Explore our Collection

Language
Format
Type

showing 325 library results for 'main'

Design on the high seas : setting the scene for entertainment architecture aboard cruise ships /Joseph Farcus. "Design on the High Seas is an autobiographical account of the architectural design work of Joseph Farcus, which charts his career as an architect who eventually found his way into the cruise-ship industry, in the early days of what is now a truly global business in more ways than one. His works reflects a hard-earned disciplined practice that has helped to foster sophisticated designs for the billion-dollar cruise-ship industry. Many of the projects featured in the pages of this book reflect the beautiful ships of Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's leading cruise-ship company, as well as those of the celebrated Costa Cruises. The volume combines spectacular full-colour photography, original sketches, and a compelling, first-person narrative to showcase Farcus's spectacular journey. The author shares anecdotes from his childhood, his university days and his early career, giving an insight into what inspired the architect he was to become - and explaining how the astronomical success of the Carnival Cruise Lines is due in no small way to his product-defining designs. Indeed, millions of passengers have enjoyed memorable and meaningful experiences aboard his works. This is a fascinating and unique account of an architectural designer's journey, and it will appeal to a broad readership: those who love to sail, those with a passion for boat design, as well as businesspeople of all backgrounds who wish to learn the story behind a leisure industry powerhouse."--Provided by the publisher 2018. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 629.123.3:747
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
When a loose cannon flogs a dead horse there's the devil to pay : seafaring words in everyday speech /Olivia A. Isil. "Have you ever wondered about the origin of "son of a gun," "flotsam and jetsam," or "hunky-dory"? You'll find the nautical derivation of these expressions and more than 250 others in this collection of nautical metaphors and colloquialisms. In addition, this book includes thought-provoking and entertaining examples of these words drawn from literature, movies, and song, and contains sections of legends of the sea and weather lore. Fascinating reading for sailors and language enthusiasts alike. Here's the scuttlebutt: Barge right in and swallow the anchor, and let's chew the fat and splice the main brace till we're three sheets to the wind. Listen, you son of a sea cook, I'm tired of minding my P's and Q's. I tell you, I'm all at sea, and this is the bitter end. Nothing I can do will keep this ship on an even keel. Hells bells! You think I didn't tell it to the old man? Delivered a broadside, I did, but he just called me a loose cannon. Maybe I caught him between wind and water. Listen, mate. You'd better bootleg a bible aboard. We're sailing under false colors, and where we're headed it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. It's Davy Jones's locker I'm talking about. The crew was scraped from the bottom of the barrel. They don't know the ropes, and anyway they're deserting like rats from a sinking ship. It's time to fish or cut bait, mate, or there'll be the devil to pay. No use flogging a dead horse. Let's stay armed to the teeth and look for any port in a storm. There'll be nothing but flotsam and jetsam when this tub goes down the hatch."--Provided by the publisher. [1996] • BOOK • 1 copy available. 422/.0883875
British campaigns in the South Atlantic, 1805-1807 : operations in the Cape and the River Plate and their consequences /John D. Grainger. "Between 1805 and 1807 the British mounted several expeditions into the South Atlantic aimed at weakening Napoleon's Spanish and Dutch allies. The targets were the Dutch colony on South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, which potentially threatened British shipping routes to India, and the Spanish colonies in the Rio de la Plata basin (now parts of Argentina and Uruguay). In 1805 an army of around 6,000 men was dispatched for the Cape under the highly-respected General David Baird. They were escorted and assisted by a naval squadron under Home Riggs Popham. The Cape surrendered in January 1806. Popham then persuaded Baird to lend him troops for an attack on Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires was taken in July but the paltry British force (around 2,400 men) was then besieged and forced to surrender in August. Popham was later court martialled for exceeding his orders. In Feb 1807 Montevideo was taken by a new (officially sanctioned) British force of 6,000 men. Whitelocke, the British Commander then attempted to retake Buenos Aires (not least to free British prisoners from the first attempt) but was defeated by unexpectedly fierce resistance stiffened by armed creoles and slaves. After heavy losses he signed an armistice, surrendering Montevideo and withdrawing all his forces. He too was court-martialled. One of the major themes of this new account is the strong Scottish connection - Baird and Popham were both Scots, and the 71st Highlanders made up the main force in the Cape and Popham's adventure. Another is the unlooked for consequences of these actions. The arrival of Scottish Calvinist ministers in the Cape influenced the eventual development of apartheid, while successful resistance to the British, with little help from Spain, shaped and accelerated the independence movement in South America."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.48"1805/1807"(42:44)
