Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Evolution's captain : the tragic fate of Robert Fitzroy, the man who sailed Charles Darwin around the world A biography of Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865). Joining the navy at the age of 12, Fitzroy became a skilled hydrographer and was given command of the Beagle in 1828. This book concentrates on the two voyages undertaken by Fitzroy on the Beagle and their impact on him, particularly in the light of his later suicide. Fitzroy returned from his first voyage to survey the southern coastlines of South America with four Feugian captives with the intention of educating them in Christian values. He returned to South America on the second voyage (1831-1836) with the three surviving Feugians, this time also accompanied by Charles Darwin. On their return to England, Fitzroy, a devout Christian, became increasingly estranged from Darwin as their views on evolutionary theory diverged. Fitzroy was also a Member of Parliament and briefly Governor of New Zealand before his assignment to the new Meteorological Office within the Marine Department of the Board of Trade. Establishing the fundamental techniques of weather observation and early coastal weather stations, his work went largely unrecognised and his daily forecasts were often ridiculed. He died after committing suicide in 1865. 2003 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82BEAGLE

Jutland letters, June-October 1916 : from Commodore C.E. Le Mesurier RN, 4th Light Squadron ('John Jellicoe's own') to his wife Florence, from the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow with a recollection by their son, E.K. Le Mesurier RN, Captain of the HMS Belfast 1948-1950 /edited by Harriet Bachrach ; foreward by Major General Julian Thompson CB OBE. The letters of Commodore C. E. Le Mesurier, Commander of HMS Calliope, written to his wife from 1 June 1916 - 17 October 1917 following the Battle of Jutland and edited by his granddaughter. The 4th Light Cruiser Squadron consisted of HMS Calliope, Caroline, Constance, Comus and Royalist. The letters sent from HMS Calliope provide an insight into the naval actions taken at Jutland and include a list of those injured and killed on board, with their addresses so that Florence Le Mesurier could write to members of their families. The letters also provide an insight into life in the Royal Navy at the time as well as social history. 2006. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92LEMESURIER

Britannia Royal Naval College 1905-2005 : a century of officer training at Dartmouth /Jane Harrold and Richard Porter. "In 2005 Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) celebrated one hundred years of officer training and education at the shore-based establishment in Dartmouth. As part of the year long commemorations of the centenary of BRNC, Dr Jane Harrold and Dr Richard Porter have written a definitive history of the College, the genesis of Royal Naval Officers throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. The story of BRNC is recounted focusing on the people and events that have shaped the College and the Royal Navy over a hundred years. The book starts by looking back at life for the cadets on board the College's predecessors HMS Britannia and HMS Hindostan, before exploring the Edwardian architecture of Aston Webb's College, using photographs of its unique architectural details. The development of naval education is examined, from the Selborne-Fisher Scheme of 1902, through the introduction of an all eighteen year old entry in the 1950s, up to present day restructuring of the syllabus and academic faculty. The College has also enjoyed a close association with the Royal Family, three twentieth century monarchs having received a Dartmouth education, in addition to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of York. The two World Wars also left their mark on the College and their impact is assessed. The first conflict saw the mobilisation of the College for war, while the second witnessed the bombing of the College itself. Finally the day-to-day life of the College, throughout a century punctuated by change, is examined to prove that the fundamental values of tradition, respect and leadership remain as valid today as one hundred years ago."--Provided by the publisher. 2005. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 359.00711423592

International seafarers and transnationalism in the twenty-first century / Helen Sampson. "This ethnographic account of seafarers considers issues of transnationalism in the twenty-first century and discusses the detailed life experiences of migrant workers in this context. It argues for a consideration of the social space available to transnational migrant workers and suggests that the transnational experiences of migrants may be more likely to involve exclusion and alienation than an expansion of social space as a result of bi-location in more than one community. Based upon original qualitative research in three different settings, the book draws upon voyages undertaken by the author on five different working cargo ships. This highly readable book will be of interest to readers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in issues of migration, transnationalism, work, the shipping industry and globalisation. It will also appeal to individuals with a connection to, or an interest in, the merchant navy."--Provided by the publisher. 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 387.544

