Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Appointment in Normandy An account of the SS Jeremiah O'Brien's voyage back to the beaches of Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Contains details of the voyages out and back to Portland, Maine. The crew were volunteers, many of them Second World War veterans. 1995 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123.4:940.545

Slayer of the Bismarck and D-Day saviour "The Royal Navy battleship HMS Rodney was one of the most famous warships of the Second World War and remains a legend in the pantheon of naval history. In May 1941 Rodney turned Bismarck, the pride of Hitler's navy, into twisted metal, then participated in hard-fought Malta convoys and later supported the D-Day landings. Rodney's vital role, via formidable naval gunfire support, in breaking the morale of German troops during the battle for Normandy, is outlined here. Through the eyewitness accounts of her sailors and marines we discover what it was like to live and fight in a battleship at war. We learn of the many famous fighting admirals who served in, or commanded, Rodney, including Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham and Admiral Sir John Tovey. The stories of previous British warships to carry the name Rodney, dating back to the 1750s, are covered too, including the vessel that took on the batteries at Sevastopol during the Crimean War. In addition to a fresh perspective on Bismarck's destruction, the author seeks to present new insights into the inter-war mutiny that saw Rodney dubbed 'the Red Ship' and a bomb hit in 1940 that nearly destroyed her. There is even an account of how a group of HMS Rodney's sailors took part in a trailblazing British commando raid. It all makes for a thrilling, epic account of naval warfare."--Provided by the publisher 2012 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82RODNEY

A deck boy's diary The book is John Richardson's account of the day-to-day events onboard his first ship, the Willesden, which he joined in 1953, aged 16. He was born in Liverpool in 1937 and was interested in joining the navy from a young age. Before joining, he completed two years at the Wellesley Nautical School. His diary is inspired by a book he read there; a nineteenth century boy's account of his first trip to sea. In the same way he wanted to leave 'a record of the times'. The diary reveals a lot about the period, a time in which Britain relied more heavily on shipbuilding and the Merchant Navy. 2000 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92Richardson, John

Dorset : the Royal Navy /Stuart Morris. "Since Tudor times the ships of the Royal Navy have dropped anchor in Dorset's waters. The English fleet first attacked the Spanish Armada off Portland. Four captains at Trafalgar were Dorset-born. Much of the D-Day fleet set sail from Dorset. Until recently, Portland was a major naval and helicopter base, whilst Poole remains a home of the Royal Marines and Special Boat Squadron."--Provided by the publisher. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.81(423.3)

Silver State dreadnought : the remarkable story of Battleship Nevada /Stephen M. Younger. "USS Nevada (BB-36) was America's first modern battleship. When its keel was laid in 1912, kings and emperors still ruled much of the world. When it finally slipped beneath the waves in 1948, America was the undisputed global superpower. Nevada was revolutionary for its time: the first "superdreadnought"; the first US warship to be oil fired; the first to have a triple-gun main turret; and the first to have all-or-nothing armor. In World War I, it was based in Queenstown, Ireland, to provide protection for American convoys bringing troops to Europe. The only battleship to get underway at Pearl Harbor, it suffered damage from Japanese bombs and torpedoes and sank in shallow water. Raised and repaired, it did convoy duty in the North Atlantic before joining the invasion fleet for D-Day and the landings in Southern France. Shifting to the Pacific, Nevada provided bombardment support at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The end of the war saw it outgunned and outmoded, but its contributions were not over. In 1946, it survived not one but two atomic tests, the second of which left the battleship too radioactive for scrapping. On a sunny day in 1948, Nevada was towed off the coast of Oahu and used for target practice. The ship died a warrior's death."--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.3/252