The Battle of Jutland / by Jonathan Sutherland and Diane Canwell. "The Battle of Jutland was the greatest naval engagement of the First World War, if not any war. The events leading up to the battle gave the indication that it would be a major British naval victory. But as it would transpire the results were a lot less clearcut. It had been the German vessels that had soured relations between Britain and Germany, but in the end the fleet had proved inadequate. Whilst the Germans claimed a victory, in Britain, Jutland was celebrated as another Trafalgar. Detailing the account of this colossal sea battle, the authors draw on official reports and despatches, as well as notable accounts by those such as Rudyard Kipling. The battle is placed in its context in the war and the opposing fleets and commanders are examined. The initial German plan and the British response provided the catalyst for the engagement and the battle cruiser and fleet action is examined in detail, drawing on eyewitness accounts. The five distinct phases of the battle began with the first encounter between the opposing battle cruisers. The second phase saw the Germans pursuing what they believed to be the British fleet. Then suddenly they came under heavy bombardment from the British main fleet under Jellicoe. After Admiral Scheer failed to escape into the Baltic, the final phase was fought with the Germans in full retreat. The book analyses the damage assessment on both sides and their true losses. A full order of battle is provided, with many illustrations of the key commanders. An extensive bibliography and reference section supports the work. " -- Provided by the publisher. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.456(489)
1545 : who sank the Mary Rose? "The raising of the Mary Rose in 1982 was a remarkable feat of archaeology and her subsequent preservation and display at Portsmouth a triumph of technical skill and imagination. She is more than a relic, however. She has a story to tell, and her sinking in the Solent in 1545, when under attack by the French, and the reasons for it, have intrigued historians for generations. With the benefit of access to her remains, archaeologists have been able to slowly unravel the mystery of her foundering on a calm summer's day in July 1545. This new book by one of the country's leading experts on the Mary Rose contains much that is published for the first time. It has the first full account of the battle in which Henry VIII's warship was sunk, and tells the stories of the English and French admirals. It examines the design and construction of the ship and how she was used, and develops themes begun when he was earlier commissioned by the Mary Rose Trust to write the multi-volume history of the ship. He shows for the first time conclusively that the French fleet arrived unexpectedly to seize the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth a day later than was once believed, that the many bodies found in the wreck reflect her at action stations, and that the ship had had an extra deck added and was therefore more unstable than was previously thought. Finally, the author makes it clear who was responsible for the loss of the Mary Rose, after describing what happened onboard, deck by deck, in her last moments afloat. The fascinating revelation will intrigue the general reader as well as the historian and archaeologist and the book is set to become the last word on the career of this most famous of ships."--Provided by the publisher. 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.085.3MARY ROSE
The Royal Navy and fishery protection : from the fourteenth century to the present /Jon Wise. "From the first recorded mention of British ships protecting of fishing vessels in the late fourteenth century through to recent controversies over the change in emphasis to border patrols and overseas deployments, the story of the Royal Navy's 'Cinderella Fleet' involves many dramatic incidents; until now, however, there has never been a book dedicated to the subject. Naval historian Jon Wise's new work will rectify this omission. Historically there have been two main reasons why protecting fishing vessels was so important: first, fish have always constituted an essential part of the nation's diet while, secondly, fishermen have been an important source of skilled personnel for the Royal Navy itself. It is claimed that the Fishery Protection Squadron (FPS) is the oldest in the fleet, pre-dating the formal creation of the Navy itself in the early part of the sixteenth century, yet it still remains comparatively little-known. The Squadron's most famous operations were the 'Cod Wars' of 1958-76, but for six centuries it has been engaged in the many important tasks of protection and policing of fishing fleets, though more recently it has turned its attention to patrolling oil and gas fields, overseeing quotas and sustainability, and policing the ongoing disagreements over who can fish where and when. The author covers subjects as diverse as the battles with the Dutch for dominance in the North Sea, the protection of fishing on the eastern seaboard of America, and the role of the Squadron in the two World Wars. Containing many first-hand accounts, this thought-provoking narrative will be of particular interest to all those RN personnel who have served in the Squadron, and is set to become the definitive account of this vital but often unsung component of Britain's naval forces, and its impact on national life."--Provided by the publisher. 2023. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.00941
