Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

A short history of seafaring / Brian Lavery. From the early Polynesian seafarers and the first full circumnavigations of the globe, to explorers picking their way through the coral reefs of the West Indies, this book tells the compelling story of life at sea that lies behind man's search for new lands, new trade, conquest, and uncharted waters. The great milestones of nautical history from the discovery of America to the establishment of the Royal Navy, the naval history of the Civil War, the Battle of Midway and modern piracy are all charted and set in their cultural and historical context. 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 930.9(26)

HMS Aurora's final course in China Lei, Chang 2024 • PAMPHLET • 1 copy available.

Captain Vancouver : north-west navigator A biography of George Vancouver (1757-1798), best known for his expedition in 1791-95 to explore and chart the North Western Pacific coast of North America. Born in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, Vancouver joined the Royal Navy in 1771 sailing on HMS Endeavour and HMS Discovery as part of Cook's second and third voyages. In 1791, as lieutenant he left England in command of a new HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham on an expedition to explore the Pacific visiting Cape Town, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Hawaii before heading to North America. There Vancouver visited the coastlines of what are now British Columbia, Alaska, Washington State, Oregon and California before returning to England. Promoted to Captain towards the end of his voyage, Vancouver's reputation was damaged as a result of high profile disputes which were said to have arisen during the course of his expedition including one with Thomas Pitt, cousin of Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger. Vancouver died in obscurity in 1798. 2000 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(100)"1791/1795"

Russian faith, honour, & courage displayed in a faithful narrative of the Russian expedition by sea in the years 1769 & 1770 "Russian Faith, Honour & Courage Displayed in a Faithfull Narrative of the Russian Expedition by Sea in the Years 1769 & 1770 is British Captain John Elphinstone's four-volume account of his two years in the Russian navy, serving the Russian Empress Catherine the Great." 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

B-25 Mitchell vs Japanese destroyer : Battle of the Bismarck Sea 1943. /Mark Lardas "The key clash between the B-52 Mitchell and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) came during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, which proved to be one of the most pivotal naval engagements of World War II. In a three-day fight that saw B-52s target an IJN convoy of transports and destroyers, the Japanese suffered 75 percent casualties. his volume examines the mechanics of skip-bombing combined with a strafing B-25, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the combatants, the results of the attacks, and the reason why these USAAF tactics were so successful." 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.5426

HMS Cumberland : a classic British cruiser in war and peace /by Patrick Boniface "HMS Cumberland was laid down when Great Britain truly ruled the waves, by the time she decommissioned in 1959, Britannia's rule over the oceans had almost gone. Her story in many ways mirrors the changing fortunes of the Royal Navy from the time of Empire through the savagery of World War Two and into the nuclear era. She served in all theatres of the war and was present as the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled at the end of the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. Later she would serve with distinction in the Arctic convoys, the Mediterranean, European theatres and in the closing stages of the Second World War in the fight against Japan. A period as a trials ship followed in peacetime."--Provided by the publisher 2006. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.822.3(42)

Bitter ocean : the dramatic story of the Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1945 /David Fairbank White. From 1939 to 1945 the Battle of the Atlantic, World War Two's most decisive battle, raged across the Atlantic Ocean. Bitter Ocean is the story of how countless Allied troops perished at the hands of the German U-boats as they fought to keep vital supplies flowing. But how, ultimately, the German's couldn't defeat the combined force of the British Navy and U.S shipbuilding technology. 2007. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545.9

Admiral William A Moffett : architect of naval aviation "Naval aviation historian William F. Trimble provides a clear and detailed portrait of the man who took on the challenge of forming an aeronautical bureau within the U.S. Navy in 1921 and then nurtured the early development of naval aviation. Describing Admiral William A. Moffett as one of the first high-ranking naval officers to appreciate the importance of the airplane and the effect it would have on the fleet, the author contends that the admiral's strong background as a surface officer gave him a credibility and trust with his superiors that others could not match. The author attributes Moffett's desire to keep aviation as part of the fleet, along with his diplomacy, tenacity, and political and military knowledge, to the success of the infant air arm during its formative years. [...] The book is equally candid about the admiral's shortcomings, including his heavy-handed support for airships, a technological dead end that squandered millions and led to Moffett's death in 1933 when he went down with the airship Akron during a storm."--Provided by the publisher. 1994 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.7

