Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Dover and Folkestone during the Great War / Michael and Christine George. "For centuries the south coast of Kent - in particular the ports of Dover and Folkestone - have been England's front line, as her enemies have planned invasions and launched attacks from just across the Channel. During the Great War of 1914-1918 these two towns were again vulnerable to enemy action, and they played a vital role in war effort. As this well-researched and highly illustrated book shows, the people of the Channel Ports suffered from bombardment by air and sea. They also played a significant role in the experience of the men who fought in the Great War. For the humble soldier, this stretch of coastline had a personal meaning - it represented 'Blighty'. It might be the last thing the departing Tommy would see of his country and, for a soldier returning wounded or on leave, the White Cliffs on the horizon were his first glimpse of home."--Provided by the publisher. 2008. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940(410.112)"1914/1918"

Scotland and the sea / Nick Robins. "Scottish engineering, ship-owning and operating, as well as business and entrepreneurial skills, played a major part in the success of the Merchant Navy, while Scottish emigrants took skills to every corner of the world, creating trade and wealth both abroad and at home. In terms of engineering, 'Clyde-built' was the Kite Mark for the shipbuilding industry the world over. Scottish shipowners included household names such as Allan, Anchor, Donaldson and Henderson, while Scotsmen were instrumental in founding and, for much of the time, managing Cunard, British India, P & O, Orient, Glen and many other 'English' companies. The author tells an exhilarating story of energy and inventiveness, describing the remarkable navigational skills of the highlanders and the technological and business skills of the lowlanders, and relates the early development of the steamship, the impact of emigration, the involvement with exploration and the development of trade routes, and the final flowering of the world's last great iron sailing ships. And the evidence is still here, in the Cutty Sark, the Denny test tank at Helensburgh, and the Burrel Collection at Pollock, all reminders of a remarkable story."--Dust jacket. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61(411)

The Royal naval air service in the first world war : Aircraft and events as recorded in official documents. "This book makes five original documents relating to the work of Britain's Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during the First World War readily available to students and historians. To enhance visual interest a large collection of photographs, many hitherto unpublished, has been added. Some of these relate directly to the aircraft and events mentioned in the documents, but others show developments before and after the periods covered. The five documents concerned are the Diary of Important Operations, Flanders, 1916; Disposition of Aircraft, 24 February, 1917; Royal Naval Air Service Communiques Nos 1 to 14; Truing-up of Aeroplanes: Issued by the Air Department on 1 September 1916; and The Grain drawings, a unique set of sketches and drawings made by a draughtsman at the RNAS seaplane repair station at Port Victoria, Isle of Grain, in Kent during the Great War. All of these documents offer an array of fascinating insight into Royal Naval Air Service practices during the Great War. Much of the content on display has never been printed before. This unique treasure trove of visual reference is sure to appeal to all serious First World War historians, students and enthusiasts"-- Provided by the publisher. 2015. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 359.38(42)

13 Sharks The Careers of a Series of Small Royal Navy Ships, from the Glorious Revolution to D-day. /John D Grainger "John D Grainger charts the careers of the thirteen vessels that have served the Royal Navy under the name HMS Shark. Despite the ferocious name, they have all been relatively small vessels including one brigantine, five sloops, one Sixth Rate, a gunvessel, four destroyers and a submarine. Collectively they therefore give a good representation of the various roles of these types, which receive far less attention than larger, more glamorous ships. Furthermore, as the first entered service in 1699 and the last was sunk in 1944 (having the dubious distinction of being the only Allied vessel lost on D-Day), they illustrate the changes and continuities in the Royal Navy and war at sea across almost 250 years. In each case the author considers the origin of the ship, the purpose for which it was designed and employed, its captains and where possible its crew, as well as the activities of the ship itself and its final fate; in addition background information of a general nature is included as a necessary context for those actions."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 629.123"1699/1944"SHARK

