An Atlantic Maritime History
By M Archibald

A popular history of the North Atlantic. Full of fascinating historical information, from the early days of exploration to the grand liners and the desperate days of WW11.

Pb. 192pp 240x170mm illus.

The Annual of the Historic Sailing Ship.
Ed. N. Tracy

Annual publication examines all aspects of maritime warfare and ship development from 1500 to 1860. Includes development, construcation, maritime strategy, naval campaigns, fighting tactics, social life, naval infrastructure, maritime finance, exploration, art and archaeology.

75 illus. 270x200mm 208p Hb

By W. Flayhart
2001
The early history of the American Steamship Company (1870 - 1900). The story of the first American steamship company after the civil war to tival the great European transatlantic companies.

By B. Lavery
1999
The arming and fitting of the English warships in the period 1600 - 1815.

320pp Hb

The True Life of a Naval Legend
By B. Vale
2004
The author of this biography has gone back to original documents, objective contemporary accounts and the work of some of the few scholars who have studied Cochrane's life. The picture that emerges is of a complex figure who saw things in stark contrast and who could exhibit paranoia and jealousy.

234x156mm Hb

By M. Robson
2005
An original narrative integrated with quotations and eyewitness accounts, it offers both the perspective of hindsight and the immediacy of being present.

176p Hb. 246x189mm

By J. Nelson
2007
Benedict Arnold's Navy recounts the courageous and exemplary campaign of Arnold and his cobbled-together fleet of ships against a much superior British force in the Battle of Valcour Island (Lake Champlain) in October 1776.This landmark book shows how Arnold's fearless leadership against staggering odds in a northern wilderness secured for America the independence that he would later try to betray.

Pb.

By D. Parry

The companion book to a major BBC television factual drama starring James Purefoy.

Blackbeard's extraordinary life of excess during the 'golden age of piracy' ignited a reputation that struck terror into men's hearts from Virginia to Barbados

246x189mm 192pp Pb.

By P. Brown
2009
The British Isles have a long, and celebrated seafaring history stretching from the earliest times through the victories of Drake and Nelson, the voyages of discovery of Cabot and Cook and the defence of the realm by vessels of all types in the present century. Much of this history is recorded in literature and in museums but reaches its most tangible form in the large number of historical ships that have been preserved and are continually restored as monuments to a proud past. This lavish new volume explores twenty of the most celebrated and accessible ships and offers a comprehensive history of each vessel’s design, construction, active service and subsequent restoration and preservation. Presented in order of a ship’s launch date, each entry is written by the acknowledged expert on a particular vessel, gives full specification details and is sumptuously illustrated with contemporary photographs, historical illustrations and a full set of scale plans. In addition to the featured entries, an appendix presents all of the necessary contact details and opening times where applicable.

Hb. 192pp 276x213mm

By Peter Kemp

A full and highly readable biography. Cook made three famous voyages of discovery and was killed by Hawaiian natives during the third.

Pb 398

The Naval Charts and Maps that have Informed and Illustrated War at Sea.
By J. Blake
2006
Extensive commentary on over 150 fascinating and beautiful maps and charts from a naval perspective.
160p Hb.

The Autobiography of the Shipmaster, John Miller of Edinburgh (1802 - 1883).
Ed. R. Craig
From a chance acquisition of a battered leather-bound notebook, an extensive and extremely well-written narrative was revealed which recounted the life of a midshipman in the East India Company, through to the time when he owned his own vessels and settled in Tasmania.

Hb. 224pp 240x170mm illus.

A Story of Exploration and Innovation
2005
By A. Gurney

' A well researched excursion into an esoteric scientific world.. all the more authoritative because of Gurney's experience as a yacht designer.

Pb. 320p 136x204mm 20 illus.

By McKenna

A unique reference that provides the core of information that is indispensible to understanding maritime history and culture. 3,500 entries describe the ideas, events and individuals that have shaped our maritime language, geography, commerce, warfare, law, literature, art, film and more.

