Naval forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisOn 21 June 1919 the ships of the German High Seas Fleet - interned at Scapa Flow since the Armistice - began to founder, taking their British custodians completely by surprise. In breach of agreed terms, the fleet dramatically scuttled itself, in a well-planned operation that consigned nearly half a million tons, and 54 of 72 ships, to the bottom of the sheltered anchorage in a gesture of Wagnerian proportions. This much is well-known, but even a century after the Grand Scuttle' many questions remain. Was von Reuter, the fleet's commander, acting under orders or was it his own initiative? Why was 21 June chosen? Did the British connive in, or even encourage the action? Could more have been done to save the ships? Was it legally justified? And what were the international ramifications? This new book analyses all these issues, beginning with the fleet mutiny in the last months of the War that precipitated a social revolution in Germany and the eventual collapse of the will to fight. The Armistice terms imposed the humiliation of virtual surrender on the High Seas Fleet, and the conditions under which it was interned are described in detail. Meanwhile the victorious Allies wrangled over the fate of the ships, an issue that threatened the whole peace process. Using much new material from German sources and a host of eye-witness testimonies, the circumstances of the scuttling itself are meticulously reconstructed, while the aftermath for all parties is clearly laid out. The story concludes with the biggest salvage operation in history' and a chapter on the significance of the scuttling to the post-war balance of naval power. Published to coincide with the centenary, this book is an important reassessment of the last great action of the First World War.

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Book SynopsisAt Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919, there occurred an event unique in naval history. The German High Seas Fleet, one of the most formidable ever built was deliberately sent to the bottom of the sea at the British Grand Fleet's principal anchorage at Orkney by its own officers and men.The Grand Scuttle became a folk legend in both Germany and Britain. However, few people are aware that Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter became the only man in history to sink his own navy because of a misleading report in a British newspaper; that the Royal Navy guessed his intention but could do nothing to thwart it; that the sinking produced the last casualties and the last prisoners of the war; and that fragments of the Kaiser's fleet are probably on the moon.This is the remarkable story of the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. It contains previously unused German archive material, eye-witness accounts and the recollections of survivors, as well as many contemporary photos which capture the awesome spectacle of the finest ships of the time being deliberately sunk by their own crew.

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Book SynopsisHitler's U-boats and his dreaded pocket battleships such as Bismarck and Tirpitz - Churchill dubbed the latter as 'The Beast' - continue to fascinate an ever-growing interest in the Second World War. Despite a numerical disadvantage when compared the Royal Navy, Hitler's U-boats wrecked havoc in the Atlantic against vulnerable convoys and the doomed Bismarck took on the might of Britain's battleships in a mighty clash of the titans. Hitler's Naval Bases, a work of love that took the author over forty years to research and write, is the most comprehensive and dedicated book on the subject matter. A world's first, it covers bases in remarkable detail from the smallest and unmanned locations to the largest dedicated bases in Lorient, Kiel and Wilhemshaven. The book covers the different types of naval base from isolated and forgotten bases, escape and survival bases, to the extremities of the main naval bases. The functions and various departments - artillery, ship construction to dockyard medical service - are explained as are North Sea naval bases in Emden, The Weser Ports and Cuxhaven, Baltic ports, the major bases that never were ('The Lobster's Claw on Heligoland') to France, Asia and German colonies, including re-fuelling in Spain and bases located in Russia and in the 'Heart of England'. Also covered are naval artillery and naval infantry as well as the anatomy of coastal artillery batteries, the shipping yards and even rules for living in such conditions. A most lavish and phenomenal book, it is beautifully illustrated with over 200 unpublished photographs complemented with thousands of unique interviews with veterans during the war as well as survivors. A labour of love, Hitler's Naval Bases is written by a world's leading authoritarian figure and is an essential book for those interested in the armed forces of the Third Reich.

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Book Synopsis A highly illustrated history of the US Navy''s nuclear submarine program, from the postwar years to the 2020 Columbia-class SSBNs.James C. Goodall covers the origins, design and development of the US Navy's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. This program was developed under the command of Hiram G. Rickover, the Father of the Nuclear Navy who oversaw the commissioning of the very first nuclear-powered attack submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) in 1952. This was a truly revolutionary design. Until the advent of nuclear power, the world's submarine fleets traveled on the surface at night to charge their batteries, and only dove below the surface when enemy ships or planes were spotted. With the development of the USS Nautilus, the US Navy now had the ability to stay submerged for not just hours or days, but to hide out of harm's way for weeks or months at a timeThis highly illustrated book covers all of the 220+ submarine hulls built and deliveredTable of ContentsFast Attack Submarines 1. Nautilus Class 2. Seawolf Class 3. Skate Class 4. Skipjack Class 5. Triton Class 6. Tullibee Class 7. Thresher Class 8. Sturgeon Class 9. Narwhal Class 10. Glenard P. Lipscomb Class 11. Los Angeles Class 12. Virginia Class 13. Seawolf Class 14. NR-1 Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines 1. George Washington Class 2. Ethan Allen Class 3. Lafayette Class 4. Benjamin Franklin Class 5. Ohio Class SSBN 6. Ohio Class SSGN 7. Columbia Class SSBN

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Book SynopsisThe history of the Royal Navy flagships that led the fleet through the Cold War, ensured victory in the Falklands War, and saw action in Iraq and the Balkans.In 1945, at the end of World War II, the Royal Navy''s carrier fleet proved essential to the post-war world. Royal Navy carriers fought in the Korean War with the UN fleet, in the debacle at Suez, and in British operations in the last days of Empire, in Malaya, Borneo and Aden. But most famously, they were the key to the Royal Navy''s victory in the Falklands campaign, and they went on to fight in the two Iraq wars.Illustrated throughout with new profiles of the key carriers and their development, as well as a cutaway of HMS Victorious and superb new illustrations of the carriers in action, this book explains how the Royal Navy''s air power changed throughout the Cold War and beyond. Renowned naval historian Angus Konstam explains how the World War II carriers were rebuilt in a pioneering modernizaTrade ReviewIt provides an interesting account covering an unusual story of maritime history. * Ships Monthly *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT - The post-war carrier force - Conversions and cancellations - Jet-age problems - The carrier’s evolving role - Aircraft FLEET AIR ARM AIRCRAFT, 1945–2010 - Carriers in action SHIP SPECIFICATIONS - Wartime carriers - Post-war carriers FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisUSS Lexington (CV-2) was just the second US Navy aircraft carrier produced. This Legends of Warfare illustrated history is the perfect companion to the author's earlier work on USS Lexington (CV-16).

