Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Telegraphic determination of longitudes in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and on the north coast of South America... with the latitudes of the several stations... Norris, J A :-Lieut 1891 • RARE-FOLIO • 1 copy available. 527.093R

An authentic narrative of the proceedings of His Majesty's squadron under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, from its sailing from Gibraltar to the conclusion of the glorious Battle of the Nile : drawn up from the minutes of an officer of rank in the squadron. Berry, Edward,-Sir, 1798. • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 094:355.49"1798"(42:44)

After the storm : stories of disaster and recovery "John Rousmaniere is considered by many to have originated the storm-writing genre [...]. In his new book, his most ambitious work ever, he takes storm stories to a new level of revelation and universality. [...] In the book's interrelated stories, he tells of the hopes and choices that put sailors in harm's way, and then takes us into the gales themselves with authoritative knowledge of horrific weather and the split-second decisions that seafarers must make in appalling conditions. He explores the consequences of these disasters for survivors, rescuers, families, communities, and, in some cases, nations. And he shows how storm experiences shape reputations and beliefs, often creating myths springing from the hunger for explanation. [...] The stories include a tragedy that destroyed a prominent Boston family; the Pacific typhoon that stopped America's first war with Germany; the disappearance of the Portland - 'New England's Titanic'; the worst noncombatant disaster in U.S. Navy history; the stormy deaths of a poet (Percy Bysshe Shelley) and a visionary (Margaret Fuller); the gale that redeemed a prophet after nearly destroying him; the storm off Newfoundland that inspired the hymn 'Amazing Grace'; and two wrenching tales of derelict ships."--Provided by the publisher. 2002 • BOOK • 2 copies available. 656.61.085.3MARY CELESTE

Captain James Fairweather : his life and career /by his granddaughter Nancy Rycroft in association with Keith Mackay. Written by his granddaughter, this is a family history recounting the life of Captain James Fairweather (1853-1933). After working briefly in a Dundee factory, Fairweather went to sea in 1867 joining whaling and sealing ships such as the Victor and rising through the ranks to become Master in 1877 at the age of 24. The following year Fairweather took command of his first ship, the SS Active, a Dundee whaler working the Arctic oceans. Commanding the Aurora for six years, Fairweather continued in the sealing and whaling industry until 1888 when with the decline of the whaling industry, he sought employment in the general trade. He spent three years in command of the Vortigern taking coal from Calcutta to various Indian ports and founded Fairweather House in Calcutta as a social club for marine officers and engineers. At the outbreak of the First World War, Fairweather joined the Royal Navy Reserve, becoming Examination Officer on the Tay. In 1916 Fairweather was given a temporary commission as Lieutenant Commander R.N.R. and the command of the SS Discovery for the Shackleton Relief Expedition, although by the time he reached Montivideo Shackleton's men had already been rescued from Elephant Island. Includes excerpts from the family trees of the Fleeming, Duncan and Fairweather families, family photographs and illustrations of vessels commanded by Fairweather. 2005. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92FAIRWEATHER

Naval anti-aircraft guns and gunnery / Norman Friedman. "This book does for naval anti-aircraft defence what the author's Naval Firepower did for surface gunnery - it makes a highly complex but historically crucial subject accessible to the layman. It chronicles the growing aerial threat from its inception in the First World War and the response of each of the major navies down to the end of the Second, highlighting in particular the widely underestimated danger from dive-bombing. Central to this discussion is an analysis of what effective AA fire-control required, and how well each navy's systems actually worked. It also takes in the weapons themselves, how they were placed on ships, and how this reflected the tactical concepts of naval AA defence. As would be expected from any Friedman book, it offers striking insights - he argues, for example, that the Royal Navy, so often criticised for lack of 'air-mindedness', was actually the most alert to the threat, but that its systems were inadequate not because they were too primitive but because they tried to achieve too much. The book summarises the experience of WW2, particularly in theatres where the aerial danger was greatest, and a concluding chapter looks at post-1945 developments that drew on wartime lessons. All important guns, directors and electronics are represented in close-up photos and drawings, and lengthy appendices detail their technical data. It is, simply, another superb contribution to naval technical history by its leading exponent."--Provided by the publisher. 2013. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.822.74

