HMS Belfast originally a Royal Navy light cruiser is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. One of ten Town-class cruisers she saw service on the icy Arctic convoys during the Second World War & was also present for the bombardment of the D-Day beaches in 1944. Later she saw service during the Korean War. As is the case for many historic ships however there is a surprising shortage of informative & well illustrated guides for reference during a visit or for research by enthusiasts
- ship modellers naval buffs historians or students. This new series redresses the gap. Written by experts & containing more than 200 specially commissioned photographs each title takes the reader on a superbly illustrated tour of the ship from bow to stern & deck by deck. Significant parts of the vessel
- for example the gun turrets & engine rooms
- are given detailed coverage both in words & pictures so that the reader has at hand the most complete visual record & explanation of the ship that exists. In addition the importance of the ship both in her own time & now as a museum vessel is explained while her design & build & her career prior to exhibition are all described. No other books offer such superb visual impact & detailed information as the Seaforth Historic Ship Series
- a truly groundbreaking concept bringing the ships of our past vividly to life.



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Yearning for the high seas Alan Lewrie plods through his oppressive life as a gentleman farmer & family man. The year is 1793 & after four years spent ashore Lewrie is gratified when revolutionary France threatens war & the Royal Navy beckons. All does not go smoothly as he soon finds himself aboard the HMS Cockerel dealing with a difficult captain & disgruntled crew. Once in the Mediterranean he throws caution to the wind & becomes involved with the bewitching Lady Emma Hamilton. The war escalates & he finds himself at the Battle of Toulon where he meets a dashing young Napoleon Bonaparte. Outnumbered three to one Lewrie takes on the French in a desperate bid to help the Royalists escape. ...

In 1786: Captain William Rennie is on the beach & on half pay. Things werent always so bad for him. Four years earlier Admiral Rodney had singled him out for his part in the glorious Battle of the Saints but since then he has found himself ignored by the Admiralty & his career has all but gone by the board. So Rennie is amazed when hes given a prime commission: HMS Expedient is a 36 gun frigate; she is to be sent to the South Seas on a scientific expedition. For Lieutenant James Hayter in Dorsetshire whose career had barely begun when the peace came his own commission in Expedient out of the blue is equally surprising & exciting. Leaving his home & his sweetheart for at least a year is a small price to pay for this heaven sent opportunity to get to sea again. But for these two sea officers there is something odd & disturbing about the nature of their task. They sense that they are not being told the whole truth about the forthcoming expedition & the shady powerful figure of Sir Robert Greer is always at their backs. There is trouble at the dockyards
- delays & disputes
- & vexing difficulty over scientific instruments. There are clashes of personality & unwelcome additions to the ships complement just as she is about to leave harbour. Then a long series of mysterious accidents & setbacks as Expedient sails south. Is someone trying to sabotage their mission? Why is their progress dogged by a mysterious man of war? & what are the secret orders locked in Rennies cabin which may only be opened once they round the Cape of Good Horn? The answers lies on a beautiful uncharted island in the remotest corner of the Pacific immensity to which the storm-battered Expedient limps for desperately needed repairs. Soon the dangers of the voyage will pale in comparison with what they discover there across the limpid waters of the lagoon.. .

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The sinking of the battlecruiser HMS Hood on 24 May 1941 dealt a major blow to the British Royal Navy. Like Titanic years before Hood had seemed invincible & much of the hopes of the Navy rested with her as the nation entered the war with Germany. The epitome of British naval power the 48 360-ton Hood boasted eight 15-inch & eight 4-inch guns
- a formidably armed vessel that the Royal Navy had hoped could match German battleships such as the Bismarck. But in just eight minutes after an encounter with Bismarck & her consort Prinz Eugen HMS Hood blew up & sank to the bottom of the Alantic taking the lives of 1 418 men with her. Her sinking was met with disbelief both in England & around the world; the formerly invincible Royal Navy now seemed very vulnerable. Author Dr Andrew Norman explores the events leading up to the disaster & the legacy left in its wake. His research

Includes:: reports from both the Royal Naval Museum & German naval records & many of the photographs included are previously unpublished. In HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy" he reassesses the possible reasons for Hoods sinking in the light of the discovery of her wreckage in July 2001."