Spanish warships in the age of sail, 1700-1860 : design, construction, careers and fates /Rif Winfield, John Tredrea, Enrique Garcâia-Torralba Pâerez, Manuel Blasco Felip. "This book is the latest contribution to a unique series in a common format documenting in great detail the warships of the major naval powers during the age of sail. To date, four volumes have covered the British Navy, two have been devoted to the French Navy and one each to the Dutch and Russian Navies. This volume on the Spanish Navy, for much of its history the third largest in the world, fills the final gap in the ranks of the major maritime powers. This book is the first comprehensive listing of these ships in English and covers the development of all the naval vessels owned or deployed by Spain during the period of the Bourbon monarchy from 1700 to 1860 (including the period of French control during the Napoleonic Wars), but it also sets the scene for that period by summarising the origins of Spanish naval development under the preceding Habsburg regime. As with previous volumes in the series, the main chapters list all the naval vessels from 1700 onwards (including those 16th century ships which survived into the new regime in 1700) by type, with the first chapters listing the ships of the line (navâios in Spanish terminology) and frigates in descending order of firepower, and subsequent chapters covering minor and ancillary vessels. Where available, a brief service history of each individual ship is given. A comprehensive introductory section includes a group of background essays designed to provide the reader with a deep understanding of how Spanish naval forces operated, and the context within which they were organised. Certain to become the standard English-language reference work, its publication is of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the navies of the sailing era."--Provided by the publisher. 2023. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 359.8320946
National Service / by Peter Doyle and Paul Evans. "Overshadowed in the public eye by the events of the Second World War - and of the impacts of recent wars at the transition of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries - the period of National Service is sometimes portrayed as a long-running and monumental waste of time, a period of 'bull' and 'blanco' of 'jankers' and 'whitewashing'. Yet, emerging from the harsh reality of a truly world war and into the new dawn of the Cold War, it was clear that Britain would have to face new threats from old allies, and to meet considerable overseas obligations from its vestiges of Empire. The occupation of Germany would require 100,000 troops, and Palestine Aden, Cyprus and the Suez Canal Zone, would demand a strong British military presence. With only a limited number of men still in service, the government of the day had no option but to continue conscription. The 1948 National Service Act fixed the period of National Service to eighteen months with four years in the reserves. With involvement in a major, UN sanctioned war in 1950, the period of service was extended to two years with three and a half years in the reserves. The Korean War would be just one of many conflicts - the 'bush-fire wars' - of the 1950s and early 1960s in which National Servicemen would serve, and 400 would lose their lives. Between 1945 and 1963, 2.5 million young men were compelled to do their time in National Service - with 6,000 being called up every fortnight. During a period of often-brutal basic training, the raw recruits would, in the main, be turned into soldiers and airmen - the navy required more specialist skills and took only a small number of men. The new servicemen would be posted to dreary bases up and down the country, subject to the mercies of iron-hard NCOs. Travelling from home, the young conscripts would be transformed within moments of arrival into uniformed rookies - still with no idea of military discipline, tradition or procedure. From all walks of life, some would prosper - others, separated from home life for the first time, would find it traumatic. The 'call-up' finally came to a halt on 31 December 1960 and the very last National servicemen left the Army in 1963. Born from good intentions, National Service was inevitably to supply more men than the services could absorb, and would draw criticisms for its often pointless activities - criticisms that hide today the role these men had in the defence of Britain, and the post-colonial transition. The National Serviceman will explore all aspects of the life of the post-war conscripts."--from the publisher. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.211.2(42)
Reappraisals of British colonisation in Atlantic Canada, 1700-1930 / edited by S. Karly Kehoe and Michael E. Vance. "Investigates the contested legacies of British colonisation on Canada's Atlantic coast. Engages with the legacy of British colonisation in Atlantic Canada across three sections. Situates the Scottish experience within process of British colonisation, challenging the tendency to omit the Scots from critical explorations of the colonisation process in this region. Exposes the reader to a range of experiences from across the four Atlantic Provinces, which will encourage more exciting new research. Chapters are grouped in three main sections: Dispossession and Settlement; Religion and Identity; Reappraising Memory. This collection offers new perspectives on the legacy of British colonisation by concentrating on Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island), a region that was pivotal to safeguarding Britain's imperial ambitions, between 1750 and 1930. New and established researchers from Canada, Scotland and the United States engage with the core themes of migration, dispossession, religion, identity, and commemoration in a way that diverges markedly from existing scholarship. The research shines much-needed light on groups traditionally excluded from Britain's broader imperial narrative, highlighting the indigenous experience and the presence and agency of slaves, free people of colour and religious minorities"--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 971.502