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

Ship models from the age of sail : building and enhancing commercial kits /Kerry Jang. "The vast majority of period ship models are built from kits, usually primarily of wood with some ready-made fittings. Although these commercial offerings have improved significantly in recent years, all of them can be enhanced in accuracy or detail by an experienced modelmaker. This book, by an expert ship modeller, distils lessons gleaned from a lifetime practising the hobby to the highest standards, setting out methods of improving basic kits and gradually developing the skills and confidence to tackle the construction of a model from scratch. Using a variety of kits as the starting point, each chapter demonstrates a technique that can be readily improved or a feature that can be replaced to the advantage of the finished model. Topics include hull planking, representing copper sheathing, many aspects of more accurate masting and rigging, and how to replace kit parts and fittings from scratch. Ultimately, the impact of a period model depends on its accuracy, and the book also provides guidance on plans and references, where to find them and how they are best used. The plank-on-frame model, sometimes with exposed frames in the Navy Board style, has always been considered the crowning achievement of period ship modelling, and this book concludes with coverage of the very latest kits that put fully framed models within the reach of ordinary mortals. Offering advice, expertise and inspiration, Ship Models from the Age of Sail has something for anyone interested in building a period ship model, whatever their level of skill."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.8203

Better conceiv'd than describ'd : the life and times of Captain James King (1750-84), Captain Cook's friend and colleague /Steve Ragnall. Better Conceiv'd than Describ'd is the first full biography of James King - the interesting, though tragically short-lived, Royal Navy Officer in the reign of George III. Captain James King's adventurous life saw him lay claim to Alaska in the name of George III, fight as a frigate captain in the American War of Independence and test the marine chronometer that revolutionised navigation. Starting in the small town of Clitheroe (in Lancashire), and taking us to the edges of the then known world on a great voyage of discovery, this book shows the development of James King not only as a sailor but also as an astronomer sponsored by the Board of Longitude, while also examining the death of Captain Cook at the hands of the Hawaiians. With cameo appearances from Horatio Nelson, the infamous William Bligh, society artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, diarist Fanny Burney and statesman Edmund Burke, this is a 'who's who' of Georgian society and shows the importance of patronage in the second half of the 18th century. 2013. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 92KING, JAMES

Voyages with a merchant prince : secrets of the Ripley diary /J.M. & M.F. Hutchinson. "If it should be a pirate, we had a fine ship, well armed and plenty of men to use the arms, what had we to fear? Accordingly, all hands were set to make preparations for defence against an enemy. The bosun got ready the great guns, the arms chest was unlocked - muskets, swords, handspikes, pistols, all in demand ...' The Ripley Diary, 12th July 1830. A sailing ship on a voyage that would make a fortune. On board - an ambitious shipowner, his flirtatious young wife, and a crew on the verge of mutiny. Smuggling, piracy and shipwreck are all encountered on this amazing journey. For the first time, the remarkable Ripley Diary is in print. It documents an astonishing voyage to a secret destination in China. This original nineteenth-century text is unique, revealing the early days of free trade in defiance of the edicts of the Emperor of China. It is a national treasure. Enjoy the story of Thomas Ripley, hailed by the Liverpool Chronicle as 'one of our most successful merchant princes', a man who rose from rags to riches. Share the thrill of watching whales and dolphins, the excitement of racing a rival ship to Java, and the delights of exotic locations. If you want to know the truth about life on a sailing ship in the nineteenth century, then read this book. Find out why some of the men were pressed into the British Navy and others were clapped in irons. Discover for yourself the secrets of the Ripley Diary, secrets hidden for 180 years."--Back cover. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92RIPLEY

The naval tracts of Sir William Monson Monson, William, Sir 1902-1914 • BOOK • 11 copies available. 355.49"15/16"