The Decoys : A tale of three Atlantic convoys 1942 /Bernard Edwards "In November 1942, Britain and America launched Operation TORCH, the ambitious invasion of French North African colonies of Morocco and Algeria. To convey 70,000 troops and their equipment required 350 merchant ships crossing the U-boat infested North Atlantic from the USA and 250 more sailing south from British ports. The need for a high level of protection for these meant withdrawing large numbers of escorts from the routine trade convoys. Amongst those left without adequate defence were RB 1 and SC 107, both eastbound from America, and SL 125, northbound from Freetown. All three were at sea at the same time as the TORCH convoys. Predictably, Admiral Donitz threw the full weight of his 140 Atlantic U-boat fleet against the now vulnerable trade convoys, which between them lost thirty-one ships and 792 men. While this unprecedented massacre was in progress, the troop-carrying convoys slipped miraculously through entirely without incident. There is nothing on record to say that RB 1, SC 107 and SL 125 were sacrificed to ensure the safe passage of the TORCH convoys but this superbly researched book sets out to examine the truth behind the rumours."--Provided by the publisher. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.3

Taming the Atlantic : the history of man's battle with the world's toughest ocean /Dag Pike. "The Atlantic Ocean has been and remains an often deadly challenge to mankind. This delightful and informative book chronicles the history of attempt to cross its hostile surface from the early days of sail to the most recent record breaking attempts in small ultra-fast craft. In between there have been fascinating sagas connected to pioneering discovery, the slave trade, mass emigration, the glamour and luxury of the famous shipping lines and war. The Atlantic has often been the testing ground for the latest technology and design. All this and more, such as navigation techniques and advance weather forecasting are covered. Despite mans best and most ingenious efforts all too often the Worlds toughest ocean comes out on top and, while it is today a major trade route, it remains one of the most daunting maritime challenges."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 656.61(261)

Dictionary of coastal command : 1939-1945 /Geoff Simpson "An alphabetical account of the part played by the 'Kipper Fleet' during the Second World War. Coastal Command often lacked resources compared with other home commands, giving it its other nickname of the 'Cinderella Service'. Its main role was defensive -- that of protecting Britain's vital seaborne supply lines in home waters as well as in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and around the coasts of Africa. Coastal Command also acted in an offensive capacity, particularly in the so-called 'Battle of the Barges' in 1940 which helped deter Hitler from invading the UK, and in the Mediterranean and the Baltic, attacking German shipping. Coastal Command, however, is most usually remembered for the war against the U-boats, one that was eventually won. From A to Z this well-illustrated book tells the story of the gallantry, the achievements, the losses, the VCs, the aircraft and much else about RAF Coastal Command."--Provided by the pulisher. 2017 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.544.9(42)(038)

Climate change: an archaeological study : how our prehistoric ancestors responded to global warming /John D Grainger. "How did our ancestors face climate change? Their response to the problem was not to attempt to stop climate change but was experimental and technological in finding ways to cope with it. Global warming is among the most urgent problems facing the world today. Yet many commentators, and even some scientists, discuss it with reference only to the changing climate of the last century or so. John Grainger takes a longer view and draws on the archaeological evidence to show how our ancestors faced up to the ending of the last Ice Age, arguably a more dramatic climate change crisis than the present one. Ranging from the Paleolithic down to the development of agriculture in the Neolithic, the author shows how human ingenuity and resourcefulness allowed them to adapt to the changing conditions in a variety of ways as the ice sheets retreated and water levels rose. Different strategies, from big game hunting on the ice, nomadic hunter gathering, sedentary foraging and finally farming, were developed in various regions in response to local conditions as early man colonized the changing world. The human response to climate change was not to try to stop it, but to embrace technology and innovation to cope with it."--Provided by the publisher. 2020. • BOOK • 1 copy available. txt

Maritime London : an historical journey in pictures and words /Anthony Burton "The book looks at London's maritime history from the establishment of Roman Londinium to the present day. It discusses many different aspects of life on the Thames and its connecting waterways and canals. There was a time when the River Thames was the main highway for the city, when watermen plied their trade carrying passengers and goods in a wide variety of craft, ranging from rowing boats to sailing barges. The Thames was also, for many centuries, a major ship building centre, and the story includes the construction of some iconic vessels from Henry VIII's flagship Henri Grace âa Dieu to Isambard Brunel's great steamship the SS Great Eastern. London was also until recently the country's most important port. In the days of sail, the Port of London was crowded with vessels and it was not until the nineteenth century that major enclosed docks were built, a process that continued into the early years of the twentieth century. The early nineteenth century also saw London connected to the rest of England through a network of canals. Other topics covered include the lifeboat service, river fire fighting forces and the river police. The result is a colourful pageant that highlights the vital role that London's waterways played in the life of the capital."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • FOLIO • 1 copy available.