Oceans apart : the journal of a seaman /by Michael John Kenn. "The British Merchant Navy fleet in the 1950's and 60's was the largest in the world. The book paints a verbal picture of what life was like in the service at that time. There are many thousands of men and women who have served faithfully both before and after that period, of whom very little is known or has been written about. Oceans Apart is one attempt to redress the balance. It give an autobiographical account of one man's experiences throughout his career from the day he joined the Sea Training School at Gravesend, Kent, aged seventeen to the day he left the sea for good. Written from the viewpoint of an ordinary Deck Hand the book provides an account of the daily life onboard both freighters and tankers, plus one liner. It shows a unique perspective, and gives an insight into the experiences of the silent heroes the country relies upon to ensure provisions for the nation. Oceans Apart is a historical and geographical autobiography where the reader accompanies A.B. Michael John Kenn on his travels and follows his adventures on the high seas. The reader will experience the humorous incidents and endure the hardships, live the solitude and enjoy the camaraderie of a life on the ocean wave. It is a true insight into the souls of the men who have served in the British Merchant Navy."--Provided by the publisher. 2008. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92KENN

Battleship Ramillies : the final salvo /Ian Johnston with Mick French ; foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Johnston, Ian, 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82RAMILLIES

Towards the South Pole aboard the Franðcais : the first French expedition to the Antarctic, 1903-1905 /Jean-Baptiste Charcot ; with an introduction by Maurice Raraty. The First French Expedition to the Antarctic set sail in August 1903 under the command of Jean-Baptiste Charcot. His diary reveals a man of culture and sensitivity. His descriptions of scenery are lyrical and emotionally charged and his sensitivity to the local wildlife was often in stark contrast to many of the other polar explorers of the day. He charted new coasts, undertook scientific work in oceanography, bacteriology, geography, geology and above all meteorology. This is a fascinating insight into a totally different style of Antarctic exploration and the reader will enjoy the delightful contrast between this expedition and others generally portrayed as more serious. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(99)"1903/1905"

That curious fellow : Captain Basil Hall, R.N. /James McCarthy. "Son of a scientifically-minded Scottish aristocrat, Basil Hall joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13 in 1802. His first naval engagements in America and Spain during the Peninsular War are described, as are his travels in India and the Far East. His renowned interview with Napoleon, while still a prisoner on St. Helena, is featured. He was a confidante of Sir Walter Scott, Dickens and many other distinguished authors of his day. He was renowned for his curiosity and energy and became a popular writer himself based on his world-wide travels and adventures. As an amateur scientist, Hall made important contributions to nautical astronomy, geology and naval technology, being a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and numbered Sir John Herschel, Mary Somerville, and Sir Humphrey Davy among his scientific friends."--Back cover. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92HALL

The great British seaside : Photography from the 1960s to the present "Many of us in Britain look back with fondness on memories of paddles in the sea and picnics on the promenade. Yet the seaside can also be a place of faded glory and acute deprivation. These tensions have provided fertile ground for documentary photographers who have sought to capture the ambiguities and eccentricities that define a day at the British seaside. Featuring works by some of Britain?s best-loved photographers ? Tony Ray-Jones, David Hurn, Martin Parr, and Simon Roberts ? this book explores our changing relationship with the seaside over the last six decades and holds up a critical and affectionate mirror to a much-loved and quintessentially British experience. Published to accompany the 2018 National Maritime Museum exhibition The Great British Seaside: Photography from the 1960s to the Present, this book showcases over 100 photographs, including material from each of the photographers? archival collections, newly commissioned works, and never-before-seen images."--Provided by the publisher 2018 • BOOK • 2 copies available. 77(42)"1960/2018"

The British way of war : Julian Corbett and the battle for a national strategy /Andrew Lambert. "How a strategist's ideas, catastrophically ignored in 1914, shaped Britain's success in the Second World War and beyond. Lawyer, civilian and Liberal, Julian Corbett (1854-1922) brought a new level of logic, advocacy and intellectual precision to the development of national strategy to meet the emerging threat of German militarism, and enable the British Empire to evolve into a Commonwealth of nations. Corbett skillfully integrated classical strategic theory, British history and emerging trends in technology, geopolitics and conflict to prepare the British state for war. He emphasised that strategy is a national construct, rather than a set of universal principles, and recognised the importance of domestic social reform. Working with Admiral Lord Fisher, Corbett replaced the naval strategy theory of Alfred Thayer Mahan with a unique, 'British way of war'. Corbett's concept of maritime strategy dominated by the control of global communications and economic war, survived the debacle of 1914-18, when Britain adopted the German 'way of war' at unprecedented cost in lives and resources. It was taken up again in the Second World War, and shaped Churchill's conduct of the conflict from the Fall of France to D-Day. And as Andrew Lambert shows, Corbett's ideas continue to influence British strategic thinking."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.4