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Book SynopsisThis illustrated history explores the cruiser forces of the Italian and British Royal navies, the jack-of-all trades warships of the Mediterranean Naval War.In 1940, when Italy entered World War II, the Royal Navy was badly overstretched, and its Mediterranean Fleet had to face both the Italian Navy and the German and Italian Air Forces in a battle for supremacy. Although the British and Italian battle fleets squared off against each other, they were both often held in reserve, in case the enemy fleet put to sea. So, it was left to the cruisers to wage their own naval war in the Mediterranean. This involved a range of missions, from escorting convoys and hunting enemy ones, to fighting for control of the sea around key locations such as the waters off Malta and Crete. This superbly illustrated study, written by renowned naval expert Angus Konstam, compares and contrasts the design, weapon technologies and combat performance of the opposing cruiser forces. It also documents severTable of ContentsIntroduction Chronology Design and Development Technical Specifications The Combatants The Strategic Situation Combat Statistics and Analysis Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBetween 1942 and 1944 a very small, very secret, very successful clandestine unit of the Royal Navy, operated between Dartmouth in Devon, and the Brittany Coast in France. It was a crossing of about 100 miles, every yard of it dangerous. The unit was called the 15th Motor Gunboat Flotilla: crewed by 125 officers and men, it became the most highly decorated Royal Naval unit of the Second World War.The 15th MGBF was an extraordinary group of men thrown together in the most secret of adventures. Very few were regular Royal Naval officers: instead the unit was made up of mostly Royal Naval Volunteer Officers and 'duration only' sailors. Their home was a converted paddle steamer and luxury yacht, but their work could not have been more serious. Their mission was to ferry agents of SIS and SOE to pinpoint landing sites on the Brittany coast in Occupied France. Once they had landed their agents, together with stores for the Resistance, they picked up evaders, escaped POWs who had had the good fortune to be collected by escape lines run by M19, as well as returning SIS and SOE agents.It is a story that is inextricably entwined with that of the many agents they were responsible for - Pierre Hentic, Yves Le Tac, Virginia Hall, Albert Hué, Jeannie Rousseau, Suzanne Warengham, François Mitterrand and Mathilde Carré, as well as many others. Without the Flotilla, such intelligence gathering networks as Jade Fitzroy and Alliance would never have developed, and SOE's VAR Line and MI9's Shelburne Escape Line would never have been realised. Drawing on a huge amount of research on both sides of the Channel, including private archives of many of the families involved, A Dangerous Enterprise brings the story of this most clandestine of operations brilliantly to life.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive overview of the strategy, operations and vessels of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945.Although slowly building its navy while neutral during the early years of World War II, the US was struck a serious blow when its battleships, the lynchpin of US naval doctrine, were the target of the dramatic attack at Pearl Harbor. In the Pacific Theatre, the US was thereafter locked into a head to head struggle with the impressive Imperial Japanese Navy, fighting a series of major battles in the Coral Sea, at Midway, the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf and Okinawa in the struggle for supremacy over Japan. Having avoided the decisive defeat sought by the IJN, the US increased industrial production and by the end of the war, the US Navy was larger than any other in the world.Meanwhile in the west, the US Navy operated on a second front, supporting landings in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and in 1944 played a significant part in the D-Day landings, the largest and most comTrade ReviewIf you are looking for a complete single volume of USN ships in WWII, you will have found it with this book. You will not be disappointed. * Gunmart *In this superbly illustrated and detailed work, naval expert Mark E. Stille combines new research and archival material to examine the carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines used by the US Navy throughout the war. * Warship World *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. United States Naval Strategy and Tactics in World War II 2. Operations 3. Carriers 4. Battleships 5. Heavy Cruisers 6. Light Cruisers 7. Destroyers 8. Submarines 9. The United States Navy in World War II – an Assessment Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA concise history of the design, development, and deployment of USS Enterprise (CV-6).

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Book SynopsisA study of the history of the US Navy''s gunboats and their role in building a worldwide American naval presence abroad and in combat, from the Yangtze era through to World War II.For more than half a century, American gunboats were the ships often responsible for policing small crises and provided deterrence and fast-response capabilities around the world showing the flag, landing armed parties, patrolling river and littoral areas, and protecting ex-pats. They were often the United States'' most-visible and constant military presence in far-flung foreign lands, and were most closely associated with the Far East, particularly the Philippines and China. Most famous, of course, was the multinational Yangtze Patrol.Many US gunboats were built, purchased or reassembled overseas where they usually served out their entire careers, never coming within 7,000 miles of the national homeland which they served. Numerous gunboats were captured from the Spanish during the Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION GUNBOATS The first steel gunboats 1890s gunboats Early 20th-century gunboats Spanish-American War prizes River gunboats (PR) Steel monitors (BM) World War II gunboats 1936–42 Armed yachts 1898–1945 (PY) Special flagships 1905–77 SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 1898 Manila Bay Cuba and Puerto Rico BANANA WARS 1899–1916 34 THE ASIATIC STATION 1899–1937 36 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 1937–42 39 The Panay Incident, December 12, 1937 Escape from China, late 1941 Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 Twilight of the Asiatic Fleet 1941–42 CONCLUSION SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThanks to his direct naval experience, multi-million copy bestselling author Douglas Reeman is expertly placed to take you to the heart of the action in this all-action, non-stop tale of naval warfare. With his vivid characterisation and atmospheric storytelling, you''ll feel you are in the midst of events yourself! Perfect for fans of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith.''One of our foremost writers of naval fiction'' -- Sunday Times''Mr Reeman writes with great knowledge about the sea and those who sail on it'' -- The Times''Stirring stuff!'' -- ***** Reader review''Very hard to put down and the reader gets drawn into the action'' -- ***** Reader review''Fantastic'' -- ***** Reader review''Gripping from beginning to the end'' -- ***** Reader review''This is a book that you will not want to put down'' -- ***** Reader review*******

