Ships and boats: general interest Books
Mortons Media Group Irish Sea Shipping: Tha Mile Long Air Cuan Eirinn
Book Synopsis
£17.99
Mortons Media Group An Illustrated History of Cardiff Docks: Pt. 1:
Book SynopsisConcentrates on the Bute West, Bute East and Roath Docks, from their beginnings in the 1840s, through the boom years of the 1950s and ''60s to the period of redevelopment and modernisation. This book includes 300 photographs and maps.
£17.99
Mortons Media Group An Illustrated History of Cardiff Docks: Pt. 2:
Book Synopsis
£18.99
Mortons Media Group An Illustrated History of Cardiff Docks: Pt. 3:
Book Synopsis
£18.99
Mortons Media Group Making Waves: A Mariner's Tale 1939-48: Paddle
Book SynopsisThis autobiography records the author''s remarkably varied maritime career. In 1939 he obtained his Scottish Higher Leaving Certificate and, unable to obtain an apprenticeship, later passed his 2nd Mate''s Certificate, and sailed as a navigating officer. This gave him the freedom to serve on a very large variety of vessels, beginning aboard MacBraynes'' paddle steamer PS Gondolier as a First Class Pantry Boy until war was declared. In the following ten years, including the entire Second World War, he served aboard a UK coasting vessel converted for service as a Convoy Rescue Ship, a Portuguese coaster flying the Panamanian flag, two liners, a millionaire''s steam yacht, four tankers (one of which was Norwegian and one adapted to fuel the Royal Navy escort at sea) and nine cargo ships (again one was Norwegian and one a weather-reporting ship). While probably not unique, this assortment would certainly be hard to equal, far less surpass. "Making Waves" thus provides a wide-ranging account of what life in the Merchant Navy was really like and the conditions in the countries visited, and contains many anecdotes and a deal of humour.
£9.99
Brewin Books The Worcester and Birmingham Canal: Chronicles of
Book SynopsisThe Worcester and Birmingham Canal, some thirty miles long, was created from 1791, when it was authorised by Act of Parliament, to 1815 when it was completed 24 years later. Although intended as a broad canal for barges and having five broad tunnels, it was eventually completed with narrow locks due to financial difficulties. From Gas Street Basin at the Birmingham end it passes through the suburbs of Edgbaston, Selly Oak and Kings Norton, then through the long West Hill Tunnel and via Hopwood and Alvechurch through countryside to Tardebigge, all this section being on the Birmingham Level. Then it descends in stages via fifty-six narrow locks and two barge locks to the River Severn at Diglis via Stoke Prior, Hanbury Wharf, Dunhampstead, Oddingley, Tibberton, Blackpole and the eastern suburbs of Worcester City. The earlier chapters of this book trace in detail the successive stages reached in making the canal and the reservoirs needed to safeguard the water supplies of millowners, the financial and other problems faced, and the saga of the Tardebigge Boat Lifi. Later chapters cover the history of the canal following its completion, its use for both commercial and pleasure purposes, its administration and management, its upkeep and maintenance, its involvement with railways, and the various industries and amenities which were established beside it, Three of the final chapters feature past and present places and items of interest located along the canal from Birmingham to Worcester. Of special interest throughout is the impact the canal had upon the lives of countless people, those involved in its construction, those who lived and worked on the boats, those who were employed by the Canal Company as engineers, lock-keepers and maintenance men, people who worked in canalside factories, shops, public house, boatyards, and on wharves, and those concerned for the welfare of canal boat families and their animals.Trade Review"Alan has produced a superb, and beautifully illustrated, definitive history of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal." - Chris Daniels, Waterways World. "Alan White's book is a very comprehensive account of the canal and has to be regarded as a definitive work." - Stanley Holland, Canals & Rivers.
£23.75
Brewin Books Birmingham's First Canal 1730-1772
Book SynopsisThe development of Birmingham into a major modern industrial city can be said to have begun in 1772 with the opening of its first canal. At that time Birmingham was a small and largely rural town with a growing manufacturing base. The growth of manufacturing within the town, however, was severely constrained by the lack of a cheap, reliable and efficient means of transport for the goods it produced. These difficulties were largely overcome by the building of the canal, in that it provided a cheap and efficient means of transport to convey the town's manufactured goods to markets beyond its boundaries. The why, when and how this first canal came to be built is explored in this detailed and highly referenced account. It tells the fascinating story of how a small group of innovative, determined and ambitious entrepreneurs joined together to plan and secure its construction, and thereby also secure the City's future progress and prosperity.
£11.89
Whittles Publishing West Coast Support Group: Task Group 96.8, Korea
Book SynopsisThis illustrated portfolio is produced upon the 50th anniversary of cessation of hostilities and as a remembrance of the ships of Task Group 96.8. Through extensive research the author has gleaned information about the multi-national taskforce, including numerous photographs. Ships of the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Thai Navy, and the Republic of Colombia Navy all served in the West Coast Support Group known as Task Group 96.8 with the authority and resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations. That so many nations rallied to the cause was proof of the worth of that newly-formed organization. Britain and the older nations of the Commonwealth rapidly legislated for their reserves to be mobilized, and so largely from Europe and the West came those who would assist the USA to liberate the Republic of South Korea from the aggression of its northern neighbour. Many ships had fought in World War II with the most recent combatant being HMS "Amethyst", whose ship's company, and also that of HMSs "London" and "Conrad", suffered fatalities and wounds.