Wings over the waves : Fleet air arm strike leader against Tirpitz, the biography of Lt Cdr Roy Baker-Falkner DSO DSC RN. "This is the biography of one of the Royal Navy's legendary pilots. BF or Daddy as he was known, started his career at Dartmouth and then spent his early seagoing years in Hong Kong, Nagasaki and Hiroshima. His wartime experiences as a Fleet Air pilot aboard HMS Glorious included the historic air strike at Taranto and the search for the Graf Spee. In May 1940 he was loaned to Coastal Command and attacked German Panzer tanks in a biplane, defended Allied troops over Dunkirk and was one of only a few naval officers to fight in the Battle of Britain. After a period as a test pilot at Boscombe Down he became one of only four Wing Leaders in the Royal Navy. His successful leadership lead to many more successes, not least the crippling of Tirpitz as part of a diversionary plan in the lead up to D-Day.He was a superb pilot, loved by all the air and ground crew under his command. His reputation as a fearless and dynamic leader remains a legend today. The book contains detailed and graphic accounts of aerial sorties and strikes throughout the dark days over Nazi Europe. Tragically he was killed in action in July 1944, one week prior to promotion and a job ashore. The book includes many of his letters and extracts from his diary."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Invasion scare 1940 / Michael Glover "In the summer of 1940, after evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk and the Franco/German armistice which followed the fall of France, Britain stood alone against the armed might of Hitler's Germany, supported only by the forced of her dominions and inspired by little but the rhetoric of her newly-appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. It seemed inevitable at the time that Hitler's next move would be the invasion of Britain and Churchill was not slow to use this threat to unite the people of Britain behind him; for not a few people in influential circles in Britain then favoured a quick settlement with the Fuhrer. Michael Glover's penetrating analysis of the mood of British people that summer, of the German ability to mount an amphibious invasion at the time and of Britain's ability to repel such an invasion shows how ill-founded the scare was, while explaining how well it served the British cause. Hitler, as he shows, had embarked upon a course to which there were only two outcomes - either of which was bound to lead to his ultimate downfall. But in the summer of 1940 the beleaguered inhabitants of Britain were in no mood or position to relax in the comfort of such historical hindsight. Unprepared they may have been, but as the author shows, they were unflinching, unbowed - and, ultimately, undefeated. This is, however, by no means a work of chauvinistic self-congratulations; it is rather a distinguished historian's assessment of the last great invasion scare the British Isles have endured since the Martello towers were built in 1805."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

Lighter-than-air : the life and times of Wing Commander N.F. Usborne, RN, pioneer of naval aviation /Guy Warner. A biography of Royal Navy officer Neville Usborne, who played a key role in the development of lighter-than-air aviation by the British military in the lead-up to and during the First World War. The book provides an account of Ubsorne's early life and his Navy career before his early death in 1916, alongside a detailed history of lighter-than-air flight, particularly in a military context, from the mid-19th century onwards. Includes black and white illustrations throughout. 2016. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92USBORNE

Royal Marines in Russia, 1919 : Battling the Bolsheviks during the Intervention /Alastair Grant. "At the height of the Russian Civil War in 1919 Britain poured in thousands of troops and vast amounts of munitions to assist the White Russian opponents of Lenin?s Communist forces. This was despite exhaustion following the Great War and the Spanish flu epidemic. One man involved was 23-year-old Royal Marines officer, Thomas Henry Jameson. His mission took him and his men on a journey of 5,000 miles from Vladivostok to the battlegrounds not far from Moscow. As part of a White Russian Flotilla they steamed down the huge Kama River and fought a series of successful battles against superior Bolshevik gunboats. Later they were forced to retreat and, becoming cut off behind enemy lines, had to fight their way out knowing that, if captured, they faced summary execution. Eventually after a long and hazardous journey they made it back to their parent ship. Jameson and his Marines faced a multitude of hazards in this cruel civil war including disease which he described as 'the biggest challenge of all.' In some other British units there were reports of mutiny due to terrible conditions. Yet, as this fascinating book describes, remarkably he succeeded not only to keep his men alive but inflict significant damage on a ruthless enemy." 2024. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 947.084/1

Matthew Boulton`s Neapolitan medal Hardy, Thomas A 1984 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 92Boulton