Battleships : WWII evolution of the big guns : rare photographs from wartime /Philip Kaplan. Beginning with a pictorial essay on battleship construction in the 1930s and 1940s, this new book looks at the various design facets of the last great capital ships of the world's navies. Kaplan offers us a glimpse into those massive American and German navy yards and construction facilities that were put to use during this time, acquainting us with the arenas in which these final examples of battleship technology were laid down, built up, launched, fitted out, commissioned and taken out to sea. The book roots itself in a period of monumental change within the history of contemporary warfare. With the baton being passed from the battleship community to that of the aircraft carrier, the iconic battleship was gradually superseded by a new and even more threatening weapons system. It was destined to be consigned to the history books, whilst newer, slicker and more efficient fighting machines took precedence. This publication serves as a tribute to a lost legend of naval warfare. There is a look at some of modern history's most significant battleships, relaying their thrilling stories, defining characteristics and eventual fates. Ships featured include Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Warspite, Tirpitz and Yamato. The book is completed with 'Fast and Last', a visit on board the four final examples of battleship technology and design, the last serving battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. Their Second World War careers are recounted, as are the qualities that made them special. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2(100)"1939/1945"

Blue versus Orange : the U.S. Naval War College, Japan, and the old enemy in the Pacific, 1945-1946 /Hal M. Friedman. "Blue versus Orange: The U.S. Naval War College, Japan, and the Old Enemy in the Pacific, 1945-1946, by Hal M. Friedman, closely analyzes war gaming at the Naval War College in the academic year 1945-46, as both a reflection and source of the U.S. Navy's doctrinal and strategic responses to the experience of World War II - responses that would help the Navy shape its approach to the Cold War. The book describes in fascinating detail the practice of war gaming at the Naval War College in that era."--Provided by the publisher. 2013 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.49"1945/1946"(73:52)

Samuel Pepys and the strange wrecking of the Gloucester : a true restoration tragedy /Nigel Pickford. "In 1682, Charles II invited his scandalous younger brother, James, Duke of York, to return from exile and take his rightful place as heir to the throne. To celebrate, the future king set sail in a fleet of eight ships destined for Edinburgh, where he would reunite with his young pregnant wife. Yet disaster struck en route, somewhere off the Norfolk coast. The royal frigate carrying James and his entourage sank, causing some two hundred sailors and courtiers to perish. The diarist Samuel Pepys had been asked to sail with James but refused the invitation, preferring to travel in one of the other ships. Why? What did he know that others did not? Religious and political tensions were rife in the years leading up to the wreck of the Gloucester. James was a Catholic, as was his wife, and there was a large constituency who wished them dead. Plots and conspiracies abounded. The Royal Navy was itself in disarray, badly equipped and poorly organised. Could someone on board be to blame for the sinking, either from malice or incompetence? Nigel Pickford's compelling account of the catastrophe draws on a richness of historical material including letters, diaries and ships' logs, revealing for the first time the full drama and tragic consequences of a shipwreck that shook Restoration Britain."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.452

Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war 1652-1654 1899-1931 • BOOK • 11 copies available. 355.49"1652/1654"

HMS Terror / Matthew Betts. "In the summer of 1845, Sir John Franklin and a crew of 128 men entered Lancaster Sound on board HMS Erebus and HMS Terror in search of a Northwest Passage. The sturdy former bomb ships were substantially strengthened and fitted with the latest technologies for polar service and, at the time, were the most advanced sailing vessels developed for Polar exploration. Both ships, but especially HMS Terror, had already proven their capabilities in the Arctic and Antarctic. With such sophisticated, rugged, and successful vessels, victory over the Northwest Passage seemed inevitable, yet the entire crew vanished, and the ships were never seen again by Europeans. Finally, in 2014, the wreck of HMS Erebus was discovered by Parks Canada. Two years later, the wreck of HMS Terror was found, sitting upright, in near pristine condition. The extraordinarily well-preserved state and location of the ships, so far south of their last reported position, raises questions about the role they played in the tragedy. Did the extraordinary capabilities of the ships in fact contribute to the disaster? Never before has the Franklin Mystery been comprehensively examined through the lens of its sailing technology. This book documents the history, design, modification, and fitting of HMS Terror, one of the world?s most successful polar exploration vessels. Part historical narrative and part technical design manual, this book provides, for the first time, a complete account of Terror's unique career, as well as an assessment of her sailing abilities in polar conditions, a record of her design specifications, and a full set of accurate plans of her final 1845 configuration. Based on meticulous historical research, the book details the ship's every bolt and belaying pin, and ends with the discovery and identification of the wreck in 2016, explaining how the successes and ice-worthiness of Terror may have contributed to the Franklin disaster itself. It is an ideal reference for those interested in the Franklin Mystery, in polar exploration, the Royal Navy, and in ship design and modelling." -- Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82TERROR