Destroyer leader : the story of HMS Faulknor 1935-46 /Peter C. Smith. "This book tells HMS Faulknor's story from her design and launching to the scrap yard where her proud years of service eventually ended. Faulknor had the honor of sinking the first U-boat of the war, and her life from then on was one of ever-active service including the Norway campaign; as part of Force H based in Gibraltar; and seeing service against the Vichy French, the Italians and the German Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean. Her active war service ended at D-day."--Provided by the publisher. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82FAULKNOR

The correspondence of John Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal : Volume Two, 1682-1703 /compiled and edited by Eric G. Forbes, and (for Maria Forbes) by Lesley Murdin and Frances Willmoth. "The Correspondence of John Flamsteed: The First Astronomer Royal, Volume Two contains the letters Flamsteed wrote and received from June 1682 to the spring of 1703. A leading figure in the final phases of the seventeenth-century scientific revolution, his extensive correspondence with 129 British and foreign scholars touches on many of the scientific discussions of the day. Some of these exchanges involved established correspondents, chiefly Newton and Wallis, but members of a younger generation, such as Stephen Gray, William Derham, and Abraham Sharp, appear with increasing frequency, especially after 1700." 1997. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 52

The new maritime history of Devon 1992-1994 • FOLIO • 2 copies available. 942.35(26)

The wedding of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, 1625 : celebrations and controversy /edited by Marie-Claude Canova-Green and Sara J. Wolfson. "On 11 May 1625 Charles I married Henrietta Maria, the youngest sister of Louis XIII of France. The match signalled Britain's firm alignment with France against Habsburg Spain and promised well for future relations between the two countries. However, the union between a Protestant king and a Catholic princess was controversial from the start and the marriage celebrations were fraught with tensions. They were further disrupted by the sudden death of James I and an outbreak of the plague, which prevented large-scale public celebrations in London. The British weather also played its part. In fact, unlike other state occasions, the celebrations exposed weaknesses in the display of royal grandeur and national superiority. To a large extent they also failed to hide the tensions in the Stuart-Bourbon alliance. Instead they revealed the conflicting expectations of the two countries, each convinced of its own superiority and intent on furthering its own national interests. Less than two years later Britain was effectively in a state of war against France. In this volume, leading scholars from a variety of disciplines explore for the first time the marriage celebrations of 1625, with a view to uncovering the differences and misunderstandings beneath the outward celebration of union and concord. By taking into account the ceremonial, political, religious and international dimensions of the event, the collection paints a rounded portrait of a union that would become personally successful, but complicated by the various tensions played out in the marriage celebrations and discussed here."--Provided by the publisher. [2020] • BOOK • 1 copy available. 941.06/2092

The correspondence of John Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal : Volume One, 1666-1682 /compiled and edited by Eric G. Forbes and (for Maria Forbes) by Lesley Murdin and Frances Willmoth. "Professor Eric Forbes left behind at his death an important collection of the letters of John Flamsteed (1646-1719), First Astronomer Royal. A leading figure in the final phases of the seventeenth-century scientific revolution, his extensive correspondence with 129 British and foreign scholars all over the world touches on many of the scientific discussions of the day. A detailed, scholarly work of reference, The Correspondence of John Flamsteed, The First Astronomer Royal: Volume 1 is an essential guide to the exciting developments in scientific thinking that occurred during the seventeenth century. It supplements the published correspondence of Isaac Newton and Henry Oldenburg, and will be an invaluable research tool, not only for historians of astronomy, but also for researchers examining how scientific thought developed." 1995 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 52

