Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Rebels at sea : privateering in the American Revolution /Eric Jay Dolin. "The heroic story of the founding of the U.S. Navy during the Revolution has been told many times, yet largely missing from maritime histories of America's first war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels that truly revealed the new nation's character - above all, its ambition and entrepreneurial ethos. In Rebels at Sea, best-selling historian Eric Jay Dolin corrects that significant omission, and contends that privateers, as they were called, were in fact critical to the American victory."-- 2022 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 973.3/5

The Sea Devil : The adventures of Count Felix Luckner, the last raider under sail /Sam Jefferson Biography of Count Felix von Luckner, most well-known for commanding the German merchant raider sailing ship SMS Seeadler during World War I. The book briefly recounts von Luckner's early life of globetrotting before joining the German Imperial Navy and assuming captaincy of the Seeadler, and focuses particularly on the period in which the ship broke through the English blockade of the North Sea and spent some 225 days in the Atlantic and Pacific capturing and sinking Allied ships, evading capture, before its own eventual sinking. Includes eight pages of black and white plates. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92VON LUCKNER

German and Italian aircraft carriers of World War II / Douglas C. Dildy and Ryan K. Noppen ; illustrated by Paul Wright. "This book explains the role of naval aviation in the two powers' rearmament programs, and how wartime experience proved how challenging it is for even a powerful navy to build and operate aircraft carriers. Packed with new artwork and archive photos, it tells the history of the Graf Zeppelin, the Italian attempts to convert the liners Roma and Augustus, and other German and Italian carrier conversion projects which never left the shipyard or the drawing board." 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.8255094309044

Shipwrecks of the Solent / Richard M. Jones "The stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth has been one of the busiest shipping areas around the British Isles since antiquity. It is no surprise that the Solent has claimed so many ships in its time. The Royal Navy has been based in Portsmouth for centuries and the ocean liners have been regularly sailing from Southampton since the nineteenth century, and this waterway has endured war, storms and accidents throughout its history, as well as witnessing numerous maritime celebrations and everyday passage of boats and ships. Among the shipping disasters on the Solent have been the unexpected sinking of the Mary Rose in 1545, the mystery of the Flag Theofano, missing from her anchorage in 1990, and the fight to save the disabled car carrier Hèoegh Osaka in 2016. The world?s worst hovercraft disaster in 1972 and the celebrations as the Mary Rose was raised ten years later show that the Solent is, and always has been, a place for history and drama."-- 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4520916336

Arctic genius : Sir William Edward Parry : the original Arctic explorer "This is the life of a forgotten hero. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13, endured years of arduous patrol duty in the English Channel, the Baltic and on the coast of North America, and became a pioneer of British Arctic exploration. He led four expeditions over ten years culminating in a failed attempt to reach the North Pole over land. Parry became an international celebrity. He and John Franklin, his close friend, made headline news frequently. The British public were absorbed by the Arctic regions with their mystical reputation whilst the explorers, marvelling at the sculpted icebergs, strange meteorological events and the inexplicable display of the Northern Lights, developed a spiritual relationship amounting to near obcession." 2025. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Voices from Jutland : a centenary commemoration /Jim Crossley. "Jutland was the only major fleet engagement to take place during the First World War, and indeed the only time in history in which columns of great dreadnought battleships fought each other. In spite of terrible losses of life, the battle did nothing to change the strategic situation in northern European waters, in fact it simply confirmed Britain?s command of the seas and her ability to enforce the blockade which was eventually to lead to Germany?s downfall. This new book examines the strengths and weaknesses of both navies and identifies some of the reasons for the disappointing performance of the Royal Navy in the battle." 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.4/55

Ships' figureheads : famous carving families /Andrew Peters "Written by a professional ship's carver who has restored many figureheads, this book reveals the skills and stories behind the profession and some of the primary families - the Hellyers and the Dickersons - back to the 18th century. The Hellyer family carved over 350 figureheads for the Royal Navy plus many for merchant yards while the smaller Dickerson family carved over 220 figures. Ships' Figureheads reveals information about these and other carving families, providing a socio-historic account of the times and in so doing an insight into the world they inhabited, with an in-depth practical knowledge of their work." 2025. • BOOK • 2 copies available. 736.4