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The Royal Navy battleship HMS Rodney was one of the most famous warships of the Second World War & 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 & 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 & marines we discover what it was like to live & 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 & 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' & 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. ...

HMS Victory is probably the most famous surviving historic warship in the world today. She was flagship to Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 when he was killed on her quarter deck by a sniper's bullet in Britain's hour of victory. Maritime historian & former HMS Victory Keeper & Curator Peter Goodwin tells the story of Nelson's flagship giving fascinating insights into how she was built her anatomy & weaponry & how a ship of the line in the Georgian navy was sailed fought & maintained. ...

Built to underline Victorian Britains supremacy at sea HMS Warrior was the worlds first iron-hulled armoured warship. In 1979 she was rescued from ignominy as an oil jetty in Milford Haven to become the subject of an ambitious restoration programme & for the last twenty years has been open to the public at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The story of her revolutionary design career history & the strange twists of fate that enabled her to survive into an age when her significance in naval architecture would be fully recognised is described in detail together with the meticulous research that went into faithfully restoring every aspect of the ship. Complete with archival illustrations & photographs specially commissioned photography lines plans & diagrams this is a comprehensive & elegantly produced commemorative volume of a remarkable ship. ...

HMS Warrior launched in 1860 was the first iron-hulled sea-going armoured ship & for many years was the most powerful warship in the world. Rescued a century later from her role as a refuelling hulk she became the object of the most ambitious ship restoration project ever mounted & is now afloat & open to visitors at Portsmouth. As is the case for many historic ships however there is a surprising shortage of informative & well illustrated guides for reference during a visit or for research by enthusiasts
- ship modellers naval buffs technical historians or students. This new series redresses the gap. Written by experts & containing more than 200 specially commissioned photographs each title takes the reader on a superbly illustrated tour of the ship deck by deck. Significant parts of the vessel
- for example the steering gear armament & armour engine-room & gundeck
- are given detailed coverage so that the reader has at hand the most complete visual record & explanation of the ship that is at present available. In addition the importance of the ship both in her own time & now as a museum vessel is explained while her design & build her service career & her life prior to restoration & exhibition are all described. The Seaforth Historic Ship Series is a truly groundbreaking concept bringing the ships of our past vividly to life.


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This book is written to cover all core units of the HNC with additional thematic chapters covering the key content of the most popular optional units. It provides detailed coverage of Scottish legislation & frameworks so students can be sure that everything is 100 per cent applicable. It cites sources of wider reading as well as where to find the most up-to-date information so that students can use the book as a springboard for further research. It supports students in completing the graded unit as well as developing the general research & study skills that are key to success in the course. ...

This fascinating book describes how Major General Percy Hobart created trained & commanded 79th Armoured Division aunique formation crucial to the success of the D-Day Landings & the Allies drive through to Germany. Hobarts reputation as an armoured warfare specialist began in the pre-war era. In 1923 he transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Tank Corps & quickly established himself as one of the foremost thinkers on armoured warfare. By 1938 he was GOC Mobile Division later 7th Armoured Division in Egypt. Unable to suffer fools at all he was relieved of his command in 1939 retired in 1940 & became a corporal in the Home Guard. At Winston Churchills inspired behest he was called back to create & train 11th Armoured Division which once done he was seen as too old to lead in action. Instead he was ordered to form 79th Armoured Division & charged with developing specialized armoured vehicles necessary to breach the Atlantic Wall. Hobarts Funnies as these innovative weapons were known included mine-clearing tanks bridge-carrying tanks flamethrowers swimming tanks & amphibious assault vehicles. Brigades & units of 79th Division were deployed wherever they were needed by Second (British) & First (Canadian) Armies. Indeed no major operation between Normandy & the final victory took place without their involvement. Post-war theadoption by all armies of specialized funnies is the lasting tribute to his vision & genius. Based on detailed research & personal recollections Hobarts 79th Armoured Division at War is a worthy tribute to this extraordinary man & his legendary Division both of which played so significant a part in the Allied victory. ...