British war memorials / Mark Quinlan. A study of British War memorials, remembrance and memorialisation. Memorials have been selected for detailed examination on the basis that they are representative or unusual examples, or are of national importance. The memorials include some in stained glass and other formats and commemorate those who served or were killed in war or conflict. Memorials from the early 19th century, the Crimean War, Boer War, the First World War and Second World War as well as many other campaigns, are included. Overseas memorials, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force memorials, and memorials to those awarded the Victoria Cross and George Cross, are also covered. Memorials are described in detail and illustrated with photographs. Brief biographies of memorial sculptors and designers are provided. Appendices include cabinet papers relating to the provision of national memorials on battlefields, the Report of the National Battlefields Memorial Committee, extracts from the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts covering the formation of the War Memorials Advisory Council in 1944, and relevant legislation. 2005. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 725.945(41)

Project Hula : secret Soviet-American co-operation in the war against Japan Russell, Richard A 1997 • PAMPHLET • 2 copies available. 355.358(47:73)"1942/1945"

Lincoln's admiral : the civil war campaigns of David Farragut An account of the naval campaigns led by US Navy Admiral Farragut during the American Civil War. The author focuses almost exclusively on Farragut's Civil War career. However, the book does open with a detailed chapter outlining Farragut's naval experience prior to the Civil War. The book contains detailed chapters regarding Farragut's famous engagements during the Civil War, such as New Orleans in 1862 as well as Mobile Bay in 1864. The book contains a series of black and white photographs taken in the Civil War, as well as maps of battles. The author has also included a detailed bibliography with a wide range of texts for further reading. 1997 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.49"1861/1865"(73)

Dr John Rae A biography of John Rae (1813-1893). Born in Orkney, Rae qualified as a surgeon working for the Hudson's Bay Company in Ontario, Canada. He developed a reputation for stamina and his use of snowshoes, learning to live off the land while travelling long distances, adopting and learning the ways of indigenous Arctic peoples. Rae went on to explore the Gulf of Boothia and made three voyages along the Arctic coastline from 1848-1851. In 1854, back in the Gulf of Boothia, he obtained credible information from local Inuit peoples about the fate of the Franklin Expedition which had disappeared in 1848. His report to the Admiralty included evidence that cannibalism had been a last resort for some of the survivors. Franklin's widow Lady Jane Franklin was outraged and recruited many important supporters, including Charles Dickens, to condemn Rae for daring to suggest Royal Navy sailors would have resorted to cannibalism. Rae's reputation was ruined and although he had discovered the final link in the North-West passage, he was shunned by the establishment at the time and his achievements never recognised. The text is supported by photographs, detailed notes and a bibliography. 1985 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(987)"18"

John Scott : Nelson's secretary and friend, 1764-1805 / a personal account by John Maynard "Scott may be known for his death on the Victory at Trafalgar, but his remarkable life also deserves to be known. Born in 1764 where the Spey runs into the Moray Firth, the son of a tenant farmer on the Gordon Estate, he moved to London and gained business experience before entering the Navy as a purser in 1789. Progressing from modest sloops to major ships, he also served as secretary to three different Admirals, winning their trust and affection, before joining the Victory as Nelson?s secretary in 1803. His letters to his wife Charlotte show his deep affection for his family, as well as revealing insights into the way Nelson won the hearts and loyalty of those who served under him. This story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking." 2023 • BOOK • 1 copy available.

HMS Ark Royal : zeal does not rest : 1981-2011 /Alistair Graham and Eric Grove. "HMS Ark Royal, probably the most famous warship in the world and a name that is intertwined with the 500-hundred year history of the Royal Navy itself from Drake's Armada to the Gulf War. The book tells the story of the fifth ship to bear the name Ark Royal told through the eyes of the twelve Royal Naval Captains who commanded her."--Back cover. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82ARK ROYAL

The Admiralty chart : British naval hydrography in the nineteenth century Ritchie, G S 1967 • BOOK • 2 copies available. 528.47(42)

Astronomie pratique : usage et composition de la connaissance des tems Francoeur, L-B 1830 • RARE-BOOK • 3 copies available. 520

The Abingdon waterturnpike murders : a true-life tale of crime and punishment "On October 8th 1787, a man is robbed and murdered on his way home from Abingdon's Michaelmas Fair. The story of the subsequent inquiry is revealed in some two dozen documents, retained by chance by the local magistrate responsible. As events unfold, the reader is treated to rare insight into a wide-ranging, well organised criminal underworld, and the distinct likelihood of a deliberate miscarriage of justice. In addition, many notable aspects of late eighteenth-century life are revealed: the colour and excitement of a traditional country fair, the perilous lives of river boatmen, the brutal notoriety of prize-fights,the severity of service in the county militia, the lawlessness of London's suburbs, the all-pervading influence of alcohol and brewing, the gruesome allure of public executions, and the peculiar regime of the 'wooden world' of the Georgian Navy. These and many other extraordinary, emotive, and shocking aspects of eighteenth-century life are uncovered in a book which will appeal to anyone interested in murder mysteries, the law, or the local history of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in general."--Provided by the publisher. 2003 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 343.611(410.117)"1787"