War with Japan Great Britain. Ministry of Defence (Navy) 1995 • BOOK • 8 copies available. 940.545.9(42:52)

Warships of the Great War era : a history in ship models /David Hobbs. "The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world, many of which are official, contemporary artefacts made by the craftsmen of the navy or the shipbuilders themselves, and ranging from the mid seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. This book is one of a series that takes a selection of the best models to tell the story of specific ship types - in this case, the various classes of warship that fought in the First World War, from dreadnoughts to coastal motor boats. It reproduces a large number of model photos, all in full colour, and including many close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, the book weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history."--Provided by the publisher. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 086.5:623.82

Loss and cultural remains in performance : the ghosts of the Franklin expedition /Heather Davis-Fisch. "In 1845, John Franklin's Northwest Passage expedition disappeared. The expedition left an archive of performative remains that entice one to consider the tension between material remains and memory and reflect on how substitution and surrogation work alongside mourning and melancholia as responses to loss."--Provided by the publisher. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

The ships of Scapa Flow / Campbell McCutcheon. "The islands surrounding Scapa Flow made one of Britain's best natural harbours, while the location at the north of Scotland protected the approaches to the North Sea and Atlantic. The naval base was important during both wars but what makes Scapa Flow famous is its wrecks, the remains of a German fleet, which once numbered some 74 vessels, most of which were scuttled in 1919, as well as the war graves of HMS Royal Oak and HMS Vanguard. The wrecks of the navy ships still survive, along with eight German warships for which a second war came and prevented salvage. Now a divers' paradise, the wrecks of Scapa Flow bring divers from all over the world and employ many in Orkney itself. This is the story of the ships of Scapa Flow, their sinking and their salvage, using many previously unseen images of the recovery and subsequent removal of many of the German battleships and cruisers to Rosyth dockyard in Fife for breaking up." -- back cover. 2013. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.085.3(411.2)

1942 : the Second World War at sea in photographs /Phil Carradice. "As 1942, the fourth year of the war, began, victory for the Allies was still a long way off. German submarines were sinking ships off the coast of the United States in what would become known as the 'Second Happy Time' for the U-boat crews while Allied vessels were falling victim to Japanese aircraft and warships in the Far East. Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen made their dash through the Channel to German waters while in the Arctic the battleship Tirpitz and German aircraft and submarines menaced the convoys supplying Russia. However, convoys continued to get through to supply beleaguered Malta despite heavy losses to submarines and aircraft, and in the Pacific the US Navy inflicted defeats on the Japanese at the key battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, battles in which the major vessels never actually saw each other, fighting with carrier-borne aircraft instead. Troops were landed on the island of Guadalcanal and in North Africa. In this book, Phil Carradice uses many rarely seen images to tell the story of the Second World War at Sea in 1942."--Provided by the publisher. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545.9(42)"1942"

Oceanic : White Star's 'ship of the century' /Mark Chirnside. "Oceanic was the largest ship in the world when she was launched in 1899. The White Star Line's 'Ship of the Century', she was their last express liner before the Olympic and Titanic and her lavish first-class accommodation became renowned among Atlantic travellers. Serving on the company's express service for fifteen years, she earned a reputation for running like clockwork. Days after the outbreak of war, she was commissioned into the Royal Navy and converted into an armed merchant cruiser. However, her new-found status was not to last -- she grounded on the rocks off Foula, in the Shetlands, within weeks and became a total loss. When she was wrecked, she had on board Charles Lightoller, Titanic's senior surviving officer. Oceanic: White Star's 'Ship of the Century' is the first book that looks at the entire career of this one-of-a-kind flagship. With human anecdotes, hitherto unpublished material and rare illustrations, Mark Chirnside's book is a beautiful tribute to a unique ocean liner."--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123OCEANIC

William IV : a king at sea /Roger Knight. Part of the 'Penguin Monarchs' series, the author gives a concise and perceptive biography of William IV, the 'Sailor King'. Beginning with his childhood, it covers his years with the navy, his long relationship with the actress Mrs Jordan and his marriage to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. Inheriting the throne at a time of strikes, riots and the push for parliamentary reform, the author shows William as a better king than sailor, leaving the monarchy in a healthier state for the smooth succession of his niece, Victoria. A genealogical table is included, along with colour images of paintings and caricatures of the time. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92WILLIAM IV