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Book SynopsisDuring the Second World War the Royal Navy was the most powerful of Britain''s armed forces. Its sailors fought across the globe in vast battleships and claustrophobic corvettes, makeshift minesweepers and silent submarines. They endured nerve-wracking convoys, fought epic gun battles, carried out deadly secret missions, rescued armies and landed the largest invasion force in history. Naval power was the foundation of Britain''s war effort, and sailors shaped the nation''s destiny. Drawing on hundreds of contemporary diaries and letters, Glyn Prysor''s original and gripping narrative evokes the triumph and tragedy, horror and humanity of the war at sea, bringing to life the sailor''s war as never before.Trade ReviewMarvellous...a fine addition to the literature on the Second World War * Sunday Telegraph *Prysor does for the sailors of the Royal Navy what Patrick Bishop did for the RAF in Fighter Boys...He reminds us of their extraordinary contribution to our survival. * Daily Express *A moving and evocative story of the war at sea -- Professor N.A.M. Rodger, author of 'The Command of the Ocean'This impressive human history of the Royal Navy begins the long overdue process of putting it back at the heart of the war effort -- Book of the Week * Independent *Full of terrific stories * Sunday Times *An absorbing read...a fine memorial * Literary Review *Excellent. Captures the soul of the men who were there...their humanity and, occassionally, inhumanity * Navy News *Skillfully weaves together a coherent 'people's history of the sailors' war'...Fresh and compelling * Times Literary Supplement *Breathtaking skill...freshness and force...Prysor makes the Navy of the Second World War intensely personal, vivid and vital * Military Times *Reads extremely well, with a gripping narrative that explains the unfolding of the war whilst weaving in moving and vivid personal accounts...This is a book that manages to fuse the strategic with the human and the social with consummate skill, and in so doing it delivers a multifaceted understanding of the war at sea as well as a poignant reminder of the way in which society has lost its 'sea vision' * Nautilus International Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The great strength of The War for the Seas is the way in which Mawdsley, a former professor of international history at Glasgow University, treats his subject as an interconnected global story. . . . This innovative, well-written single-volume account will be invaluable for all who study the Second World War.”—Ben Wilson, Times (UK)“An impeccable, myth-busting study.”—Max Hastings, Sunday Times“For WWII enthusiasts, academics, and students, this book will provide a solid grounding in how the sea was used for strategic purpose and how victory was ultimately achieved by the Allied powers.”—Jennifer F. McKinnon, Canadian Journal of History“Mastering an immense range of sources in diverse languages is only the start. Mawdsley’s real achievement is to link so many ships and fleets and armies together and in such a way as to make sense of what was going on, showing why things happened when they did, how each part affected all the rest.”—N. A. M. Rodger, London Review of Books“[A] landmark work for which its author is to be congratulated. It is the best overall history of the maritime war not least in its critical discussion of well-worn legends and the stress on factors other than naval battles. It should be acquired by everyone interested in the subject.”—Professor Eric Grove, Navy News“There is much to commend in The War for the Seas. Mawdsley’s impressive scholarship and sound judgement are evident throughout the volume. The book provides both a solid overview of the maritime war and a thought-provoking analysis of the global nature of the Second World War.”—Christopher M. Bell, Journal of Military History“This is without doubt an outstanding book…It must be very strongly recommended even to those already well instructed in the subject.”—Richard Channon, Naval Review“This is a bold and authoritative maritime history of World War II which takes a fully international perspective and challenges our existing understanding. . . . This is a detailed account of a very wide subject but the author has achieved a comprehensive history of these war years at sea.”—Shipping Today and Yesterday“Mawdsley’s book is, quite simply, a tour de force. Reviewers should hesitate before applying the word ‘definitive’ but War for the Seas is certainly that for the naval war.”—Th. W. Bottelier, Journal of Strategic Studies“This book is a truly impressive piece of scholarship, which will be a standard text for years to come.”—Tim Benbow, War in History“An essential contribution to understanding how command of the sea was won and with what consequences. Rich in detail on the tactics and technology that mattered, and on the roller-coaster campaigns in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres, Mawdsley provides the first full, integrated account of a truly global dimension to the war.”—Richard Overy, author of The Bombing War: Europe, 1939–1945“The beautifully crafted and deeply research maritime history of WWII that we have always needed. Few books deserve to be called ‘definitive’—this is one of them.”—Joseph Maiolo, author of Cry Havoc: How the Arms Race Drove the World to War 1931–1941“Will be prized for its concision, clarity and sound judgement, all backed by impeccable scholarship.”—Simon Ball, The Bitter Sea: The Struggle for Mastery in the Mediterranean, 1935–1949“This powerfully argued re-appraisal establishes Command of the Sea as the critical issue that shaped and defined the Second World War. By securing control of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean the Allies were able to operate together, including supplying the Soviet Union with essential aid. The same Command of the Sea kept the Axis powers apart, and they were defeated in detail by globally deployable air and land forces.”—Andrew Lambert, author of The Challenge: Britain Against America in the Naval War of 1812“Accentuated by his highly readable style, this is an excellent introductory work.”—D. M. Hall, Lake Erie College

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Book SynopsisEdward Pellew, captain of the legendary Indefatigable, was quite simply the greatest frigate captain in the age of sail. An incomparable seaman, ferociously combative yet chivalrous, a master of the quarterdeck and an athlete of the tops, he was as quick to welcome a gallant foe into his cabin as to dive to the rescue of a man overboard. He is the likely model for the heroic but all-too-human Jack Aubrey in Patrick O''Brian''s novels.Pellew was orphaned at eight, but fought his way from the very bottom of the Navy to fleet command and a viscountcy. Victories and eye-catching feats won him a public following. Yet as an outsider with a gift for antagonizing his better-born peers, he made powerful enemies. Redemption came with his last command, when he set off to do battle with the Barbary States and free thousands of European slaves. Contemporary opinion held this to be an impossible mission, and Pellew himself, in leading from the front in the style of his

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Book SynopsisDuring the First World War the reputation of the British Royal Navy was put on the line in its defence of the country, and, crucially, it was in those years, 1914–19, that the Grand Fleet became the single most potent weapon of war of any nation.

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Book SynopsisThe men of the SBS are the maritime equivalent of their counterparts in the SAS; they are the elite of the British Special Forces and also the most secretive. Although SAS activity has been extensively documented, the SBS has remained in the state it prefers - a shadowy silhouette, with identities protected and missions kept from public view. Formed during the Second World War, when they took part in many daring raids (one of which was filmed as The Cockleshell Heroes), they were active in the jungle campaigns in the Far East, in the Falklands, the Gulf War and Bosnia. Since this seminal book was published in 1997, John Parker has been privy to much more inside information about the SBS''s original operations and he brings the book right up to date with accounts of their exploits in East Timor, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Kosovo and most recently in Iraq.

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Book SynopsisA gripping history of the elite brigade of the Royal Navy

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Book SynopsisChronicles the construction, launch, commissioning, and operations of the USS Iowa from 1940 to today!

