderson and Peter Drummond. "'Sputnik trawler' is a nickname given to two classes of series-built side trawlers. In the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s, these new and revolutionary boats were intended to replace ageing steam trawlers. The little workhorses had to combat the inevitable prejudice against something ground-breaking and also the torrid economic state of the trawling industry in the 1960s. Inevitably, there were casualties. However, removed from their intended role as mini-side trawlers based at the main trawling ports, the sputniks began to turn in some fine performances for skippers belonging to the inshore ports. Sputniks became successful seine netters, pelagic trawlers and scallop dredgers, their performance often enhanced in later years by extensive rebuilding, which left fifteen-year-old vessels looking like brand new boats. Against the odds of the 1960s trawling depression, some of the sputniks even did well as side trawlers and spawned the larger 'Spinningdale' trawlers. The Spinningdales proved an exceptional success as side trawlers and their design was every bit as capable of being adapted to other forms of fishing as the sputniks. Some of the Spinningdales were built as outstandingly successful seiner/trawlers for inshore fishing, where they were later joined by many sister vessels following the demise of the trawling industry. This book is a memorial to the sputniks and Spinningdales, with brief histories and photographs, and some fine fishermen's anecdotes about the multitude of things these boats did during some of the best years the fishing industry will ever know."--Provided by the publisher. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.124.72

A shipyard at war : unseen photographs from John Brown's, Cydebank 1914-1918 /Ian Johnston. "Although best known for large liners and capital ships, between 1914 and the completion of the wartime programmes in 1920 the Clydebank shipyard of John Brown & Sons built a vast range of vessels - major warships down to destroyers and submarines, unusual designs like a seaplane carrier and submarine depot ship, and even a batch of war-standard merchant ships. This makes the yard a particularly good exemplar of the wartime shipbuilding effort. Like most shipyards of the time, Clydebank employed professional photographers to record the whole process of construction, using large-plate cameras that produced pictures of stunning clarity and detail; but unlike most shipyard photography, Clydebank's collection has survived, although relatively few of the images have ever been published. For this book some 200 of the most telling were carefully selected, and scanned to the highest standards, depicting in unprecedented detail every aspect of the yard's output, from the liner Aquitania in 1914 to the cruiser Enterprise, completed in 1920. Although ships are the main focus of the book, the photos also chronicle the impact of the war on working conditions in the yard and, perhaps most noticeable in the introduction of women in large numbers to the workforce. With lengthy and informative captions, and an authoritative introduction by Ian Johnston, this book is a vivid portrait of a lost industry at the height of its success."--Provided by the publisher. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.3(084.12)(42)

Unravelling starlight : William and Margaret Huggins and the rise of the new astronomy /Barbara J. Becker. "Challenging traditional accounts of the origins of astrophysics, this book presents the first scholarly biography of nineteenth-century English amateur astronomer William Huggins (1824-1910). A pioneer in adapting the spectroscope to new astronomical purposes, William Huggins rose to scientific prominence in London and transformed professional astronomy to become a principal founder of the new science of astrophysics. The author re-examines his life and career, exploring unpublished notebooks, correspondence and research projects to expose the boldness of this scientific entrepreneur. While Sir William Huggins is the main focus of the book, the involvement of Lady Margaret Lindsay Huggins (1848-1915) in her husband's research is examined, where it may have been previously overlooked or obscured. Written in an engaging style, this book has broad appeal and will be valuable to scientists, students and anyone interested in the history of astronomy"-- 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92:52(42)

The merchantmen in action : evacuations and landings by merchant ships in the Second World War /Roy V. Martin. "During World War 2, the Merchant Navy's main task was to run the German blockade, bringing essential food, fuel and materials to a besieged nation. The civilian crews came from all parts of the Empire and beyond - more than one in six were killed. Even less is known about the part played by merchantmen in evacuations from countries that were overrun. They saved over 90,000 troops from Dunkirk and went on to rescue more than 200,000 troops and civilians from other parts of France. When Singapore fell, the Merchant Navy again helped many to escape. They moved men and materials for the landings of Madagascar, North Africa and the Mediterranean coast of Europe. A British government press release reported that 50,000 volunteer British merchant seamen manned over 1,000 ships for D-Day. They also manned salvage ships, rescue tugs and other specialist craft. Merchantmen in Action tells the story of these other achievements. Chapters include Singapore; the Norwegian campaign; Dunkirk; the Channel Islands; Greece and Crete; Sicily and Italy; the Normandy landings; the South of France, Gibraltar, etc, with detailed ship listing and human stories."--From publisher. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545:656.61

