Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Empire Javelin, D-Day assault ship : the British vessel that landed the US 116th infantry on Omaha Beach /Philip Kay-Bujak. "Empire Javelin an American-built LSI (Landing Ship, Infantry) in Royal Navy service, played an important role on D-Day. She carried A Company 116th RCT (the famous 'Bedford' Boys') across the Channel and her landing craft put them ashore on Dog Green sector as part of the initial assault or 'suicide wave', onto Omaha beach. In telling her story, Philip Kay-Bujak does justice to the contribution of the Royal Navy at Omaha Beach, which has been underappreciated in the past (when directing Saving Private Ryan, Stephen Spielberg notoriously said there was no British involvement). Drawing heavily on first-hand accounts, the author covers the actions of the ship herself and of the landing craft launched from her in great detail. One third of her landing craft were lost in the first wave alone. He also reveals Empire Javelin's earlier life, from design and construction, through launch and training. Similarly, he relates her service after that fateful day in June 1944, when she continued to ferry troops across the Channel for several months. The events surrounding her sinking in December 1944, either by U-boat or a mine, while laden with troops, are also fully examined. The author's skilful narrative is supported by archive photos, the whole forming a fitting testament to the contribution of Empire Javelin and ships like her, which, though less glamorous than battleships and destroyers, played a vital role in Operation Overlord and the liberation of Europe."--Provided by the publisher.' 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.5421421

Captain Kidd and the war against the pirates / Robert C. Ritchie "The legends that die hardest are those of the romantic outlaw, and those of swashbuckling pirates are surely among the most durable. Swift ships, snug inns, treasures buried by torchlight, palm-fringed beaches, fabulous riches, and, most of all, freedom from the mean life of the laboring man are the stuff of this tradition reinforced by many a novel and film. It is disconcerting to think of such dashing scoundrels as slaves to economic forces, but so they were - as Robert Ritchie demonstrates in this lively history of piracy. He focuses on the shadowy figure of William Kidd, whose career in the late seventeenth century swept him from the Caribbean to New York, to London, to the Indian Ocean before he ended in Newgate prison and on the gallows. Piracy in those days was encouraged by governments that could not afford to maintain a navy in peacetime. Kidd's most famous voyage was sponsored by some of the most powerful men in England, and even though such patronage granted him extraordinary privileges, it tied him to the political fortunes of the mighty Whig leaders. When their influence waned, the opposition seized upon Kidd as a weapon. Previously sympathetic merchants and shipowners did an about-face too and joined the navy in hunting down Kidd and other pirates. By the early eighteenth century, pirates were on their way to becoming anachronisms. Ritchie's wide-ranging research has probed this shift in the context of actual voyages, sea fights, and adventures ashore. What sort of men became pirates in the first place, and why did they choose such an occupation? What was life like aboard a pirate ship? How many pirates actually became wealthy? How were they governed? What large forces really caused their downfall? As the saga of the buccaneers unfolds, we see the impact of early modern life: social changes and Anglo-American politics, the English judicial system, colonial empires, rising capitalism, and the maturing bureaucratic state are all interwoven in the story. Best of all, Captain Kidd and the War against the Pirates is an epic of adventure on the high seas and a tale of back-room politics on land that captures the mind and the imagination."--Provided by the publisher. 1986 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92Kidd

First victory, 1914 : HMAS Sydney's hunt for the German raider Emden /Mike Carlton. "When the ships of the new Royal Australian Navy made their grand entry into Sydney Harbour in October 1913, a young nation was at peace. Under a year later Australia had gone to war in what was seen as a noble fight for king, country and Empire. Thousands of young men joined up for the adventure of having 'a crack at the Kaiser'. And indeed the German threat to Australia was real, and very near - in the Pacific islands to our north, and in the Indian Ocean. In the opening months of the war, a German raider, Emden, wreaked havoc on the maritime trade of the British Empire. Its battle against the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, when it finally came, was short and bloody - an emphatic First Victory at sea for the fledgling Royal Australian Navy. This is the stirring story of the perilous opening months of the Great War and the bloody sea battle that destroyed the Emden in a triumph for Australia that resounded around the world. In the century since, many writers have been there before Mike Carlton. Most were German, some of them survivors of the battle, others later historians, and they have generally told the story well. British accounts vary in quality, from good to nonsense, and there have been some patchwork American attempts as well. Curiously, there has been very little written from an Australian point of view. This book is - in part - an attempt to remedy that, with new facts and perspectives brought into the light of day."--Provided by th epublisher. 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.459(94)