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Book SynopsisBut above all, he tells the nail-bitingly poignant human story of the families waiting ashore, of the desperate efforts of British, Norwegian and Russian rescuers, and of the Kursk sailors, trapped in the aft compartnemt, waiting for rescue, as a horrified world followed their battle to stay alive .Trade ReviewIt takes you through each nail biting moment, willing it to turn out differently. Heartbreaking, humane and, at times, all too vivid. I’ve rarely read such a gripping work of non fiction. -- COLIN FIRTHThe Kursk was once the pride of the Russian navy and a symbol of state power . . . her story, harrowingly detailed . . . stands as a testament to the bravery and loyalty of men to a nation that failed them -- Martin Robson * THE TIMES *Gripping . . . a moving tragedy redeemed by acts of extraordinary courage . . . has the plot, the tension and the excitement of a film -- Orlando Figes * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *

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Book SynopsisBuried in the history of our most famous jail, a unique story of captivity, violence and raceTrade Review‘Beguiling.’ -- The Times‘Meticulously researched… a vivid portrait.’ -- Daily Mail‘Easily the most comprehensive study to date (and probably for quite a long while)… a vivid reconstruction of the experiences of the men who endured Dartmoor, as well as the hundreds who did not survive… a compelling story of human indifference, cruelty and endurance.’ -- TLS‘The Dartmoor Massacre provides the dramatic climax of Nicholas Guyatt’s The Hated Cage, a compelling and compassionate study of the largest overseas contingent of American POWs before World War II… a vivid and convincing reconstruction.’ -- Wall Street Journal‘This is history as it ought to be – gripping, dynamic, vividly written, and altogether brilliant in its interpretation. Nicholas Guyatt has liberated a motley crew of American sailors from the double darkness of Dartmoor Prison and our own poor historical memory.’ -- Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship: A Human History‘A beautifully narrated tale that starts with a forgotten massacre in an English prison and opens out on to a truly epic global canvas. This book illuminates how profoundly Black history underpins the national stories of Britain and the United States – and of the world beyond.’ -- Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent‘Captivating, heartbreaking and uplifting, The Hated Cage takes us on a journey to human creativity and resilience even when violence is lurking on the surface. It shows us the power of togetherness in the midst of suffocating conditions.’ -- Olivette Otele, author of African Europeans‘In this brilliant book, Nick Guyatt tells the fascinating story of a long-forgotten massacre of American sailors in a British prison. While that tale on its own is gripping, The Hated Cage uses this prison drama to unlock a range of insights about life and death across the nineteenth-century Atlantic world. A must-read work.’ -- Kevin M. Kruse, professor of history, Princeton University‘In Britain, American military cemeteries dot the landscape, none more forgotten or haunting than the one at Dartmoor, with 271 American sailors from the War of 1812. Guyatt has written a stunning, revealing history of one of the darkest and most inhumane outposts of the British empire, hidden in plain sight and historical memory in southwest England. The book is a withering tale of race and the suffering fate of seamen in the age of sail. It is also a brilliant reminder of why we do research and why we remember.’ -- David W. Blight, Sterling Professor at Yale, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom‘In Guyatt’s truly extraordinary recovery of Americans imprisoned long ago, he has excavated a most disturbing racial as well as carceral past, one that will feel disturbingly familiar, and one that underscores on every page the imperative of finally reckoning with white supremacy if there is to be a different future.’ -- Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water‘Nicholas Guyatt’s absorbing story of the early nineteenth-century Dartmoor prison “massacre” asks who was an American and could Black men, detained as British as prisoners of war, be citizens? Told by way of archival sleuthing and exacting analysis, The Hated Cage is a fascinating study of how ideas about racism and the state became fused to one another in the early American republic. It is a must-read for anyone concerned with the origins of the anti-Black thought of our own time.’ -- Martha S. Jones, author of Vanguard‘Mostly set in a prisoner-of-war camp located on an otherworldly English moor, Nicholas Guyatt’s The Hated Cage is history at its most beguiling. Guyatt expertly synthesizes critical maritime and prison scholarship to give us a unique window into war, repression, racial violence, and incarceration in early modern American history. Anyone interested in exploring the meaning of the American Revolution would do well to lay off its founding fathers and read Guyatt’s account of long-ignored, tellingly so, events in Dartmoor’s “Black Prison”.’ -- Greg Grandin, Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History, Yale University‘A gripping book that tells the forgotten account of the events that occurred in Dartmoor prison in 1815. In The Hated Cage, Guyatt masterfully centres attention on an intriguing cast of characters to document in clear detail the histories of race, violence and the struggles for survival that sit at the heart of the entangled connections between Britain and the US.’ -- Imaobong Umoren, associate professor of international history, London School of Economics and Political Science‘[A] colorful account… Expertly weaving digressions on the history of incarceration and the racial dynamics of America’s shipping industry into the narrative, Guyatt delivers an engrossing look at an intriguing historical footnote.’ * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThis volume is a collection of a variety of important records that will give readers insight into key themes into the history of what its criminal code called the unnatural and detestable sin of buggery- sex between males - in the Royal Navy. The richest sources are transcripts of trials, including ones that erupted into public scandals and ones that provide a vivid window into the sexual cultures of the navy. The book also provides lists of important records in the naval archive and will serve as a guide to finding and interpreting them. This important volume, accompanied by extensive editorial commentary, opens up this history and archive to researchers, teachers, and students studying queer history, the history of gender and sexuality, and naval and maritime history.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroduction Part 1: Tolerance and Punishment "The Unnatural and Detestable Sin": The Ban on Same-Sex Contact in the Articles of War (1661 and 1749) "He was Pleased with all his other Attempts upon Him": Relationships between Three Sailors from HMS Expedition (1705) Vigilante Violence: An Attack on a Member of the "Vile Clan" (1731) Avoiding Trial: A Newspaper Reports Discretionary Punishments (1735) Sex in the Foretop: The trial of Hugh Ducaty and William Tofts (1738) "A Very Extraordinary Kind of Sea Discipline": "Amazonian" Women Punish Buggery on HMS Princess Amelia (1742) Punishing and Permitting Same-Sex Acts at Sea: Press Coverage (1747, 1757) Executing a Boy for Buggery: The George Newton and Thomas Finley Trial (1761) "I Did What I Had no Right to Do": Captain Graham Moore Chooses Summary Punishment (1788, 1793) "Striking Examples": The Admiralty Attempts to Punish Marine James Parker (1811) How to Prosecute Same-Sex Acts: Naval Jurist John McArthur on Buggery at Sea (1813) "The Last Person in the Ship I Should Have Suspected": The Trial of Seaman Thomas Randall (1815) "A Tragic Incident": Lieutenant John Towne’s Account of a Buggery Hanging (1833) Part 2: Queer Tars "It was much better to lay with one another": Quartermaster Thomas Pike Plans an Assignation on HMS York (1701) "An Odd Affair which Lately Happened": A Cross-Dressing Cabin Boy (1739) "A Backdoor Man": Marine Officers Fight over Masculinity in a Plymouth Tavern (1755) "Tender Expressions… Not Becoming Men": Intimacy Between Officers on HMS Raven (1775) "The Little Female Tar": A Cross-Dressing Sailor Testifies in a Buggery Trial (1809) "A Correspondence… Not Fit to be Named": Tobias Smollett’s Captain Whiffle and Mr. Simper (1748) "I am No Man to be Tried by a Court Martial": A Sailor Pleads "Neutrality of Gender" (1803) "The Childish Vice of Boys": Adolescent Sexual Activity Aboard HMS Africaine (1816) "A Thorn Has Been Given Him In the Flesh": Naval Officer James Woolls Describes His Same-Sex Desire (1818) Part 3: In Print Reports of Same-Sex Acts in Seventeenth-Century Newspapers (1650, 1654) "Any Port in a Storm": A Sailor Risks Sodomy in Fanny Hill (1748) The Lieutenant Thomas Wye Affair: A Buggery Case on Shore (1755-56) "Indecent Familiarities with Mankind": William Benbow Recalls the Captain Charles Sawyer Scandal (1823) "A Case of Unparalleled Hardship": Lieutenant Arthur W. Adair Appeals to the Nation for Justice (1807, 1809) "A Full Acquittal": Captain Thomas G. Muston Insists on his Innocence in Print (1812) "Familiarity with Gross Pollution": Captain Edward Hawker on Female Sex Workers and Same-Sex Intimacy in the Navy (1821) Part 4: Naval Buggery Scandals "Is It Not What Great Men Do?": The Edward Rigby Scandal (1698) The HMS Stag Affair: Captain Henry Angel is Arrested by His Officers (1762, 1805) "But for this Detestable Propensity": Lieutenant William Berry (1807) "Guilty of an Abominable Offence": Naval Surgeon James Nehemiah Taylor (1809) Part 5: "A Man F – g Ship": The Same-Sex Subculture on HMS Africaine Sworn Statements from the Officers’ Investigation on HMS Africaine (October-November 1815) Sworn Statements from the Admiralty’s investigation (December 1815) Admiral Edward Thornbrough’s Report on the Africaine Punishments (1816) Press Coverage of the Africaine Trials and Punishments Part 6: The Victorian Navy "Considered the Prisoner as a Father": The Lieutenant Richard Inman Scandal (1838) "So Full an Acquittal": The Trials of Lieutenant Lionel R. Place (1842) "To Throw Himself Upon the Protection of the Publick": Defending Lieutenant Henry Stokes (1844-1845) "Revolting Charges Against a Naval Officer": Lieutenant George Armitage Brings a Perjury Accusation (1862-1864) "Charged with Insobriety and Indecency": The Trial of Lieutenant Frederick W. Kuper (1871) "Foul Offence and Exemplary Punishment": The Trial and Flight of Navigating Sub-Lieutenant William Renwick (1873) "In the Water Closet of a Café at Gibraltar": The Trial of Seamen Robert Simpson and Henry Keenor (1874) Appendix A: Surviving Records of British Navy Trials Related to Sex and Gender, 1690-1900BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe latest in Adrian Symonds popular series exploring the day-to-day operations of the US military aviation in the 1980s.