Classic narrow boats / Malcolm Ranieri. "Today road and rail are the main movers of goods and raw materials. However, from the late eighteenth century up to the first part of the twentieth canals and navigable waterways were major parts of Britain's transport network. Nowadays, hardly any freight is carried, but enthusiasts have extensively restored canals, many from derelict condition, to be an important part of Britain's leisure industry; their well-being is promoted by the enthusiast Inland Waterways Association established in 1946, with the canals themselves being under the overall control of the British Waterways Board, now the Canal and River Trust. This superb large format book is illustrated with evocative images of restored working narrow boats in action, with some other water-borne craft seen on the canals of Great Britain, a few of these dating back to the early-1800s, but mostly from the beginning of the twentieth century. In addition, the infrastructure of the canals - the locks, cottages and aqueducts - is also shown, set against the background history of the canals and the companies that operated them. This book recreates a picture of a vanished way of life in Great Britain. Through its pages you can step back in time to an era when companies such as the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company, Fellows, Morton & Clayton, and Birmingham Canal Navigation - working on canals such as the Grand Union, Oxford, Trent & Mersey, Coventry and Birmingham - carried freight all over the country and facilitated the Industrial Revolution which made Victorian Britain the powerhouse of the world. In this collection of classic scenes, Malcolm Ranieri captures a unique, picturesque and much cherished part of Britain's industrial heritage.--Provided by the publisher. 2013 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.628(42)

The war in the Mediterranean, 1940-1943 / Bernard Ireland. Much has been written about the conduct of the land battles and the commanders who faced each other yet, as the main protagonists realised at the time, success or failure rested on the effectiveness of their seaborne supply chain. Control of the Mediterranean was therefore absolutely crucial. In the final analysis it was the Allies' ability to dominate the Mediterranean that bought them victory but there is no denying that it was a 'damned close run thing'. In this authoritative study, Bernard Ireland brings a fresh clarity to the complexities and factors at play during this critical period.--Provided by the publisher. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.1(262)

Strong to save : maritime mission in Hong Kong, from Whampoa reach to the mariners' club /Stephen Davies. "Tracing its origins back to 1822 in Whampoa, the Mariners' Club in Hong Kong was established to meet a specific need for an Anglo-Chinese society defined by that most dubious of activities, seafaring. Its creation was anything but straightforward, and in this can be seen the mutable and often tortuous relations between the various religious bodies, the local population, the transient sailors, the emerging captains of industry, and the growing regulatory reach of the colonial government. The club evolved through many embodiments and witnessed the growth of Hong Kong from a collection of mat-sheds on the foreshore, through colony to its current status. Throughout its turbulent past it has been occasionally marginalized but has always served as an important base for the key actors in the main commercial activity in Hong Kong: seafarers. This is a history of one of the most enduring institutions of Hong Kong, and the first of its kind. Using the Club's own records as well as a wide range of sources both from within Hong Kong and from the seafaring world at large, this is a comprehensive account of the life of the Missions, the tenancy of the different chaplains, managers, and stewards, the changes in seafaring practices and shipping, and the transformation of Hong Kong itself."--Provided by the publisher. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 061.21(512.317)

Leith built ships. R.O. Neish. "Leith-Built Ships is a testimony to the skill of the men who built the ships and to the many men and women who may have sailed or served on them. This history is brought together in vol. I of a three-volume series about the almost-forgotten part that Leith played in our great maritime heritage and is the culmination of the author's lifetime experience of shipbuilding. Most people may well be aware of the part played by the great shipbuilding centres in the UK's history but many may be unaware of the part played by the shipbuilders of Leith. This port was once Scotland's main port with many firsts to its name. Leith had begun building ships some 400 years before the great shipyards of the Clyde and these vessels reached all corners of the globe, touching many people?s lives. Some had sad histories while others took part in some of the great conflicts of the times; many were just ordinary working vessels that carried their crew safely through long working lives. With a pedigree of shipbuilding second to none going back over 660 years of recorded history, the ships built at Leith deserve their place in history and this book begins the story."--Provided by the publisher. 2019. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 629.12(414.1)

Bomb Alley, Falkland Islands 1982 : Aboard HMS Antrim at War /David Yates. "This is the untold story of the Falklands War as experienced by a below-decks seaman on one of the most important ships to be despatched to the South Atlantic. It is a no-holds-barred account as seen through the eyes of a Royal Navy matelot who shared the terror of the first encounter with Argentinean forces when South Georgia was retaken from the invaders in Operation Paraquat. Then, HMS Antrim led the first attack into the North Falklands Sound where she destroyed enemy defences and later became part of the main force anti-aircraft defences in the infamous 'Bomb Alley' or San Carlos Water. During one of the many air attacks, the ship was struck by a bomb that destroyed her defensive missile system, but through pure chance, the bomb did not explode and remained aboard wedged in the aft 'heads'. All around the stricken ship other RN vessels were taking extreme punishment from the almost continuous onslaught from low-flying Argentinean jets. HMS Antelope, HMS Coventry and the Atlantic Conveyer were all lost within a short period whilst the army was trying to establish a bridgehead."--Provided by the publisher. 2007. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 997.11024092