By S. Biel

A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster

An intriguing history of the myths and meanings which have come to cluster around the wreck.

320p 140x210mm Pb 22 illus.

by Peter Aughton

Cook made three great voyages into the Pacific and his first in the Endeavour 1768-71 was arguably his greatest feat. This account of the voyage is exhilarating and impressive, imbued with the romance of exploration and discovery.

Hardback, 200pp

An Illustrated Account of Shackleton's Incredible Voyage to the Antartic.

By A. Lansing.

This account of Shackleton's epic 1914 expedition contains awesome photographs of the ice-shapes and the details of their daily activities.

Hb

By M. Starke

Written by Tom 'Jack' Sullivan Green, AB of Bristol in the 1920s, Escape to the Sea is an inspiring, first-hand account of survival against the odds of an orphan boy in early Victorian England.

Recounted in a fluent style and peppered with dialogue, this gripping tale of a seaman's life chronicles both tragedy and comedy amongst the everyday lot of a working world unimaginable in the modern era.
Enthralling adventures on voyages to West Africa, North and South America, the Baltic and Mediterranean are matched by his gripping experiences ashore.

Pb. 240x170mm 144pp

Ed. D. King & J. Hattendorf

An anthology of firsthand accounts from the age of Nelson.
Hardback version available at £17.99 - e-mail sales@sailingbooks.co.uk if required.
234x156mm 464p Pb

The Comprehensive Story of Seafaring
By R. Woodman

A full account of the development of the ship with an international perspective. 250 colour and b/w illustrations ranging from ship plans, engravings and diagrams to marine oil paintings and photographs of both ships and models.

352p 248x295mm Pb

By J. Winton

Beginning in the reign of King John, through the establishment of the standing navy during the reigns of King Henry V111 and Elizabeth 1, right up to the most recent operations.

A History of Britain and the Sea
By B. Lavery

What does it mean to be an island people? How has the British rich and complex relationship with the sea shaped the national psyche? A beautifully illustrated expolration of the British maritime history sets out to explore these questions.
The reader is led on a journey around the porst and harbours of the British coast, across rivers and canals, to lighthouses and piers and then to the rise of the navy and specialised fisheries, the motive behind exploration.

By B. Lavery

The author relates the naval fiction of Patrick O'Brian and C.S.Forester to the real world inhabited by heroes such as Lord nelson, Sir S. Smith, and Thomas Cochrane. All these individuals and others provided inspiration for O'Brian's character of Jack Aubrey, who inhabited the world of wooden walls, broadsides and the press gang.

224p Hb 270x200mm

A Biographical Study
By R. Eddy

During the Federalist period in the USA, Humphreys designed the first large frigates. Although much criticised at the time, he remained an advocate of heavier, larger ships.

202p Pb

by Brown

Among the 300 books about the Titanic, what is notably absent is an analysis of those ill-fated last hours not through the eyes of an historian or story teller, but through the lens of a mariner and ship handler applying accepted standards of seamanship. This book is probably the first close look at the Titanic disaster by an author with the ship-handling background and knowledge to make an informed reconstruction of the ship's last manoeuvres.

US publication, hardback

By R. Haines

An insight into the experience of steerage emigrants leaving Britain for Australia throughout the nineteenth century. It draws from the letters and diaries of passengers, many of whom write movingly about the illness and deaths of their children and tell of coping with everyday life below decks. Through a combination of passengers' testimonies and official reportage, we learn how the voyages operated.

228x152mm 368pp Pb.
14 b/w maps and illus.

By J. Hood

An epic tale of shipwreck, human endeavour and survival in the age of sail.