Operation Sealion : The invasion of England 1940 / Peter Schenk. "It is hard to believe that in the summer of 1940, neither the Allies nor the Axis powers had any experience of large amphibious operations. German planning for Operation Sealion was concerned with pioneering new techniques and developing specialised landing craft. Remarkably, in only two months they prepared an invasion fleet of 4,000 vessels. In Operation Sealion, Peter Schenk begins by analysing and describing the vessels that were developed and deployed for the operation: converted cargo vessels and steamers, more specialised landing craft, barges and pontoons, and auxiliary vessels such as tugs and hospital ships. He then goes on to outline the strategic preparations for the landing and looks at the operational plans of, in turn, the navy, army and air force. The planned invasion is described in full detail so that the reader can follow the proposed sequence of events from loading, setting sail and the crossing of the Channel, to the landing and the early advances into southern England. Schenk uniquely estimates the chances of success. This absorbing account of Hitler's abortive mission, more detailed than anything written hitherto, is of interest not just to the naval historian but to anyone with an interest in World War II."--Provided by the publisher. 2019. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.1"1940"

Steamship operation between Britain and Australia : problems faced by steamship operators /Jacqueline Elston. "This work examines the effect that mid 19th century steamship development had on long distance trade and communications between Britain and Australia. It takes a holistic approach, drawing together a number of diverse but related themes and using much previously unseen material to challenge many former assumptions. The role of steamships is revealed as engines of imperial ambition with the British Government operating a perfidious double-edged policy; publicly espousing 'free trade' but in practice stifling it with subsidies to favoured steamship companies. This practice was designed to obtain a 'navy on the cheap' but created such disruption to communication with the emerging colonies that the tension erupted in the political press of the day. In addition this study reveals the triumphs and disasters of running a steamship company, namely the Liverpool & Australian Navigation Co who operated Brunel's SS Great Britain, without government subsidies. Steamship companies were crucial to the creation of an import/export market on which the developing colony of Australia was to depend for its growth into a successful modern economy and liberal, democratic society."--Back cover. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123.2(42:94)"18"

Japanese heavy cruisers : Myoko and Takao classes /Steve Backer. "The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This volume is devoted to the largest cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Built in defiance of treaty restrictions, they were the fastest and most powerful heavy cruisers of their day, and were heavily engaged in every campaign from Pearl Harbor to the end of the Pacific War."--Provided by the publisher."--Provided by the publisher. 2011. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 086.5:623.822.3(52)

Restoring a Dunkirk little ship : Caronia SS70 /Peter Draper "Caronia was built in 1927 on the beach at Tolcarne, Newlyn, Cornwall by Henry, Theodore & Sidney Peake. Her hull was laid in the traditional form of a St Ives Gig and she proudly wore SS70, the registration mark of a St Ives fishing vessel. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Caronia was in Le Havre, requiring a hurried return to these home shores. She returned to Newhaven where she was commandeered by the navy and, in the company of many hundreds of other Little Ships, she steamed to the beaches of Dunkirk and into the pages of history. Peter Draper acquired Caronia in 2002 and spent more than a decade restoring her to seaworthy condition, carrying out almost all of the restoration work alongside his son. Lavishly illustrated throughout with a fascinating array of photographs, Draper details the story of this restoration and explains how one of the historic Dunkirk Little Ships has returned to its former glory."--Provided by the publisher. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.12.004.4CARONIA

Skagerrak : the Battle of Jutland through German eyes /Gary Staff. "In January 1916 Vizeadmiral Scheer took command of the High Sea Fleet. This aggressive and pugnacious leader embarked upon a vigorous offensive program which culminated in the greatest clash between dreadnought capital ships the world had seen. Although outnumbered almost two to one, Vizeadmiral Scheer conducted a provocative operation on 31 May 1916. Who would prevail: the massive preponderance of British heavy calibre cannon, or the aggressive tactics of the street fighter Scheer? Manning the ships of both sides were the technically skilled and talented seamen who were prepared to carry out their duties loyally and courageously until the very end. Over 8,500 men perished in less than 10 hours of fighting, a horrendous loss, even by World War One standards. This book gives voice to many of the German Navy participants, from a German perspective, on this tumultuous battle fought over 100 years ago. These men gave their all and are gone now, but not forgotten."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.456(489)