The power and the glory : Royal Navy fleet reviews from earliest times to 2005 /Steve R. Dunn. "The Power and the Glory tells the story of royal fleet reviews from the fifteenth century to the 2005 International Fleet Review, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar, which was the final exhibition of that pomp and ceremony that had been an essential if irregular expression of naval strength for more than 500 years. Whether to impress or deter a foreign power, often when mobilising for war, provide reassurance for domestic consumption or celebrate a sovereign s accession, royal naval reviews were an integral part of political positioning and national pride. At these reviews, particularly during the eras of British naval dominance, potential allies or enemies were invited to marvel at British prowess, while the British public could revel in the country s naval superiority; advances in technology and ship design were showcased, often for commercial benefit, and homage paid to kings and queens at the head of their fleets. Starting with an examination of the reasons for Britain s need for and close association with a navy, the author goes on to explain the historical, political and technological context for British fleet reviews from the time of Edward III onwards. The Royal Navy reached its apogee in the extended nineteenth century, and The Power and the Glory examines this period, in particular the aims and ambitions of the nineteen reviews during the reigns of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, and the subsequent twelve under George V, Edward VIII and George VI. After the Second World War and the Coronation Review of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the Royal Navy entered a long period of almost terminal decline which has been reflected in the lack of royal reviews since 2005. The book examines the reasons for this loss of what had been for centuries the main pillar of British power. Finally, the book looks at the history of the royal yachts, used for conveying monarchs around their shores and fleets, and how they reflected the character of the times. Political manoeuvring, technological change and the personal stories of many of the naval characters involved are all told with pace and verve, as are the histories of many of the ships involved. The Power and the Glory is a celebration of the Royal Navy and its role in our history, and in particular of its essential importance to the pomp and glory of Britain s maritime heyday in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.00941
British Fiji class cruisers and their derivatives : design, development and performance /Conrad Waters "A follow-up to the author's highly regarded history of British 'Town' class cruisers, this book takes the same approach, combining coverage of the development, design details and career highlights of the original class as well as the Uganda, Minotaur and Tiger designs that were derived from them. Often called the 'Colony' class, they were an attempt to incorporate the characteristics of the preceding 'Town' class within the reduced 8,000-ton limit agreed under the 1936 London Treaty. In general layout, they resembled the earlier class but adopted upright rather than raked funnels and masts. The use of a flat, transom stern conferred both hydrodynamic and internal space advantages. Not surprisingly, they turned out to be very cramped ships which struggled to accommodate all the wartime additions of extra electronics and light AA guns, as well as the increased crew needed to man them. Many of the later modifications to existing ships and alterations to the succeeding designs were attempts to alleviate these issues, most visibly the reduction of the main armament from four to three turrets. Nevertheless, they were available in significant numbers and gave sterling service across all theatres of the naval war. In this major study, Conrad Waters makes extensive use of archive material to provide a technical evaluation of the Fiji class design and its subsequent performance. He outlines the class's origins in the context of inter-war cruiser policy, explains the design and construction process, and describes the characteristics of the resulting ships and how these were adapted in the light of wartime developments. An overview of service focuses on major engagements, assessing the extent to which the class met its designers' expectations and detailing the consequences of action damage. Later chapters continue the story into the Cold War era, examining the various post-war modernisation programmes and concluding with the radical redesign of the Tiger class that produced the Royal Navy's last conventional cruisers. Heavily illustrated with contemporary photographs, original plans and drawings by Dave Baker, John Jordan and George Richardson, British Fiji Class Cruisers provides a definitive reference to one of the Royal Navy's most important Second World War warship designs."--Provided by the publisher. 2024 • FOLIO • 2 copies available.