Art and the war at sea 1914-45 / edited by Christine Riding. "While many publications have engaged with the events, artists and poets associated with war fought on land, the cultural history of the war at sea has been neglected. This original book redresses this imbalance by being the first study to focus on the art of war in the first half of the 20th century from a distinctly naval and maritime perspective. Drawing on the first-class collections of paintings, works on paper (including drawings, photography and posters) and archival material, such as private papers, journals and memoirs, held at the National Maritime Museum, London, the artistic response to the war at sea is analysed in the context of specific focus points such as the major arenas of naval conflict; life on board ships, aircraft carriers and submarines; the experiences of prisoners of war and the response of artists to the commemoration and legacy of key maritime events. Featuring the work of established and lesser known artists, this publication will make an invaluable contribution to war art scholarship while also presenting a little known aspect of a major museum collection. Contents: Preface; Introduction, Christine Riding; Chapter 1: Pictorial Narratives of the War at Sea: Wyllie, Eurich and Wilkinson, Pieter van der Merwe; In Focus: The Sinking of the Lusitania, Robert J. Blyth; Chapter 2: The Face of War: Officers and Ratings, Melanie Vandenbrouck; In Focus: 'Something wrong with our bloody ships today': The Battle of Jutland, Andrew Choong Han Lin; Chapter 3: Above and Below Deck, Melanie Vandenbrouck; In Focus: Weary Watching and Waiting: Daily Life in the Battle Fleets of the First World War, Jeremy Michell; Chapter 4: From Service to Captivity: The Artist as Eyewitness, Melanie Vandenbrouck; In Focus: White Ensigns and Red Dusters: The Royal and Merchant Navies in Wartime, John Graves; Chapter 5: Art, Artists and the Home Front, Amy Miller and Christine Riding; In Focus: Merchant Navy Comforts, Amy Miller; Public Memorials, Symbolic Spaces, Christine Riding; In Focus: Rozanne Hawksley: War, Memory and Commemoration, Amy Miller; Endnotes; Bibliography; Picture credits; Index."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 2 copies available.

Maritime education and training : a practical guide /Robert L Tallack. 1997. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.88/071

Scratch one flattop : the first carrier air campaign and the Battle of the Coral Sea /Robert C. Stern. "By the beginning of May 1942, five months after the Pearl Harbor attack, the US Navy was ready to challenge the Japanese moves in the South Pacific. When the Japanese sent troops to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the Americans sent the carriers Lexington and Yorktown to counter the move, setting the stage for the Battle of the Coral Sea. In Scratch One Flattop: The First Carrier Air Campaign and the Battle of the Coral Sea, historian Robert C. Stern analyzes the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first major fleet engagement where the warships were never in sight of each other. Unlike the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Coral Sea has received remarkably little study. Stern covers not only the action of the ships and their air groups but also describes the impact of this pivotal engagement. His analysis looks at the short-term impact as well as the long-term implications, including the installation of inert gas fuel-system purging on all American aircraft carriers and the push to integrate sensor systems with fighter direction to better protect against enemy aircraft. This essential text on the first carrier air campaign, Scratch One Flattop is a landmark study on an overlooked battle in the first months of the United States' engagement in World War II." [2019] • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.54/26

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