River Plate 1939 : the sinking of the Graf Spee /Angus Konstam "Days before the outbreak of World War II a handful of German commerce raiders put out to sea to prey on Allied merchantmen. Amongst them was the Panzerschiff ('armoured ship') Graf Spee, a formidable warship that boasted the firepower of a battleship but the size, speed and range of a cruiser. When World War II commenced, under the command of Captain Langsdorff the Graf Spee began a hunting spree across the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean that eventual took her to the River Plate in search of her next victim - an Allied convoy. Instead she found three Royal Navy cruisers under the command of Commodore Harwood, eager to put an end to the 'pocket battleship' that had been terrorizing Allied merchant ships. Featuring full colour artwork, archive photographs and meticulous research, this comprehensive volume explores the thrilling story behind the Battle of the River Plate, an engagement that unquestionably demonstrated the effectiveness of British seapower and diplomacy on an international stage."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.8"1939"

Making waves : a history of the Royal Yacht Squadron 1815-2015 /Alex Martin "Founded in 1815, the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is widely regarded as the most prestigious yacht club in the world. Its clubhouse, Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight, UK, was built by Henry VIII in 1539. It overlooks the waters of the Solent and the start line of many celebrated yacht races. Since 1826 the RYS has held an annual regatta, which became known as Cowes Week. Its association with the Royal Navy began early and Nelson's captain at Trafalgar, Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, headed the long list of distinguished naval members. Today its 600 members all have an active interest in promoting yachting in all its forms, from cadet training to the America's Cup. The club's patron is Queen Elizabeth II and the club's admiral is Prince Philip. In 2015, the Royal Yacht Squadron celebrated its bicentenary. The anniversary book, Making Waves: The 200 Year History of the Royal Yacht Squadron, by the historian Alex Martin and with a foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, is being published to mark this celebration."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • FOLIO • 1 copy available.

Across seven seas and thirteen rivers : life stories of pioneer Sylheti settlers in Britain /Caroline Adams "Ten vividly told life-stories of asian seamen - pioneer settlers to Britain who sailed the world in the merchant fleets of the 1930s. Lured by danger and the promise of fortune these young men left homes in rural Assam for the dockside lodging houses of Calcutta to be recruited as ships crews in the Merchant Navy fleets. Exchanging village life for the swelter and turmoil of the wartime convoys, they sailed to meet discomfort and danger with humour and fortitude. These were pioneers - making new lives on the other side of the world, opening Indian resturants, or working in the post-war factories of the Midlands...bringing wives and families over after half a lifetime apart to Birmingham, Coventry, and London's East End."--Provided by the publisher. 1994. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61.071.22

Brunel's ships This book takes a multi-disciplinary approach to charting the origins and history of the steamships designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steam Ship Company. It recounts in detail the innovations suggested by Brunel for the Great Western in the 1830s, as well as discussing the invention of the screw propellor and how it was incorporated into Brunel's design for the Royal Navy ship HMS Rattler in 1843-1844. It also devotes attention to the transition from wooden to iron ships. The second part of the book describes each of Brunel's four ships - the Great Western, the warship HMS Rattler, the Great Britain, and the Great Eastern - in detail, including their construction and time in service. llustrations include detailed plans of ships (mostly those designed by Brunel, but also the US screw frigate Princeton and British screw ship Ajax) and their component parts, together with portraits of key figures in the development of steamships in Britain, advertising bills and contemporary news coverage of the ships. It includes an image of the Great Britain from 1844, thought to be the oldest photograph of a ship. 1999 • FOLIO • 2 copies available. 629.122.12Great Western

Warship 2018 / editor: John Jordan ; assistant editor: Stephen Dent. "Warship 2018 is devoted to the design, development and service history of the world's combat ships. Featuring a broad range of articles from a select panel of distinguished international contributors, this latest volume combines original research, new book reviews, warship notes, an image gallery and much more to maintain the impressive standards of scholarship and research from the field of warship history. This 40th edition features the usual range of diverse articles spanning the subject by an international array of expert authors."--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.82"2018"