The ambitions of Jane Franklin : Victorian lady adventurer /Alison Alexander. "In a period when most ladies sat at home with their embroidery, Jane Franklin achieved fame throughout the western world, and was probably the best travelled woman of her day. Alison Alexander traces the life of this inimitable woman, from her birth in late eighteenth-century London, her marriage to Sir John Franklin, the famous Arctic explorer, and her many trips to far-flung locations. Arriving in Tasmania in 1837 when Sir John became governor, she swept like a whirlwind through the colony: attempting to rid the island of snakes, establishing a scientific society, adopting an Aboriginal girl, and sending a kangaroo to Queen Victoria. When her husband disappeared in the Arctic on an expedition to discover the Northwest Passage, she single-handedly turned him from a failure into one of England's noblest heroes. She continued travelling well into her 70s and died at age 84, refusing to take her medicine to the last."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92FRANKLIN, JANE

Explorers' sketchbooks : the art of discovery & adventure /Huw Lewis-Jones, Kari Herbert; foreword by Robert Macfarlane. A compilation of extracts reproduced from the notebooks of seventy explorers from the 16th century through to the present day. The extracts highlight their sketches and illustrations and are supported by a brief profile of each explorer and a summary of the journeys made. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4

Discoverers of the universe : William and Caroline Herschel /Michael Hoskin. This biography traces William and Caroline Herschel's many extraordinary contributions to astronomy, shedding new light on their productive but complicated relationship, and setting their scientific achievements in the context of their personal struggles, larger-than-life ambitions, bitter disappointments, and astonishing triumphs.--Book jacket. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92HERSCHEL

The Royal Dockyards and the pressures of global war, 1793-1815 : Transactions of the Naval Dockyards Society Volume 13 August 2020 ; conference held at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich 25 April 2015 /editor Nicholas Blake. The Naval Dockyards Society. 2020. • FOLIO • 1 copy available.

A matter of honor : Pearl Harbor : betrayal, blame, and a family's quest for justice /Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan. An account of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the 'scapegoat' Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel, the failure of the top brass in Washington to provide Kimmel with vital intelligence prior to the attack, and the continuing efforts of the family to have Kimmel formally exonerated. [2016] • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.6"1941"

Empire of ice and stone : the disastrous and heroic voyage of the Karluk /Buddy Levy. "The true, harrowing story of the ill-fated 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition and the two men who came to define it. In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world's greatest living ice navigator. The expedition's visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day caribou hunting trip. Most on board would never see him again. Twenty-two men and an Inuit woman with two small daughters now stood on a mile-square ice floe, their ship and their original leader gone. Under Bartlett's leadership they built makeshift shelters, surviving the freezing darkness of Polar night. Captain Bartlett now made a difficult and courageous decision. He would take one of the young Inuit hunters and attempt a 1000-mile journey to save the shipwrecked survivors. It was their only hope. Set against the backdrop of the Titanic disaster and World War I, filled with heroism, tragedy, and scientific discovery, Buddy Levy's Empire of Ice and Stone tells the story of two men and two distinctively different brands of leadership: one selfless, one self-serving, and how they would forever be bound by one of the most audacious and disastrous expeditions in polar history, considered the last great voyage of The Heroic Age of Discovery."--Provided by publisher 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 919.804

Nelson's Star of the Order of the Bath and awards to the family of Admiral Richard Keats / Morton & Eden in association with Sotherby's. Morton & Eden 2010. • PAMPHLET • 1 copy available. 929.71BATH

The great liners story / William H. Miller. "This illustrated and colourful history charts the hey-day of the great liners, those grand and lavish vessels that cruised around the world carrying their glamorous passengers from port to port. Decorated to the highest of finishes, fitted out in the most luxurious of styles, these floating palaces epitomised their opulent age. Their iconic names, from Titanic to Mauretania, from Queen Elizabeth to QE2, conjure up visions of power, grace, elegance and nostalgia for this golden age of travel."--Back cover. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123.3"18/..."

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