The RAF Air Sea Rescue Service, 1918-1986 / Jonanthan Sutherland and Diane Canwell. "Between 1918 and 1986 the marine branch of the Royal Air Force provided rescue facilities, support and other services to this armed service. In its pre-1941 guise as the Air Sea Rescue service, the RAF had an inventory of over 200 motorboats, supported by float aircraft engaged in rescue, towing, refueling and servicing RAF aircraft. Amongst the many characters of this early period was none other than Lawrence of Arabia. The Marine Craft Section itself came into existence in February 1941 as a direct result of the compelling need to retrieve downed pilots from the sea. Initially the craft were lightly armed, but as the chivalry between the British and the German rescue services deteriorated, the launches became heavily armed craft, not only capable of defence but also attack. They were supported by a wide variety of aircraft, including Lysanders and Walruses. The ASR was involved in Dieppe and D-Day and operated in the Mediterranean and the Far East. During the war years alone over 13,000 aircraft crew were saved by the ASR service, in addition to the many hundreds of other servicemen whose vessels had been hit by mines or had fallen prey to submarines. Jon Sutherland has written extensively on military history and warfare. Much of his previous work has concerned the American involvement in the European in World War I and the European theatre of World War II. Diane Canwell has written works on Crete and the Viking era and is much involved in the research for this book. Using an extensive network of former members of the service, the authors propose to intersperse the descriptive chapters with short first-person accounts of particular episodes throughout the service's history."--Provided by the publisher. 2010. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.354(42)"1918/1986"

Battleships : the first Big Guns :rare photographs from wartime archives /Kaplan, Philip. "This new addition to the Images of War series takes as its focus the early Big Gun battleships that saw development and deployment during the First World War. Iconic ships such as HMS Warspite and Malaya feature amidst this pictorial history that is sure to appeal to fans of the series, and naval enthusiasts in particular. Vessels featured include the battleship Royal Sovereign, the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, the cruiser HMS Gloucester, the Queen Elizabeth class battleship HMS Barham and the Italian battleships Littorio, Cesare, Duillo, Vittorio Veneto, Conte di Cavour and Doria, amongst many others. British and international battleships feature side by side in a publication that offers a truly representative selection of the kind of vessels in action at this time."--Provided by the publisher. 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2(100)

Second World War carrier campaigns / David Wragg. "Without the aircraft carrier, the Japanese would not have brought the United States into the Second World War through their attack on Pearl Harbour; without the carrier, the United States could not have rolled back the Japanese forces spread across the wide reaches of the Pacific and carried the war to Japan itself. Thus is can be argued that aircraft carriers were the decisive naval weapons system of the Second World War. Yet they had an uncertain start, with HMS Courageous sunk two weeks after the outbreak of war, followed by her sister, Glorious the following spring. This book is an authoritative, concise and hugely readable account of carrier operations throughout WW2. The text is given immediacy by the use of eyewitness accounts."--Provided by the publisher. 2004. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.822.7"1939/1945"

Yanagi : the secret underwater trade between Germany & Japan, 1942-1945 /by Mark Felton. "This fascinating book examines the exchange of information and goods by underwater means between Germany and Japan during the second half of WW2. Known as 'Yanagi' this trade was a high priority to both Axis partners. As the Allies' grip on control of the oceans and air tightened, it became necessary to rely on submarines. This posed an increasingly heavy but necessary burden on tight resources.Thanks to the Author's research, here is the first full account of these operations with descriptions of individual missions be they by German or Japanese submarines and crews. Even by modern standards these were of impressive duration and demanded the highest standards of seamanship and discipline."--Provided by the publisher. 2005. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545.9(43:52)

Arctic convoy PQ-8 : the story of Captain Robert Brundle and the SS Harmatris /by Michael Wadsworth. The story of the convoy PQ-8 in 1941/2 and the costly return journey of the SS Harmatris in late 1942 is used to illustrate the wider context of the Russian convoys and the war in general. Derived from the diaries and memorabilia of Robert William Brundle, the book gives a personal view by the Master of a British vessel of the progress of a troubled convoy, of which he was appointed Commodore, and of his eight months in Murmansk and Archangel, observing the lives and straightened circumstances of the inhabitants in the interludes between the bombings, and his struggle to repair the ship, discover and distribute food among the crew, and simply to stay alive and return home safely. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.542.1(42)