Captain Carteret and the voyage of the Swallow / H.G. Mowat. An account of the voyage of HMS Swallow to the South Pacific from 1766 -1769 under the command of Lieutenant Philip Carteret (1793-1796). Carteret, born in Jersey, joined the Navy at the age of 14, first serving in HMS Salisbury. Later, he served as lieutenant in HMS Dolphin under Captain John Byron on his voyage of circumnavigation in 1764-1766. Tasked with exploring the Pacific in the Swallow to search for the great southern continent thought to exist there, Carteret was critical of the ship's capabilities for such a voyage and doubted whether this was in fact, the planned destination. Initially sailing in the company of the faster HMS Dolphin under the command of Captain Samuel Wallis, the ships were parted shortly after sailing through the Strait of Magellan. Carteret and the Swallow continued on independently resulting in the discovery of the Pitcairn Islands. Beset by illness on board and a lack of supplies, Swallow arrived back in England ten months after HMS Dolphin. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92CARTERET:910.4(93/96)"17"

Eighteenth-century life : William Falconer, sailor poet : 47:2 /Michael Edison and Bridget Keegan. Edson, Michael 2023. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Torpedo bombers, 1900-1950 : an illustrated history /Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage "The torpedo-bomber was a very short-lived weapon system, operational for scarcely half a century from just prior WWI to the 1960s. Yet during its brief existence it transformed naval warfare, extending the ship-killing range of ships and coastal defences to hundreds of miles. The Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm led the way, recording the first sinking of a ship by aerial torpedo in August 1915 but all major navies eagerly developed their own torpedo bomber forces. The torpedo-bomber reached its zenith in WWII, particularly from 1940-42, with notable successes at the Battle of Taranto, the sinking of the Bismarck and Pearl Harbor. It was the weapon of choice for both the US and Japanese in the big Pacific battles such as Midway. In the latter stages of the war, increasingly effective anti-aircraft fire and interceptor aircraft started to render it obsolete, a process completed post-war by long-range anti-ship missiles."--Provided by the publisher. 2020 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.74632

The Experience of Sampson Maynard, Local Preacher of the Methodist E. Church : to which is prefixed, an allegorical address to the Christian world, or, a thimble full of truth to blow up the world of error. This work by Devon-born methodist preacher Maynard Sampson combines an account of the author's life, with particular focus on how he came to be a member of the church, with a long sermon in the form of an 'allegorical address'. The autobiography includes a description of the Sampson's seven-year service as a sailor in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War, engaging both American and French forces. 1828. • RARE-BOOK • 1 copy available. 92MAYNARD:277.6:094

The Other Norfolk Admirals : Myngs, Narbrough and Shovell /Simon Harris "The careers of the three Norfolk admirals were intimately related. Narbrough and Shovell came from the small North Norfolk hamlet of Cockthorpe and Myngs from nearby Salthouse. In the 1660s, Myngs was the captain, Narbrough the lieutenant and Shovell the lowly cabin boy in the same ship. It is also possible that they were all related at least by marriage. In the majority of the naval wars of the second half of the seventeenth and the early eighteenth centuries one or other of them was invariably present. Cloudesley Shovell was born to a yeoman farmer; he entered the Navy whilst still a boy and, in 1676, came to national prominence by burning the four ships of the Dey of Tripoli right under his castle walls. This led to conflict with Samuel Pepys over a gold medal that the generous Charles II had awarded Shovell. Later there was a spectacular falling out with James II over the new king's Catholicism. Following Narbrough's premature death, Shovell married his widow: effectively the cabin boy marrying the admiral's widow which is unique in British naval history. Brave to a fault, in the reigns of William and Mary, and Anne, Shovell became the leading fighting admiral of the age. In 1707, at the very height of his considerable powers, Shovell and nearly 2,000 men drowned after his ships were wrecked on the rocks of Scilly. According to his grandson, Shovell arrived on the shore alive and was then brutally murdered for the sake of an emerald ring on his finger. Faulty navigation was at the heart of Shovell's demise; did he keep his appointment with the celebrated scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, to discuss longitude? New theories concerning the causes of the disaster are examined and also the fate of his gold dinner service. Explorer, navigator, consummate sailor and naval administrator, John Narbrough was all this and more. No biography of Narbrough has been produced for 85 years and much new material has come to light in this time. For example the rediscovery of the ship, the Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion from which Narbrough was trying to salvage sunken Spanish silver when he died from a mysterious illness. In addition, the British Library recently raised a large sum of money to buy Narbrough's journals of his voyage [1669-71] into the Pacific Ocean and up to, what is now, modern day Chile. He illustrated his journals with paintings of the flora and fauna plus accurate depictions of the harbours that he visited. On his return journey, Narbrough became the first Englishman to sail through the Strait of Magellan from west to east. Both Narbrough and Shovell owed so much to Christopher Myngs and yet no comprehensive biography of him has yet been written. In the 1650s, out in the West Indies, he played very much the part of an Elizabethan buccaneer with repeated attacks on the Spanish Main. After helping himself to treasure that more properly belonged to the state, he was shipped home to England in semi-disgrace. However, in the run-up to the Restoration of the monarchy, the authorities did not think it appropriate to discipline the most popular man in the Navy. Later, at the Four Days' Battle of 1666, Myngs leading the English van, would attempt to fight on despite having his face shattered by a musket ball. Six days later, he died at his home in London and was buried in an East London churchyard which has now become a seedy park. He deserved better."--Provided by the publisher. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92:355.333.3