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Book SynopsisJeremy Black charts the story of Britain's rise to naval supremacy across the long eighteenth century.

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Book SynopsisWritten by a renowned expert, this is the most detailed account to date of the fast carrier strike force, the force that brought Japan to its knees and brought the Second World War to its crashing conclusion.

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Book SynopsisExtraordinary sea chases, battles and blockades in the remotest corners of the world World War One.

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Book SynopsisHeavily illustrated with 200 photographs, detailed diagrams and original plans.

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Book SynopsisThe first comparative and comprehensive analysis of the British and American navies. Illustrated throughout with a rich collection of photographs. Offers many original insights into how the naval war was fought.

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Book SynopsisSuperb contemporaneous account drawing on diaries and letters.

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Book SynopsisThe Trafalgar Chronicle is the publication of choice for new research on the Georgian era navy, sometimes called Nelson's Navy'. Its scope extends to the maritime world of 1714 to 1837. In this volume, authors from five countries provide tales of adventure, battles, conquests and intrigue that span the world's oceans, taking readers to the UK, the US, South America, Venice, France, the Caribbean, South Africa and the Ionian Islands. The theme for this New Series 9 is naval intelligence in the Georgian era. The contributions include two articles on the methods of gathering naval intelligence one by author Steve Maffeo who has written the definitive book on the subject. Two articles explore how Nelson and Rodney respectively applied naval intelligence in their missions. Three articles about intelligence agents follow, including a featured monograph on Baron d'Imbert, a royalist spy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Biographical portraits include a discussion of Du

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Book SynopsisDramatic tales of seamanship and courage.

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Book SynopsisDetailed story of S-Boote operations during WWIISuperb photos, illustrations and mapsIncludes the full story of high-level naval strategies that posed a real threat to the Allies until the end of WWIICollected and written by an expert in war studies

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Book SynopsisHighly illustrated account of the major naval battles fought in the Pacific and Far East during the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the history behind battleships and battle cruisers, from the groundbreaking HMS Dreadnought through to the last Royal Navy battleship, Vanguard.

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Book SynopsisMarking the 100th anniversary of the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow, David Meara draws on archive material - including a previously unpublished first-hand account - to bring the story to life.

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Book SynopsisThe lavishly illustrated story of US Naval Aviation in the 1980s. Take a step inside the day-to-day operations.Trade Review'The text provides plenty of information about the US Navy’s air stations of the period and, of course, the aircraft too. Modellers interested in portraying different colour schemes have a happy halfway house here, as the 1980s was the period when high-vis liveries were still prevalent, but the employment of low-vis greys began to blossom.' -- Key Model World