The Spanish Civil War at sea : dark and dangerous waters /Michael Alpert. "The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 underlined the importance of the sea as the supply route to both General Franco's insurgents and the Spanish Republic. There were attempted blockades by Franco as well as attacks by his Italian and German allies against legitimate neutral, largely British, merchant shipping bound for Spanish Republican ports and challenges to the Royal Navy, which was obliged to maintain a heavy presence in the area. The conflict provoked splits in British public opinion. Events at sea both created and reflected the international tensions of the latter 1930s, when the policy of appeasement of Germany and Italy dissuaded Britain from taking action against those countries' activities in Spain, except to participate in a largely ineffective naval patrol to try to prevent the supply of war material to both sides. The book is based on original documentary sources in both Britain and Spain and is intended for the general reader as well as students and academics interested in the history of the 1930s, in naval matters and in the Spanish Civil War."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 946.08145

Historic ship models : of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries /Arnold and Henry Kriegstein. "In terms of quality, historical significance and sheer numbers, the Kriegstein family's ship model collection in the United States is the finest in private hands anywhere in the world. Principally made up of official seventeenth- and eighteenth-century models in the Admiralty or Navy Board style, the collection would be the envy of any maritime museum. As the models are not on public display, this book fills the need for a detailed catalogue and visual reference with superb colour photos of all the models, both overall portraits and multiple close-ups. Apart from lengthy descriptions of these magnificent artefacts, space is devoted to how they were identified, and the valuable research done by Arnold and Henry Kriegstein, the identical twins whose shared passion brought this all together. Beyond the technicalities of the ships, the story has a human dimension in the brothers' adventures in pursuit of every model and their dogged determination to secure them against official obstruction and dubious antiques-trade practices. This is an entirely new and revised edition of 17th and 18th Century Ship Models first published in 2007, now expanded to include the additions to the collection since that date."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82010973

Titanic captain : the life of Edward John Smith /G.J. Cooper. A biography of Edward John Smith (1850-1912), captain of the Titanic. Born in Staffordshire, Smith went to sea at the age of seventeen and rose through the ranks of the merchant navy. He served on both sailing ships and later the steamships of the White Star Line. Given the command of RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage in 1912, Smith, regarded by many as the 'millionaire's captain', was by then White Star's senior commander, admired and trusted by his wealthy passengers. Smith died following Titanic's collision with an iceberg. There are conflicting reports of Smith's actions and behaviour in the evacuation of the ship and of his death. Although open to criticism for his seamanship, Smith was exonerated of blame by both the US and British official inquiries. Perceived by many as a hero for his stoicism and fortitude in the face of disaster, the author also details the campaigns to memorialize his name. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92SMITH, JOHN

Tracks on the ocean : a history of trailblazing, maps and maritime travel /Sara Caputo. "From their first appearance on Renaissance maps, linear tracks representing maritime voyages have shaped the way we see the world. But why do we depict journeys as lines, and what is their deeper meaning? Ferdinand Magellan's route to the Pacific embodied the promise of adventure and colonisation, while the scientific charts of the Royal Navy inspired others to plan conquests, navigate treacherous waters and establish settlements across the oceans. In Tracks on the Ocean, prize-winning historian Sara Caputo charts a hidden history of the modern world through the tracks left on maps and the sea. Taking us from ancient Greek itineraries to twenty-first-century digital mapping, via the voyages of Drake and Cook, the decks of Napoleonic warships and the boiler rooms of ocean liners, Caputo reveals how marks on maps have changed the course of modernity." 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 387.509

Operation Title : sink the Tirpitz /Glyn L. Evans. "Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to Tirpitz as 'The Beast,' and on 25th January 1942 he wrote, 'The destruction or even the crippling of this ship is the greatest event at this present time. No other target is comparable to it.' With these words the seeds were sown for Operation TITLE, an Allied mission to sink Tirpitz. Harvesting began on 19th October 1942 when the fishing boat, Arthur, sailed from Scalloway with a crew of four Norwegians, a six-man team of Royal Navy divers and two 'chariots' in a brave attempt to tame 'the Beast.' Arduous training of men, fine tuning of the experimental 'chariots,' and the determination of those who undertook this mission all combined in a contest comparable with the biblical tale of David and Goliath. In this case Goliath, in the form of Tirpitz, survived with, sadly, the death of one Able Seaman, Robert Paul Evans RN. This book is a tribute to him and to all those who, undertaking similar dangerous deeds of valour, shared the same fate." 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542/1