Royal Naval biography : or, memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains, and commanders ... Marshall, John 1823-1830 • BOOK • 15 copies available. 92:355.33:094

Midway : dauntless victory :fresh perspectives on America's seminal naval victory of World War II /by Peter C. Smith. "This is an in-depth study of the battle of Midway that reviews the many previous accounts and compares their accuracy and veracity with fresh documentation that has been released recently, including some new material on the post-war analysis made by a select committee. There are new viewpoints on the muddle among the US Admirals; the total failure of the USAAF, despite elaborate claims; views on a whitewash of Admiral Fletcher and others; fresh thinking on the part played by the US Navy Dauntless dive-bombers in the action; the mystery of the carrier Saratoga's presence; Hollywood's totally wrong take on the battle in all the films since made about it; some new eyewitness material the author has obtained and information from Japanese sources not previously used. The Appendices will include statistical details - the ships, the planes and the men."--Provided by the publisher. 2007. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.6"1942"

Duel in the North Sea : HMS Ambuscade at Jutland /Pat Avery. "The most intensely contested and significant naval engagement of the First World War took place 100 years ago in the grey misty waters of the North Sea, near the coast of Denmark. The battle of Jutland, fought between the Royal Navy and the German Navy's High Sea Fleet, was the largest, and last, of the great battleship battles. The fierce exchanges between capital ships during the encounter has been well documented, less so the role played by the smaller destroyers, and the officers and ratings who manned them. Unseen eye witness material from those who experienced this historic battle is rare, but author Pat Avery has recently discovered the dairies of his grandfather, a telegraphist serving in the torpedo boat destroyer 'HMS Ambuscade', providing a compelling insight into events as they unfold. 'HMS Ambuscade' was at the very heart of the night fighting, which culminated in a brutal clash with the retreating German battles cruisers shortly before midnight on 31st May 1916."--Provided by the publisher. 2016 • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Battleships of the world : Struggle for naval supremacy /John Fidler "The battleships of the world's navies in the 1820s were descended directly in line from the Revenge of 1577: they were wooden-built, sail-powered and mounted guns on the broadside, firing solid shot. In the next half century, steel, steam and shells had wrought a transformation and by 1906, Dreadnought had ushered in a revolution in naval architecture. The naval race between Britain and Germany that followed, led to the clash of the navies at Jutland in 1916. Though this was indecisive, the German navy never again challenged the Grand Fleet of Britain during the war, and eventually the crews refused to put to sea again. Disarmament on a massive scale followed, but the battleship was still regarded as the arbiter of sea-power in the years between the wars. However, the advocates of air power were looking to the future, and when in 1940 biplane Swordfish torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm sank three Italian battleships at their moorings in Taranto, the Japanese sensed their opportunity. Their attack on the American Pacific fleet base at Pearl Harbor sank eight battleships - but the American carriers were at sea, and escaped destruction. Given the distances involved, the Pacific war was necessarily a carrier war, and in the major actions of the Coral Sea, Midway, Leyte Gulf and the Philippine Sea, all the fighting was done by aircraft, with battleships reduced to a supporting role. Soon after the war ended, most were sent for scrap, and a naval tradition had come to an end. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2"1820/1945"

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