Islamic seapower during the age of fighting sail / Philip MacDougall. "Studies of the "Age of Fighting Sail" have tended to focus on the British or American navies, or sometimes on those of France or Spain. However, there were also at this time very significant navies built by the Islamic powers: the North African Barbary states, whose ships, allegedly pirates, plagued Mediterranean shipping and raided even as far as Cornwall and the south coast of Ireland; the Ottoman Empire, which built the largest sailing warship ever; the navies of Arabian and Indian rulers and of Persia, which were forces to be reckoned with in the Indian Ocean; and more. This book presents a comprehensive survey of Islamic seapower from about the beginning of the seventeenth century until the middle of the nineteenth century, charting the rise and fall of different Islamic navies. It focuses on strategy, examining the development and implementation of naval policy and exploring the technology that supported it. It considers the wars Islamic navies participated in, covers all the areas in which Islamic navies operated, and relates Islamic naval power to wider international power politics. The book highlights in particular the importance of the large Ottoman navy, which influenced and gave a lead to other Islamic naval powers."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.02(5)

Privateering : patriots and profits in the War of 1812 /Faye M. Kert. "During the War of 1812, most clashes on the high seas involved privately owned merchant ships, not official naval vessels. Licensed by their home governments and considered key weapons of maritime warfare, these ships were authorized to attack and seize enemy traders. Once the prizes were legally condemned by a prize court, the privateers could sell off ships and cargo and pocket the proceeds. Because only a handful of ship-to-ship engagements occurred between the Royal Navy and the United States Navy, it was really the privateers who fought-and won-the war at sea. In Privateering, Faye M. Kert introduces readers to U.S. and Atlantic Canadian privateers who sailed those skirmishing ships, describing both the rare captains who made money and the more common ones who lost it. Some privateers survived numerous engagements and returned to their pre-war lives; others perished under violent circumstances. Kert demonstrates how the romantic image of pirates and privateers came to obscure the dangerous and bloody reality of private armed warfare. Building on two decades of research, Privateering places the story of private armed warfare within the overall context of the War of 1812. Kert highlights the economic, strategic, social, and political impact of privateering on both sides and explains why its toll on normal shipping helped convince the British that the war had grown too costly. Fascinating, unfamiliar, and full of surprises, this book will appeal to historians and general readers alike."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 341.362.1(73)"18"

Hunt the Bismarck : the pursuit of Germany's most famous battleship /Angus Konstam. "In the spring of 1941, the Bismarck was one of the most powerful warships in the world, and the single greatest threat to both the Royal navy and the vital Atlantic convoys that the navy sought to protect. Having entered service in the summer of 1940, she was well armed, with eight 15in. guns as well as a powerful array of lighter weapons, and her armoured protection had earned her the reputation of being unsinkable. For nine m onths she remained in port as a latent threat to Britain's vital maritime lifeline whilst Germany's U-boats caused devastation in the Atlantic, sinking hundreds of thousands of tons of Allied shipping. However, although the Battle of the Atlantic was going favourably for the Germans, they lacked sufficient U-boats to have a truly decisive effect on the war. More resources were required, and those at hand included the mighty Bismarck. Consequently, throughout the early months of 1941, both the Axis and the Allied naval powers began to prepare themselves for the inevitable sortie of the Bismarck into the Atlantic. Finally, in May, she slipped her anchors in Gotenhafen Bay, set to break out into the Atlantic Ocean and devastate Atlantic convoys - but the Allies were ready for her. In the Bismarck's way was the Royal Navy's Home Fleet based in Scapa Flow, reinforced by screening forces covering the routes from the North Sea into the North Atlantic. The greatest naval conflict in the Battle of the Atlantic was about to begin. Drawing on a wealth of first-hand accounts and extensive research, this fast-paced narrative from renowned naval historian Angus Konstam tells the story of Bismarck's epic and final voyage."--Provided by the publisher. 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545943

Hero of the fleet : two world wars, one extraordinary life : the memoirs of centenarian William Stone /William Stone. "William Stone died on 10 January 2009 aged 108. He received a hero's funeral. Born in rural Devon, he joined the navy during the First World War, travelled the globe just before the British Empire's light began to fade and saw action in some of the most significant sea battles of the Second World War. Afterwards, he returned to Devon to run a barber's shop, an altogether more peaceable existence. As time passed, he became one of a dwindling number of men still alive who had served in the Great War. This meant that for some of the most momentous anniversaries clocked up recently - including the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War - William was a guest of honour. This autobiography bridges two wars and encompasses the remarkable episodes and adventures. It was an ordinary life lived in extraordinary times. He died at a time when the navy is attempting to embrace new ships that bear scant resemblance to those that William knew and face the challenges of a world that shrinks with every bold technological advance. His was a different kind of boldness. This is his astonishing story." 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.45941092