Mastering the worst of trades : England's early Africa companies and their traders, 1618-1672 /by Julie M. Svalastog. "This book directs its main focus to the Guinea Company and its members, aiming to understand the genealogy of several major changes taking place in the English Atlantic and in the Anglo-Africa trade in the 17th century and beyond. Little focus has been directed at the companies that preceded the Royal African Company, launched in 1672, and through presenting the Guinea Company - the earliest of England's chartered Africa companies, and its relationship with the influential men who became its members, the book questions the inevitability of the Atlantic reality of the later seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Through its members, the Guinea Company emerged as a purpose-built structure with the ability to weather a volatile trade undergoing fundamental change"-- 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 306.3/62094209032

The captain's table : life and dining on the great ocean liners /Sarah Edington. This book provides an insight into life at sea during the heyday of the Great Ocean Liners by exploring the dishes, menus and dining experiences offered on board. The author looks at the differences in experience between First-Class, Second-Class and steerage passengers, examining aspects of life on board the liners including dress, decor, entertainment and food. Over seventy recipes are included in the book, from soups and main courses to canapâes and puddings, including those featured on iconic ships such as Titanic, Lusitania and the Queen Mary. Drawings, photographs and reproductions of original menu cards from the National Maritime Museum illustrate the glamour and excitement of ocean voyages from the late 19th to late 20th centuries. 2011. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 656.614.2:641.5

Convicts in the colonies : transportation tales from Britain to Australia /Lucy Williams. "In the eighty years between 1787 and 1868 more than 160,000 men, women and children convicted of everything from picking pockets to murder were sentenced to be transported 'beyond the seas.' These convicts were destined to serve out their sentences in the empire's most remote colony: Australia. Through vivid real-life case studies and famous tales of the exceptional and extraordinary, Convicts in the Colonies narrates the history of convict transportation to Australia, from the first to the final fleet. Using the latest original research, Convicts in the Colonies reveals a fascinating century-long history of British convicts unlike any other. Covering everything from crime and sentencing in Britain and the perilous voyage to Australia, to life in each of the three main penal colonies , New South Wales, Van Diemenis Land, and Western Australiaii this book charts the lives and experiences of the men and women who crossed the world and underwent one of the most extraordinary punishment in history."--Publisher's description. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 325.51(94)

Cruise ships : A design voyage /Bruce Peter. "There has never been a time in history when large passenger ships have been built in greater numbers than the present. Cruise ships are one of the defining phenomena of our time, associated as they are with leisure, entertainment, conspicuous consumption and the many facets of globalisation. 'Cruise Ships: A Design Voyage' tells the story of cruise ship design and the development of the cruise industry from the late-Victorian era until the present day. The earliest cruises were overseas adventures on small yacht-like ships to the Mediterranean or to Norway's west coast -- cruise destinations still very popular today. Subsequently, in the Edwardian era and between the two world wars, cruising developed from an activity for the wealthy into one increasingly accessible to the middle classes. By the 1960s, America had become the main cruise market -- to serve which the first purpose-built, mass-market Caribbean cruise ships were built. Since then, cruise ships have grown greatly in scale and facilities, transforming from exclusive means of relaxation for the prosperous into vast floating entertainment resorts, accommodating broad cross-sections of society. 'Cruise Ships: A Design Voyage' sets the design of cruise ships and their promotion within wider contexts of architecture, design and economy."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 629.123.3(100)"18/20"

The Admiral Benbow / Sam Willis. "Admiral John Benbow was an English naval hero, a fighting sailor of ruthless methods but indomitable courage. Benbow was a man to be reckoned with. In 1702, however, when Benbow engaged a French squadron off the Spanish main, other ships in his squadron failed to support him. His leg shattered by a cannon-ball, Benbow fought on - but to no avail: the French escaped and the stricken Benbow succumbed to his wounds. When the story of his 'Last Fight' reached England, there was an outcry. Two of the captains who had abandoned him were court-martialled and shot; 'Brave Benbow' was elevated from national hero to national legend, his valour immortalized in broadsheet and folksong: ships were named after him; Tennyson later fãeted him in verse; in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, the tavern where Jim Hawkins and his mother live is called 'The Admiral Benbow'. For the very first time, Sam Willis tells the extraordinary story of Admiral Benbow through an age of dramatic change, from his birth under Cromwell's Commonwealth; to service under the restored Stuart monarchy; to the Glorious Revolution of 1688; to the French wars of Louis XIV; and finally to the bitter betrayal of 1702. The Admiral Benbow covers all aspects of seventeenth century naval life in richly vivid detail, from strategy and tactics to health and discipline. But Benbow also worked in the Royal Dockyards, lived in Samuel Evelyn's House, knew Peter the Great, helped to found the first naval hospital, and helped to build the first offshore lighthouse."--From the publisher. 2010. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92BENBOW

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)

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