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Book Synopsis 'Extraordinary...serious naval history and a detective story, told with passion.' The Times'Vividly detailed...compelling yet comprehensive.' Los Angeles Times'Simply outstanding.' Booklist (starred review)'Gripping... This yarn has it all.' USA TodayThe sinking of the USS Indianapolis is still the biggest single loss of life at sea to be suffered by the United States navy. From a crew of 1,196 men, only 317 survived. Torpedoed by the Japanese, dying of thirst and eaten by sharks. For 70 years, the story of the USS Indianapolis has been told as a sinking story, or a shark story, or a story of military justice gone awry. But in Indianapolis, the true story of this mighty vessel is revealed. As the USS Arizona embodies theTrade Review‘A wonderful book . . . Thanks to Indianapolis, we now have a complete and accessible story of this saga. It is a gripping and engaging tale that features grievous mistakes, extraordinary courage, unimaginable horror, and a cover-up. . . . Vincent and Vladic spent years talking to the dwindling band of survivors and giving voice to their stories. . . . This exhaustive and comprehensive assessment is as complete an account of this tragic tale as we are likely to have. It is compelling history.’ * Christian Science Monitor *‘Sharks, torpedoes, deadly secrets . . . In Indianapolis, Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic expose what really happened that day in 1945 when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the Navy cruiser.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘Gripping . . . This yarn has it all . . . Stories of courage, cowardice, and sharks—lots of sharks . . . The disaster has been the subject of numerous books . . . [and] you wouldn’t think there would be much left to say. But, as it turns out, there is. Vincent and Vladic have delivered an account that stands out through its crisp writing and superb research. Indianapolis also goes where past books haven’t, to the full story behind the decades-long movement to clear the captain’s besmirched name. . . . Somehow, Vincent and Vladic manage to weave the story of the fateful voyage with events occurring fifty-five or more years later, making for taut action throughout the book. Is this the definitive and final narrative of the Navy’s worst sea disaster? Indianapolis is sure to hold its own for a long time.’ * USA Today *‘Vividly detailed . . . In a brisk, fact-based narrative, Indianapolis mixes horror and scandal. . . . With diligent reporting and sharp writing, Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic have accomplished a daunting chore facing writers of historic nonfiction: take a story whose outline is known to the public and craft an account that is compelling yet comprehensive.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Enthralling . . . Meticulously researched . . . A gripping study of the greatest sea disaster in the history of the U.S. Navy and its aftermath.’ * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *‘Simply outstanding . . . Indianapolis is a must-read . . . Sea battles, adventures, the secret mission to deliver materials for the assemblage of the atomic bomb to the Pacific Islands, tragedy, disaster, an epic ordeal—sharks included—in the open ocean, courtroom drama, political intrigue, and the uphill battle by the band of survivors to exonerate the ship’s captain will all have readers unable to put this book down. . . . Vincent and Vladic have produced a tour de force of true human drama.’ * Booklist (starred review) *‘The story of USS Indianapolis is movingly and vividly captured in this visceral account, the result of more than a decade’s research and interviews conducted by its authors. . . . This is an eye-popping book, with as many twists and turns as an airport thriller. . . . Vincent and Vladic’s extraordinary book morphs from high seas adventure to courtroom drama and congressional hearing. . . . It is a work of serious naval history and a detective story, told with passion.’ * The Times *‘Chilling . . . The facts are more horrible than fiction.’ * New York Daily News *‘Indianapolis is a gripping and emotional read. You may know part of the story from the famous speech in Jaws, but this book goes far beyond that. The product of extraordinary research, it is a brilliant, stunning, and stirring book.’ -- Don Winslow, author of The Force and The Cartel‘It was the worst sea disaster in U.S. naval history and Indianapolis, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, tells the grisly story without flinching. Their tale has almost everything. There’s a secret mission, an honorable enemy and a scapegoated captain. There’s madmen, heroes and cannibals. There’s enough in this tale for several movies.’ * San Diego Union-Tribune *‘Simultaneously a gripping narrative, a convincing analysis, and a pitiless exposure of institutional mendacity . . . The systemic oversights and misjudgments that enabled this tragedy remained obscure until this investigation, which drew upon new sources clarifying how the file was amended. This exposé will be valuable for scholars and general readers alike.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Valuable and illuminating. Vladic and Vincent’s work brings to life the history of this valorous and extraordinary ship.’ -- Doug Stanton, # 1 New York Times bestselling author of In Harm’s Way and The Odyssey of Echo Company‘Our hearts quickened while racing through this page-turning book. You may think you know the story of the worst seafaring disaster in the history of the United States Navy. You would be wrong. As Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic’s propulsive narrative segues from wartime action-adventure to riveting courtroom drama, their newly unearthed mountain of details encompassing this tragedy and its shape-shifting aftermath will not only enhance your understanding of the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of the American sailors so evocatively portrayed in Indianapolis, but shine a light on their dogged pursuit of truth and justice. It is astonishingly rare when such a significant work of history also brings tears to your eyes. Vincent and Vladic’s ultimate tale of redemption accomplishes just that feat.’ -- Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Halsey’s Typhoon, The Heart of Everything That Is, and Valley Forge‘Vincent and Vladic have rendered this long-overdue story in a way few writers of narrative nonfiction could ever achieve. They are consummate storytellers, and their research is impeccable, including accounts not only from the sailors and officers who survived, but also from the Japanese kamikaze and submarine commanders who were there. The authors reveal all that is good and all that is bad about humanity: the destruction and the courage, the selfishness and selflessness, and ultimately the shared respect and dignity of those who were once enemies. Few other books will satisfy a reader’s longing for a true and truly great story more than Indianapolis.’ -- Gary Kinder, New York Times bestselling author of Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea‘This is an absorbing book. The attention to detail is superb, the clear result of lots of plain hard work. Yet the detail doesn’t get in the way, but rather serves, along with a driving narrative, to get the reader as close to experiencing this most tragic episode of World War II as is possible without living through it.’ -- Karl Marlantes, New York Times bestselling author of Matterhorn‘The voices of the Greatest Generation come alive in Indianapolis. Through first-person accounts we hear horrific stories of fear, pain, and anger but also of resilience, hope, and courage. Stories of the friendships the sailors forged with each other on board and the sacrifices they made for each other in their darkest hours are inspirational. Ultimately, Indianapolis is about the sacrifice these men made for our country at a time of unparalleled risk and of their lifelong search for justice for the captain of their ship. It’s a beautifully told and incredibly detailed narrative that brings this famous disaster to life.’ -- Kate Andersen Brower, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women‘This is a brilliant, highly readable, and ultimately groundbreaking account of a proud ship’s life and times, not simply a rendering of her tragic ending. Absolutely superb.’ -- James Stavridis, U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret.), Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (2009-2013), and Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University