Admiral of the blue : the life and times of Admiral John Child Purvis /Iain Gordon. This "is the [...] biography of Admiral John Child Purvis a [...] contemporary of Nelson. Purvis's ability as a fighting commander was proved in a bloody duel between his sloop-of-war and a French corvette during the War of Independence. [...] He was the first British officer to confront Napoleon Bonaparte [...] during the Siege of Toulon. Commanding the Princess Royal and then the London, he was involved in much action in the Mediterranean and served under Sir John Jervis (later Lord St Vincent) during his establishment of the 'Mediterranean Discipline'. The culmination of his [...] career at sea was when he undertook the [...] task of saving the Spanish fleet in Cadiz from capture by the French and preparing the city for siege."--Provided by the publisher. 2005. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92PURVIS, JOHN CHILD

The war with Hitler's Navy / Adrian Stewart. "As this well researched work reveals, Hitlers handling the German Navy during the Second World War was full of contradictions.The seriousness of the U-boat threat was never in doubt and in the dark days of 1940 1942, the Donitzs daring strategy coupled with the courage and determined actions of the captains and crews became perilously close to starving Britain into submission.But, despite having built and nurtured a surface fleet with capital ships of formidable power, Hitler was uncharacteristically cautious of employing them aggressively. Examination of the reasons for this make for fascinating reading, possibly stemming from the early loss of the Graf Spee and the fact that, whenever possible, the Royal Navy threw all its weight regardless of cost at the Nazi threat; the loss of the Hood in the pursuit of the Bismarck being one example. Even Goebbels could not spin the loss of a battleship.The War against Hitlers Navy describes in fascinating detail the many fronts on which the adversaries faced each other and analyzes the reasons for the ultimate outcome."--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545943

The 50 greatest shipwrecks / Richard M. Jones. "When you think of a shipwreck, what image springs to mind? A tall sailing ship on the rocks, or perhaps the sinking Titanic surrounded by lifeboats? Historian Richard M. Jones has put together 50 stories of lost ships throughout history that are among the most important, infamous and in some cases tragic ships in the whole of history. When did two liners collide and lead to one of the greatest rescues in history? How did a Scotsman become an American hero against his own country? Which warship sank with gold bullion on board during the Second World War? This book tells the story of these fascinating cases plus many more, explores the largest shipwrecks, the treasure wrecks and the ones that are talked about still as the most famous. Starting at the tiny island of Alderney in 1592, we take a journey through history, through the First and Second World Wars, into the age of the passenger ferry and finally to the modern day migrant issues in the Mediterranean Sea. Never before have these fifty wrecks come together in a book that really brings home to the reader just how many lost vessels there are, how deadly many can be and what this teaches us today about our own history."--Provided by the publisher. 2021. • BOOK • 1 copy available.

The history of navigation / Dag Pike "Today travellers by land, sea and air take accurate navigation for granted but it was not always thus. The author, a highly experienced sailor, sets out to record the development of navigational techniques from the earliest time, five millenniums ago. As explorers started to venture offshore into the unknown they had to rely on the sun and stars for direction. From this pioneers turned to mathematics, astrolobes, sextants and increasing accurate clocks to measure latitude and later longitude. More recently major breakthroughs with electronic navigation, GPS and other satellite systems have revolutionised travel. Focusing primarily but not exclusively on marine navigation, the author weaves a fascinating course through the successes and failures of mankind's quest to explore his world. The result is a thoroughly entertaining and informative work which has no rival."--Provided by the publisher. 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 527

Sea wolves : savage submarine commanders of WW2/Tony Matthews. "From the heart-rending account of the sinking of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945 - the worst maritime disaster in world history - through to a variety of other brutal actions carried out by numerous submarine commanders, including the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur in 1943, this book comes from the deep shadows of a tragic past to reveal the terrible truth of a secretive war that was responsible for the deaths of unimaginable numbers of innocent people. Discover how merchant seamen were savagely machine-gunned in the water, callously slaughtered with hand-grenades or simply left to the circling sharks. Elsewhere, hundreds of doctors, nurses, ship's crew, ambulance drivers and hospital orderlies were viciously killed without compassion, despite being protected by the Geneva Convention."--Provided by the publisher. 2023. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 940.545943

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