Flota spod bia±o-czerwonej / Jan Piwowonski ; ilustrowa± Adam Werka. "Description of the Polish Merchant and military Navy from the interwar period to the present day. It contains illustrations by Adam Werka - one of the best marine illustrators, who recorded almost the entire maritime history in his paintings and drawings."--Provided by the publisher (translated from Polish). 1989. • BOOK • 1 copy available. txt

Report of the Committee on Naval Boilers : vol 4: report on trials of HMS Hermes Great Britain. Parliament 1904 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 621.18

Behind Japanese lines : the untold story of Royal Marine Detachment 385 This publication, produced privately by the Royal Marines Historical Society, focuses on Detachment 385, which secretly took part in operations in 1945 behind Japanese lines, in close cooperation with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Covering Burma, Siam, Sumatra and Malaya, the detatchment's expeditions included picking up and dropping agents, beach reconnaisance, deception raids and supply dropping. The publication is split into the operation reports of every landing, written at the time, usually by the leader of the expedition. 1996 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.353.4(42)

Thetis down : the slow death of a submarine /Tony Booth. "On 1 June 1939 His Majesty's Submarine Thetis sank in Liverpool. Her loss is still the worst peacetime submarine disaster the Royal Navy has faced when ninety-nine men drowned or slowly suffocated during their last fifty hours of life. The disaster became an internationally famous event."--Provided by the publisher. 2008. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.085.3THETIS

Mortality of British Merchant Seamen Home, W. E. 1934 • PAMPHLET • 1 copy available. 656.61.071.22:616

A new collection of voyages, discoveries and travels: containing whatever is worthy of notice, in Europe, Asia, Africa and America ... Knox, John 1767 • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 094:910.4"14/17"

Civil war navies 1855-1885 Silverstone, Paul H 2001 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82(73)"1855/1883"

Lords of the sea / by John R. Hale. The rise of the Athenian navy led indirectly to the invention of democracy. This 'history as thriller' account features a cast of colourful characters combined with a stirring chronicle in the mould of Rubicon and Persia. 2010. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.353(38)"-0483/-0322"

Warship 1991 / edited by Robert Gardiner. Gardiner, Robert. 1991. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82"1991"

Battle of Jutland 1916 An account of the Battle of Jutland between the German and British fleets off the Danish coast in 1916. The author examines the events before, during and after the battle in which the Royal Navy lost three capital ships (Indefatigable, Queen Mary and Invincible), three heavy armoured cruisers (Black Prince, Warrior and Defence), eight destroyers (Tipperary, Shark, Sparrowhawk, Turbulent, Ardent, Fortune, Nomad and Nestor) and over 6,000 men. The author considers the relative technical strength of the fleets, leadership and decision-making. The text is illustrated throughout with photographs and battle maps. An appendix details the opposing fleets and principal commanders. 2002 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 355.49"1916"(42:43)

The Polar sale : Scott & Amundsen centenary :Friday 30 March 2012 at 2 pm, Knightsbridge, London. Bonhams (Firm : 2001) 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Science, utility and maritime power : Samuel Bentham in Russia, 1779-91 /Roger Morriss. "During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Samuel Bentham influenced both the technology and the administrative ideas employed in the management of the British navy. His influence stemmed from his passion for science, from his desire to achieve improvements based on a belief in the principle of Utility, and from experience gained over eleven years in Russia, a large part in the service of Catherine the Great and Prince Potemkin. Having travelled extensively throughout the north and south of Russia, Poland and Siberia, he managed Potemkina (TM)s industries at Krichev, built fast river galleys, armed the Russian flotilla of small craft at Kherson and served with the flotilla that defeated the Turks in the Black Sea. His main ambition was to open river communication in Siberia and develop trade into the Pacific. However he returned to England and in 1796 became Inspector General of Naval Works, a post in which he fought for innovations in the technology and management of the British royal dockyards. Regarded then by the Navy Board as a dangerous maverick, this book reveals the experiences, creativity and thinking that made him a major figure in British naval development."--Provided by the publisher. [2015]. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92BENTHAM