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Book SynopsisFrom the stunning victory at Pearl Harbor to its dramatic reversal at Midway, the Imperial Japanese Navy swept all before it in its numerous victories in the Pacific and Far Eastern waters. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War pulls from many of Osprey''s bestselling books on the subject in addition to the most recent research on the subject, including many sources from Japan, and is the most recent and accurate book on this fascinating force.Even after its setback at midway, the IJN remained a powerful force and inflicted sever setbacks on the US Navy at Guadalcanal and elsewhere. The Imperial Japanese Navy focuses on the Japanese ships which fought the battles in the Pacific including design details, where and when they were engaged and their ultimate effectiveness. In addition, the construction, design and service history of each ship from destroyer size on up is included. A comprehensive survey of the submarine force is also included. Modifications of each sTable of ContentsIntroduction Imperial Japanese Navy Strategy and Doctrine in the Pacific War The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War Aircraft Carriers Battleships Heavy Cruisers Light Cruisers Destroyers Submarines Conclusion and Analysis Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the years after World War II, new guided missile technology offered surface ships the chance to destroy airborne threats from afar, thereby preserving their role in naval warfare. This book examines the technology and combat performance of Britain''s guided missile destroyers over half a century. Uniquely among modern destroyers, three of these classes have been tested in battle against the aircraft and missiles of another modern navy--in the Falklands War--and were also deployed during the Gulf War. Written by an expert on British naval technology, this book assess the changing technology of the Royal Navy''s destroyers, including an examination of the Royal Navy''s newest and most capable warship, the Type 45.Table of ContentsIntroduction: the maritime air threat and the defensive missile /The County-class destroyers /The Type 82 destroyer: HMS Bristol /The Type 42: Sheffield-class destroyers /The Type 45: Daring-class destroyers /Operational Service /Conclusion /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisWhen the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyed Russia''s battle fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, it marked the emergence of Japan as one of the world''s major naval powers. Japan''s navy had been built up over just two decades, with the IJN acquiring a fleet of modern foreign-built warships. Coupled with the IJN''s leadership and high levels of training, this proved enough to destroy the fleet of one of the world''s historic naval powers. This book explains in concise detail the IJN''s fleet of 1904-05, from its battleships and armored cruisers to the torpedo boats that launched the first great torpedo attack in history, and outlines the history of the naval campaign against the Russian fleet.Table of ContentsIntroduction /The Rise of the IJN /Preparations for War with Russia /The Battleships /The Armored Cruisers /The Protected and Unprotected Cruisers /The Destroyers and Torpedo Boats /The War at Sea /Analysis and Conclusion / Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisAfter suffering devastating losses in the huge naval battles at Midway and the Soloman Islands, the Imperial Japanese navy attempted to counter-attack against the US forces threatening the Home Islands. Involving the US Fifth Fleet and the Japanese Mobile Fleet, the battle of the Philippine Sea took place during the United States'' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War.The two fleets clashed on June 19-20, 1944 and the Japanese carrier fighters were shot down in devastating numbers by US aircraft in what became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, before US counterattacks and submarine strikes forced the withdrawal of the Japanese fleet. Fully illustrated with stunning specially commissioned artwork, Mark Stille tells the enthralling story of the last, and largest, carrier battle of the Pacific War, the one that saw the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a formed fighting force.