By P. Heiney
2005
A captivating celebration of Britains nautical heritage, seen through the astonishing variety of Britain's maritime museums, historic ships and coastal attractions.
This guide covers Britain's 600 maritime ships and museums and gives a fascinating insight into everything from lighthouses and Cornish shipwrecks, to Lord Nelsons birthplace, the Armada's legacy, the tea clippers, Scotish fisheries and much more.
Pb 320p 192x128mm

rrp £12.99 our price £10.49

By A. Nicholson
This book fuses the immediate intensity of the battle with the deeper currents that were running at the time. It has a three-part framework: the long, slow six hour morning before the battle; the afternoon itself of terror, death and destruction; and the shocked, exultant and sobered aftermath, which finds its climax at Nelson's funeral in a snowy London the following January.

Adam Nicolson examines the concept of heroes and heroism, both then and now, using Nelson as one of the greatest examples. A man of complexity and contradiction, he was a supreme administrator of ships and men; overflowing with humanity, charm and love but also capable of astonishing ruthlessness and ferocity. Nelson's own courage, vanity, ruthlessness and sweetness made him one of the great identifiable heroes of English history.

341p Hb

By W. James

Main operations were in the Mediterranean and Baltic. The Navy assisted the Spanish uprising of 1808 and were involved in the Peninsular War 1807/14.

ALSO AVAILABLE VOLUME 1,2,3 and 4. Each volume is the same price. Please order here and confirm which volume you require by email to sales@sailingbooks.co.uk

448p Hb 8 b/w illus. 230x150mm

The Evolution of Fighting Tactics 1650 - 1815

By B. Tunstall

This book covers the evolution of fighting tactics over the whole period in which the sailing fleet was the major instrument of naval power.

295x248mm Hb

The Ships, Men and Organisation 1793 - 1815

By B. Lavery

The perfect guide for anyone interested in the workings of the great fleet. Eminently readable.

Hb 320p

By P. Goodwin

From 'Agamemnon' throgh to 'HMS Victory', there is a story in each of Nelson's 24 ships. Every ship in which Nelson served is presented, with a background, actions in which they participated, construction details, costs, modifications made, incidents while Nelson was aboard etc.

215x276mm Hb 240p

By P. Goodwin

101 Questions and Answers about Nelson's HMS Victory.

112p 210x148mm Hb.

By J. Maxtone-Graham
2007
Normandie was unquestionably the most beautiful ocean liner ever built. The world's largest at the time, she also became the world's fastest. Her art deco interiors were unrivalled: capacious, elegant and chic, decorated by teams of France's most talented artists. Yet Normandie was plagued with frustrations—never attracting more passengers than the competition and tragically ending her days in flames at New York's Pier 88.
This comprehensive book documents every aspect of the vessel's decorative antecedents, design, construction and service, in an articulate, entertaining and well informed manner.

260pp, 254 x 280mm,175 b/w illus.

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates.

Capt. C. Johnson

Originally published in 1724, this account was an immediate success. In a dramatic writing style the author documents specific events, including famous trials.

368p

By N. Rigby

This book tells the stories of Pacific exploration which continued the work of Captain Cook. These later voyages of science and exploration have not recieved the attention they have deserved especially in Britain. This book hopes to correct the inbalance looking at the legacies of Cook through these voyages of exploration that continued his work of charting the Pacific. These voyages, by William Bligh, George Vancouver, Matthew Flinders, Le Perouse and Arthur Phillip, span a time that saw Britain become the world's leading maritime power.

144pp 70 colour and 20 b/w illus. 246x189mm Hb.

Buccaneers, Privateers & Freebooters 1493 - 1720
By A. Cruz

The definitive narrative of pirates in the Americas during their heyday. The story begins with the arrival of the Spanish in the New World and the discovery of huge wealth there. Piracy remained profitable until trade with Spanish colones was opened after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Piracy was then suppressed and by 1720 was just a marginal acitivity.

330x240mm Hb 240p

By W. Flayhart
2003
Steamship Disasters, 1850 - the Present

A chronicle of the most frightening episodes in the maritime history of the North Atlantic. Colourful narratives recount many dramatic stories. The Titanic and Lusitania are famous, but there are also many little known accounts of extraordinary survivals at sea.