An American battleship at peace and war : the USS Tennessee "The U.S.S. Tennessee was no ordinary ship. When she set sail in 1920 it was touted as the most powerful ship in the world. Massive steel armor more than a foot thick and a dozen 14-inch guns made her a match for anything afloat. More than 10,000 men served aboard her during the two peaceful decades that followed. When the Tennessee went to war in 1941 she was obsolete but survived the attack on Pearl Harbour and saw action in a number of battles: Tarawa, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Surigao Strait, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. She was one of only two battleships to earn a Naval Unit Citation for action during World War II. In telling the story of the Tennessee, Jonathan Utley looks beyond events aboard ship. Whether he's writing about gunnery and engineering competitions, the impact of aviation, sports, or even venereal disease, Utley views shipboard life against a panoramic historical backdrop. Tennessee's story reveals much about the navy, the nation, and the world during the years between the two world wars--the Golden Age of the battleship."--Provided by the publisher. 1991 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2(73)"19"

Pirates : an illustrated history /Nigel Cawthorne. An erudite explanation of everything piratical, this book portrays the pirates, their weapons, their ships, their victims, and the historical background to all the saltwater tales of both pirates and navy. The exploits of the most famous pirates are also recounted here, from the cold-hearted ruthlessness of Blackbeard to the derring-do of Bartholomew Roberts, whose views were summed up by his motto: "A merry life, and a short one." 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 341.362.1

Atlantic Container Line 1967-2017 : A 50 year journey of innovative excellence /Philip Parker Atlantic Container Lines (ACL) is the longest continually operating container line in existence. This book records its creation and growth over its first 50 years, during which time containerisation revolutionised the shipping industry; ACL was the first European carrier, and the second overall, to embrace the concept with dedicated container ships. The vessel Atlantic Conveyor was one of the first merchant vessels requisitioned as part of the Royal Navy Task Force during the Falklands conflict. The book contains details of the ACL vessel fleet with extensive colour photos. 2017 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 347.792ATLANTIC

British military and naval medicine, 1600-1830 / edited by Geoffrey L. Hudson. "Standing armies and navies brought with them military medical establishments, shifting the focus of disease management from individuals to groups. Prevention, discipline, and surveillance produced results, and career opportunities for physicians and surgeons. All these developments had an impact on medicine and society, and were in turn influenced by them. The essays within examine these phenomena, exploring the imperial context, nursing and medicine in Britain, naval medicine, as well as the relationship between medicine, the state and society"--Back cover. 2007. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 61"16/1830"

German battleships, 1914-18. Gary Staff. "This volume covers the history of the Deutschland to Osfriesland classes of German battlecruisers, beginning with the last of the pre-dreadnought battleships and explaining the revolutionary developments, particularly the vast increases in size and armament, that took place within the German Imperial Navy as it readied itself for war. Gary Staff describes the design and technology of these classes, focusing on the development and combat experiences of individual ships. Supported by official documents, first-hand accounts and drawings, this book also contains specially commissioned artwork depicting the battleship Pommern fighting at Jutland and ships of the Osfriesland class destroying HMS Black Prince in a dramatic night-time engagement."--from Amazon. 2010. • PAMPHLET • 1 copy available. 623.82(43)"1914/1918"

The battle of the Denmark Strait : a critical analysis of the Bismarck's singular triumph /Robert Winklareth. Despite the wealth of documentary information and photographic evidence available on the battle, there continues to be controversy as to how the conflict was actually fought. This book attempts to resolve the remaining issues by a detailed technical analysis of the circumstances, while new discoveries, revealed for the first time in this book, shed new light on the battle in which the best of both navies traded salvoes and over 1,500 Royal Navy sailors were killed. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.49"1941"(42:43)

British battlecruisers, 1939-45 / Angus Konstam. When war broke out in 1939 only three true battlecruisers remained in the Royal Navy, including HMS Hood, the world's largest and fastest capital ship for much of her life. Of the remaining two battlecruisers (Repulse and Renown) one was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Singapore, while the other served with distinction until the end of the war. This book traces the pre-war development of these spectacular warships. 2003. • PAMPHLET • 1 copy available. 623.82(42)"1939/1945"

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