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Book SynopsisJapan was closed to the world until 1854 and its technology then was literally medieval. Great Britain, France, and Russia divided the globe in the nineteenth century, but Japan was catching up. Its army and navy were retrained by Western powers and equipped with the latest weapons and ships. Japan wanted to further emulate its European mentors and establish a protectorate over Korea, yet Japanese efforts were blocked by Imperial Russia who had their own designs on the peninsula.The Russo-Japanese War started with a Japanese surprise naval attack against an anchored enemy fleet still believing itself at peace. It ended with the Battle of Tsushima, the most decisive surface naval battle of the 20th century. This gripping study describes this pivotal battle, and shows how the Japanese victory over Russia led to the development of the dreadnought battleship, and gave rise to an almost mythical belief in Japanese naval invincibility.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing armies /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /The battlefields today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisA vivid narrative history of the Solomons campaign of World War II, one of the key turning points in the U.S. Navy''s campaign against the Japanese in the Pacific.If the Battle of Midway, fought in June 1942, stopped further Japanese expansion in the Pacific, it was the Battle of Guadalcanal and the following Solomons Campaign that broke the back of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Between August 7, 1942 and February 24, 1944 when the Imperial Japanese Navy withdrew its surviving surface and air units from Rabaul, the main Japanese base in the South Pacific, the US Navy fought the most difficult campaign in its history, suffering such high personnel losses during the campaign that for years it refused to publicly release total casualty figures.Unlike the Central Pacific Campaign, which was fought by ''the new Navy,'' the Solomons campaign saw the US Navy at its lowest point, using those ships that had survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other units of Trade ReviewCleaver skillfully weaves individual narratives from both Allied and Japanese combatants into the overall story … the reader will come away having a greater understanding of the Pacific Theater as a whole, as well as a renewed appreciation for the courage and skill of both Allied and Japanese combatants in that grueling campaign. -- Lynn Ritger, Aviation HistorianThomas Cleaver, whose ‘war stories’ we have come to cherish, has a new one ... a riveting and powerful saga, one rendered vividly, trenchantly, and with empathy – for both sides in the conflict. -- Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Former Chief of Staff to General Colin PowellUnder the Southern Cross offers a micro-macro history of the South Pacific campaign of 1942–44, shifting from cockpit and flag bridge perspectives to broad strategy. The Guadalcanal campaign especially remains of interest because so much was at stake and the opponents were so evenly matched for a sanguinary six months. Tom Cleaver does right by the subject in this book. -- Barrett Tillman, Author of 'On Wave and Wing: The 100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier'Recommended for anyone fascinated by aviation's role in World War Two. * Flypast *This is a useful account of the air campaign against Rabaul, bringing together the efforts of the US Marines, USAAF and the US Navy’s carrier aircraft, all of which played a part in the campaign, and which are often seen in isolation. * Historyofwar.org *This is an absorbing story that deserves the wider audience it will undoubtedly receive. -- Neil Smith * Wargames Illustrated *Table of ContentsList of Maps List of Illustrations Foreword by CDR Curtis R. Dosé , USNR (Ret) Introduction 1: Operation Watchtower 2: Battle of the Eastern Solomons 3: The Cactus Air Force 4: Green Hell 5: Marine Aviation’s Finest Hour 6: All In 7: The End of the Beginning 8: Whistling Death 9: Pappy Gunn and the Sunsetters 10: Pearl Harbor Avenged 11: Jay Zeamer’s Eager Beavers 12: Reinforcement 13: The Surprise was Absolute 14: Bloody Tuesday 15: The Jolly Rogers 16: Sixty-One Days 17: Finale in the South Pacific Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe epic story of the American battleships that turned the US Navy into a global power, and were made famous in the cruise of the Great White Fleet. The last predreadnought battleships of the US Navy were critical to the technological development of US battleships, and they were the first tool of international hard power wielded by the United States, a nation which would eventually become the world''s dominant political and military power of the 20th century. These battleships were the stars of the 190709 Great White Fleet circumnavigation, in which the emerging power and reach of the US Navy was displayed around the world. They also took part in the bombardment and landings at Veracruz, some served as convoy escorts in World War I, and the last two were transferred to the Hellenic Navy and were sunk during World War II.This book examines the design, history, and technical qualities of the final six classes of US predreadnought battleships, all Trade ReviewThis book serves as an invaluable guide to US Navy battleships at the turn of the 20th century. * Model Boats Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction Development The Battleships The Battle Fleet The Great White Fleet 1907-09 Late Careers 1909-41 Conclusion Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating volume--now available in paperback offers a vivid narrative history of the early stages of the Pacific War, as US and Allied forces desperately tried to slow the Japanese onslaught that began with the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.In many popular histories of the Pacific War, the period from the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor to the US victory at Midway is often passed over because it is seen as a period of darkness. Indeed, it is easy to see the period as one of unmitigated disaster for the Allies, with the fall of the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies, and the wholesale retreat and humiliation at the hands of Japan throughout Southeast Asia.However, there are also stories of courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds: the stand of the Marines at Wake Island; the fighting retreat in the Philippines that forced the Japanese to take 140 days to accomplish what they had expected would take 50Trade ReviewAuthoritative and colourful—a must-read account of the initial phase of the war in the Pacific. * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *I Will Run Wild paints a vivid picture of the first six months of the Pacific War, with the Japanese frantically trying to achieve a quick victory and the Allies desperately hanging on by their fingernails. Tom Cleaver deftly illustrates the strategy of the sprawling Pacific War through the stories of the men who staved off catastrophe and bought America time to strike back. * Chris Bucholtz, author of Thunderbolts Triumphant: The 362nd Fighter Group vs. Germany’s Wehrmacht *We have all heard stories and details of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Flying Tigers, the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, and the Battle of Midway. All these have generated classic and modern movies that make us feel like we were there. We know all about this important history, or do we?…This valuable book details a compelling story of US and Allied forces, with antiquated airplanes, bravely facing combat-experienced Japanese pilots in superior airplanes. But the production might of the US quickly stepped up and supplied the new airplanes, carriers and pilots needed to turn the tide. * Commander Curtis Dosé, US Navy (ret.) *I Will Run Wild is a fascinating glimpse into the early days of the war in the Pacific. Meticulously researched, this is a compelling story of individual sacrifice against the backdrop of vast impersonal conflict, a work that stands shoulder to shoulder with the literary tradition of Herman Wouk and Samuel Eliot Morison.’ * Chief Warrant Officer Jim Wright, US Navy (ret.), and founder of www.stonekettle.com *Table of ContentsList of Maps List of Illustrations Foreword by RADM H. Denny Wisely USN (Ret.) Introduction 1: “I Knew My Plans Had Changed” 2: The Rising Sun 3: Preparation in the Philippines 4: “All Hands Have Behaved Splendidly” 5: Opening Blow in the Philippines 6: A Fighting Retreat 7: The Forgotten Campaign 8: The Malay Barrier 9: Reinforcement 10: The Tigers of Burma 11: The Great Escape 12: Indies Finale 13: The Guarantee of Victory 14: “Go Forward, Fight Well, and Do Us Honor” 15: The Forty-Niners 16: “Our Target is Tokyo” 17: Ramsey’s Lambsies 18: Victory Disease 19: “A New and Shining Page ” 20: Six Deadly Minutes 21: The Cornerstone of Victory Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe second volume in a two-part illustrated study of the October 23-26 Battle of Leyte Gulf, which resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese.The Battle of Leyte Gulfthe largest naval battle in historycomprised four major actions conducted over the course of two days, plus several associated minor clashes. The size and complexity of this epic battle remains unmatched, with two United States Navy (USN) fleets (Third and Seventh) facing a much-reduced Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), severely outnumbered and fatally lacking in airpower. Complementing the first volume's coverage of the IJN's First Diversion Attack Force at the battles of the Sibuyan Sea and off Samar, this superbly illustrated second volume focuses on the forces supporting the main Japanese thrust. Naval expert Mark Stille reveals how the Japanese Main Body succeeded in its mission of luring the US Third Fleet to the north, but at a tremendous cost in the ensuing Battle off Cape Engaño.Also explored Table of ContentsIntroduction Origins of the Campaign Chronology Opposing Commanders - United States Navy - Imperial Japanese Navy Opposing Fleets - United States Navy - Imperial Japanese Navy - Orders of Battle Opposing Plans - The American Plan - The Japanese Plan - Assessment of Operation Sho-1 The Battle - Sho-1 begins - Operations on October 24 - The Battle of Surigao Strait - Battle off Cape Engaño - The Japanese counter-landing operation Aftermath Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club tells the complete story of the US Naval air campaign during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975, where the US Seventh Fleet, stationed off the Vietnamese coast, was given the tongue-in-cheek nickname ''The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club''.On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox became embroiled in the infamous ''Gulf of Tonkin incident'' that led directly to America''s increased involvement in the Vietnam War. Supporting the Maddox that day were four F-8E Crusaders from the USS Ticonderoga, signalling the start of the US Navy''s commitment to the air war over Vietnam.The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the nickname for the US Navy''s Seventh Fleet, Task Force 77, stationed off the coast of Vietnam which, at various points throughout the war, comprised as many as six carriers with 70100 aircraft on board. The Seventh Fleet played an essential role in supporting operatTrade ReviewThe Vietnam War was my war, by which I mean I fought in it, and I can say that Thomas Cleaver in his Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club examines the war in an unparalleled way through the lens of aviation and its aviators. He illustrates the inevitable agony and sacrifice, thrill and triumph of the young men immersed in that saga. It all makes for a riveting read. -- Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, US Army (Ret.), soldier, diplomat and late Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and MaryTom Cleaver has captured the dramatic history of Naval Aviation’s combat record in Vietnam in a manner worthy of the classic historical novel. From the first shot fired in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964 to the final salvo in January 1973, Tom weaves an accurate tale, full of the color and fury of battle, courage, suspense, and thrill of victory – as experienced and portrayed on both sides of the conflict. -- Captain Roy Cash, Jr., USN (Ret.), Former CO, Top GunTom Cleaver’s book is a superb study of Naval Aviation's experiences during the Vietnam War. Tom’s in-depth focus and analysis of personal inputs from aircrews on both sides of the conflict coupled with the ever-changing political environment make it a high-powered book that is difficult to put down. -- Rear-Admiral James A. “Jim” Lair, USN (Ret.), former commanding officer, USS AmericaWith equal measures of aeronautical detail, historical perspective, and gripping action, Tom Cleaver has crafted an authoritative and balanced account of the Navy’s Vietnam air war. Readers will be amazed by the recall and revelations of the Naval Aviators interviewed, profiled and portrayed. This is a gripping narrative combined with a definitive historical and technical reference. -- David Sears, author of 'Such Men as These: The Story of the Navy Pilots Who Flew the Deadly Skies over Korea'This gripping narrative that grabs the attention from the very first page is complimented with an eight-page section of mainly colour photographs and several maps. It will appeal greatly to both the general reader as well as aviation ‘buffs.’ Highly recommended.” -- Andy Thomas * Flypast Magazine *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations Foreword by Captain Roy Cash, Jr., USN (Ret) Introduction 1. Shooting at Flying Fish 2. Naval Aviation’s Revolutionary New Sword 3. Opponents 4. The Rules of Engagement 5. Rolling Thunder, 1965–68 6. Air Combat, 1964–66 7. Air Combat, 1967–68 8. Alpha Strike 9. Spads vs. MiGs 10. "The Forrest Fire" 11. Top Gun 12. Interregnum, 1968–72 13. A New War 14. Operation Linebacker, 1972 15. Three DFCs in Seven Days 16. End Game, April 1975 17. Southeast Asian Finale Bibliography Glossary Index

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