Operation Pedestal : the story of convoy WS21S August 1942 /Brian James Crabb. "This book reveals the true story of Operation Pedestal, the convoy to relieve the desperate plight of Malta in August 1942. Thirteen modern cargo ships and the new American oil tanker Ohio were selected for their speed, size and reliability, protected by a large escort of Royal Navy warships. But on only the second day after their entry into the Mediterranean the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle was struck by four torpedoes and sunk by U-73, followed by crippling damage to HMS Indomitable from the air the next day, reducing the strength of the escort by half at the outset. The convoy was repeatedly attacked by aircraft, submarines and E-boats, resulting in the loss of cruisers HMS Cairo and HMS Manchester and the destroyer HMS Foresight. Nine of the cargo ships were sunk and six naval vessels were crippled. However, HMS Port Chalmers, Rochester Castle and Melbourne Star reached Malta on 13 August. The following day, a damaged Brisbane Star was also nursed into harbour. But the best news of all was the arrival of the crippled oil tanker Ohio on the 15th. She had been bombed to a standstill but was kept afloat by the Royal Navy and towed to Valletta against all odds. Her voyage is legendary. Many brave men were lost during this heroic and most bombarded convoy of the Second World War, and all are recorded in this book. It tells a gripping, heroic story, accompanied by a generous selection of photographs and a host of technical detail. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.1(458.2)"1942"

British submarines : in the cold war era /Norman Friedman. "The Royal Navy's greatest contribution to the Allied success in World War II was undoubtedly the defeat of the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic, a victory on which all other European campaigns depended. The underwater threat was the most serious naval challenge of the war so it was not surprising that captured German submarine technology became the focus of attention for the British submarine service after 1945. It was quick to test and adopt the schnorkel, streamlining, homing torpedoes and, less successfully, hydrogen-peroxide propulsion. Furthermore, in the course of the long Atlantic battle, the Royal Navy had become the world's most effective anti-submarine force and was able to utilise this expertise to improve the efficiency of its own submarines. However, in 1945 German submarine technology had also fallen into the hands of the Soviet Union and as the Cold War developed it became clear that a growing Russian submarine fleet would pose a new threat. Britain had to go to the US for its first nuclear propulsion technology, but the Royal Navy introduced the silencing technique which made British and US nuclear submarines viable anti-submarine assets, and it pioneered in the use of passive - silent - sonars in that role. Nuclear power also changed the role of some British submarines, which replaced bombers as the core element of British Cold War and post Cold War nuclear deterrence. As in other books in this series, this one shows how a combination of evolving strategic and tactical requirements and new technology produced successive types of submarines. It it is based largely on unpublished and previously classified official documentation, and to the extent allowed by security restrictions, also tells the operational story - HMS Conqueror is still the only nuclear submarine to have sunk a warship in combat, but there are many less well known aspects of British submarine operations in the postwar era. Although some of the Cold War activities of British submarines have come to light in recent years, this book will be the first comprehensive technical history of the submarines themselves, their design rationale, and the service which operated them."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. txt

Steel's naval chronologist of the war, from its commencement in Feb 1793, to its conclusion in 1801 / Steel, David. 1802?. Steel, David, 1802? • RARE-BOOK • 3 copies available. 094:355.49"1793/1801"(4)

Steel's naval chronologist of the war, from its commencement in Feb. 1793, to its conclusion in 1801. Steel, David, [1802?] • RARE-BOOK • 2 copies available. 355.49"1793/1801":094

That Hamilton woman : Emma and Nelson /Barry Gough "Emma Hamilton, much maligned by her contemporaries and later by historians and commentators, rose from the most humble beginnings to play a startling role in Britain's naval victory over France and Spain in 1805. In this new book Barry Gough, employing the letters between the protagonists, and the unpublished examination of her career by famed American historian of the Royal Navy Arthur Marder, strongly defends Emma. He shows how this most talented of women and the beauty of her age fell victim to innuendo, slander and cruel caricature. She was to die in poverty in Calais in 1815, just months before Napoleon's final defeat. England's greatest sailor fell deeply in love with Emma in the years before Trafalgar. This, together with his quest for glory and victory entangled him in an inescapable web of circumstances and calumny. The author explores the evolving scandal, the high political stakes that were involved, and the love affair itself which so influenced the fortunes of England's glory and the fate of her Wooden Walls. No novelist could have created such a tortuous scenario, charged as it was with high emotions, slurs, insults and slander. Richly illustrated throughout, the book shows Emma, probably the most painted woman of her age, in all her glories; it also shows how heartlessly caricaturists treated her. 'That Hamilton woman' will long remain a controversial figure but here the author places her as one of the forces that gave the Royal Navy its will to fight and conquer. He depicts sympathetically a woman entrapped in circumstances of her own making, her saga reminding us of how frail is human fortune."--Provided by the publisher 2016. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 92HAMILTON

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