Convoy PQ13 : unlucky for some /Morris O. Mills. The author's autobiography focusing on his experiences during ther Second World War. Mills joined the SS New Westminster City as a deck apprentice in 1940 at the age of 16 and sailed on the first arctic convoy, leaving Liverpool on 12 August 1940, as part of Operation Dervish, and returning in convoy QP1. Mills sailed on his second arctic convoy (PQ13) in March 1942, but having arrived in Murmansk, he was on board the New Westminster City when it was hit during a German bombing raid. Mills was seriously injured and hospitalised in Murmansk before leaving for Britain on HMS Edinburgh as part of QP11. HMS Edinburgh was then itself sunk during the voyage as a result of a torpedo attack and although rescued, Mills was returned to hospitals in both Murmansk and Archangel before finally being repatriated on HMS Gossamer and USS Tuscaloosa. Mills details his experiences both on board ship and in hospital. Discharged as medically unfit in 1943, Mills retrained as an electrician and served with the RAF at USAAF Alconbury before joining the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool. 2000. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92MILLS

Regulations and instructions relating to His Majesty's service at sea : established by His Majesty in council. Great Britain.-Admiralty 1790 • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 094:355.51(42)"1790"

Battleship Musashi : the making and sinking of the world's biggest battleship "Admiral lsoroku Yamamoto, the man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbour, said that the three great follies of the world were the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, and the battleship Musashi. Yamamoto understood that sheer size and firepower would not be decisive factors in the battle for naval supremacy in the Pacific. The Musashi was massive - upright it would have approached the size of the Chrysler Building. Outfitted with eighteen-inch armor plating and nine eighteen-inch guns, the largest ever mounted on a warship, the Musashi was considered by its creators to be invincible and unsinkable. Yet during its two years of active duty with the Combined Fleet, it never fired a single shot against another ship. It was sunk, as Yamamoto had predicted, by torpedoes and bombs. Akira Yoshimura's dramatic reconstruction of the birth of the Musashi portrays a nation preparing for total war. Under these extreme conditions, courage, genius, and integrity coexisted with brutality, folly, and paranoia. During the more than four years it took to build and outfit it, shipyard engineers and their Navy mentors were faced with seemingly insurmountable technical problems and plagued by natural calamities and the constant fear of espionage. The solutions they found to each successive crisis were sometimes brilliant, sometimes absurd. Battleship Musashi is a tribute to the men who achieved this engineering marvel and a testament to the excesses of bureaucratic militarism."--Provided by the publisher. 1999 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2(52)

Observations on the zodiacal light : from April 2, 1853, to April 22, 1855, made chiefly on board the United States steam-frigate Mississippi, during her late cruise in eastern seas, and her voyage homeward : with conclusions from the data thus obtained /by George Jones Jones, George, 1856. • RARE-FOLIO • 1 copy available. 910.4(520:73):094

Sea battles and naval heroes in the 17th-century Dutch republic / Peter Sigmond and Wouter Kloek. "In the 17th century the sea was crucially important to all the inhabitants of the Republic of the United Provinces. The wealth of the regents was based on merchant shipping and overseas trade, and the fishing industry was vital for the feeding of the whole population. Safety at sea and protection against enemy invasion were guaranteed by the war fleet. Consequently, the navy and the admirals who commanded the fleet were at the centre of attention. After all, their success of failure determined the fate of many. If they were successful they were worshipped; if they lost. they were abused by the mob. Many paintings, prints, drawings and objects in the Rijksmuseum bear witness to these men and their fortunes at sea. There are splendid images of sea battles and portraits of admirals and their ships. But what do these wonderful pictures tell us? Why were they made? What do they really show, and how did they originate?"--Back cover. 2007. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 75.047(26:492)"17"

Explore our Collection