By A. Gurney

In the 1830's, 3 expeditions were launched simultaneously by the US, France and Britain aiming to be the first to forge a path through the pack ice and venture further south than anyone before.

200p 12 b/w illus. 288p Cloth

By T. Madge

A lavishly illustrated history of Royal and State yachts from the 17th century to the present day.

310x240mm 192p Hb

By J. Harding

Extraordinary tales from over three hundred years of seafaring.

272p 216x135mm Pb

The Merchant Sailing Ship 1830 - 1930

By B. Greenhill

The advancement of the steamship did much to improve the design and construction of the sailing ship, and numbers incresed well into the second half of the century.

295x248mm Hb 260p

by Reuter/Mills

This limited edition book contains the complete original account of the greatest scuttling in naval history written by the commander of the interned Imperial German fleet, Vice Admiral Ludwig von Reuter. Written originally in 1921 and freshly translated in its entirety. The text reveals Reuter's true thoughts and his endeavour to justify a decision which culminated in his incarceration as the last prisoner-of-war from the German naval command, and his final repatriation as a German hero.

152pp, 40 b/w photographs, paperback

By J. Harland

Shiphandling of the sailing Man-of War 1600 -1860.

'The most comprehensive historical work on the sailing ship ever published...any sailor..must have it on his shelf'. Daily Telegraph

Hb 320p

by Brian Lavery

An awe-inspiring journey into our seafaring past.

From the earliest canoes to today's sophisticated ocean-going giants, witness the drama, the splendour and excitement of Ship's story above and below the waves, through centuries of exploration, endeavour and conflict.

Produced in association with the National Maritime Museum and featuring previously unseen images, this ultimate guide to every aspect of seafaring will have you shipshape in no time.

252x301mm, 400pp, hardback

By P. Goodwin
The British, French and Spanish Fleets.

This book divides the fleets into the relevant classes by ratings. Each vessel then has a service history, specifications, list of commanders, casulty list, refit history.

By A. Villiers
2009
In this classic introduction, originally published in 1975 under the title Voyaging with the Wind, Alan Villiers offers a first-hand, practical overview of these fascinating ships and their design, of the routes they sailed, and of the specialist skills of men who worked on them. Relying on fifty years of personal experience at sea, he shows what it meant to ‘learn the ropes' and shares his infectious enthusiasm for the joys and dangers of working with sail and wind.

Hb. 96pp 16 with b/w photos

By S. Bield (Ed.)
1998

Pb

By Hearn

Navigation at sea was guesswork until well into the 19th century. Changing that became the obsession of Mathew Fontaine maury. Maury mapped highways of wind and current over the oceans. The author uses Maury's career as a window on American maritime development in the 19th century, incli=uding the clipper ship era of the 1850's, the rise of steam and steel and the Civil War.

By J. Habron

The Spanish Excerience of Sea Power.

Contrary to popular belief, the Spanish Navy underwent a massive renaissance after the Armada and by the start of the Napoleonic Wars was the third largest navy in the world. This book covers the aims and achievement of the Spanish navy and covers the main maritime events. It looks in detail at warship design and construction, concluding with the battle of Trafalgar and its significance to Spain.

270x200mm 208p Hb

By Nelson

The Ships, Men and Organisation

One characteristic of the dynasty was the commitment each monarch showed to their Navy. It grew from 8 vessels under Henry V11 to 54 ships on the accession of James 1.

Hb 224p

by R Unwin

A vivid and detailed account of the glory and failure of the third voyage of William Barents in search of a Northeast passage - the last major attempt for 300 years to open up a route that only finally became navigable with the advent of steamships.

264pp, illustrations, paperback

A Short History
By R. Dunn
2009
This book introduces us to the world of innovators and adventurers who created, and have subsequently shaped, the story of the telescope: unsurprisingly Galileo and Newton are players, but the author revels in revealing why the most advanced telescopes in the world owe much to the science of spying.

Hb 192pp