£16.16
Whittles Publishing Beyond the Harbour Lights
Book SynopsisThis volume supplements a selection of contemporary newspaper articles, mainly from the 1920s and 1930s, with background information from other sources such as the reports of Marine Courts of Inquiry, extracts from ships' log books and references to crew agreements, law reports and published narratives by ships' masters. Some imaginative details have been added, but the stories are all firmly based on true events as reported and recorded at the time.Trade Review`Mills portrays what conditions were like on board British merchant vessels of the time and has made his subject a most readable one’. Paul Ridgway, Africa Ports & Ships -------------------- `...a very readable little tome of voyages full of drama and unexpected incidents'. Julian Stockwin -------------------- 'Each of this book's 26 chapters describes an incident from the 1920s and 1930s which affected a British merchant ship going about her business. The author, a merchant seaman from the 1960s, has taken newspaper references from around the world describing groundings, fires and other calamitous events at sea. With the use of supplementary sources ... he has pieced together details of how the weather or sea conditions led to a stranding or total loss. Clan Line's Clan MacWilliam on fire off Vavua and Iddesleigh of the Tatem Steam Navigation Co. aground off Hispaniola are just two of many incidents recorded. The author portrays what conditions were like on board British merchant vessels and he has made his subject a most readable one'. Ships Monthly -------------------- 'Chris Mills has gathered together a selection of most interesting newspaper articles, mainly from the 1920s and 1930s, and then developed the story with background information to tell the full tale of what happened. ... There are 26 chapters, each devoted to a particular newsworthy story involving a deep-sea ship, and a varied collection of incidents, which seafarers of today and yesterday will appreciate'. Shipping - Today & Yesterday -------------------- 'This book gives the reader a real flavour of seagoing and in its own way adds much value to a way of life now almost lost to living memory'. Sea Breezes
£15.15
Whittles Publishing Lost Sounds: The Story of Fog Signals
Book SynopsisLost Sounds visits a number of lighthouses at different times over the last 130 years to reveal the philanthropic, scientific and romantic story of the fog signal - how it came about, how the machinery worked and, for the mariner and the keeper, what it sounded like! The development of fog signals complemented the expansion of lighthouse construction worldwide from the last quarter of the 19th century and represented the attempt to provide a vital navigation aid to mariners when the beam of light from the lighthouses lens was obscured by fog. Lost Sounds reveals the practical development of sound signals from the early percussion instruments to the later succession of compressed-air sirens and diaphones through to the last remaining electric emitters. However, it is much more than that - it is a record of another part of maritime history.Trade Review'... Alan has successfully produced an authoritative and seminal work of unparalleled depth. ... This book must rate alongside Douglas Hague and Rosemary Christie ... as a core work of reference and required reading by everyone remotely interested in coastal aids to navigation. It cannot be recommended too highly'. LAMP 'A labour of love, recommended reading in general for all romantics who, like me, regret that on fog-bound days Pendeen foghorn, or any other for that matter, will never be heard mooing or booming again, and in particular for lighthouse engineering buffs, Alan Renton's unique Lost Sounds ...' Western Morning News 'It is thoroughly researched, profusely illustrated with photographs and drawings, and well-written. ... there is considerable local appeal in the form of the cluster of fog warnings guarding the treacherous waters around Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly'. The West Briton 'Lost Sounds is a book for lighthouse and lightvessel enthusiasts or those curious about how such seamarks have been built and operated over the past couple of centuries. ... also contains much historical information about the construction and operation of many of our lighthouses and lightvessels.' The Nautical Magazine
£16.14
Bristol Fashion Publications,US Designing Power & Sail
£22.09
Bristol Fashion Publications,US Building a Fiberglass Boat
£19.35
Nimbus Publishing Ltd Ocean of Storms, Sea of Disaster
Book SynopsisHere are over sixty stories of piracy, fire, explosions, disappearances, rum running, shipboard mutiny and murder. There are also stories of collisions with whales, icebergs and other ships, as well as wrecks on rocks, islands and sand bars. Vessels, large and small, were struck by lightning, shelled or torpedoed by enemy vessels, crushed by Arctic ice, and even swallowed up whole by unexpected intense gales and hurricanes. These true tales of shipwrecks delve into strange and curious marine disasters. The setting, primarily the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, was the main trading route for passenger steamers and treading schooners plying their way to and from Europe and also the site of the much frequented fishing grounds. It is said to be the "stormiest ocean on earth." The time range in Ocean of Storms, Sea of Disaster is one hundred years, between the 1850s and the 1950s but the stories themselves are timeless.
£17.95
Liverpool University Press Watercraft on World Coins: Volume 1: Europe,
Book SynopsisFram, Golden Hind, Santa Maria, Vasa, and HMS Victory are names of famous ships that have played a part in Europe's maritime history. The stories associated with these and many other ships are presented in this book of "ship coins." Each narrative provides the historical background and watercraft experience and circumstance of the soldiers, sailors, admirals and generals, explorers, naval commanders, and fishermen who, sometimes through bravery and sometimes through human error, have merited a place in the historical record, and are associated with particular vessels that have merited the striking of a coin in record and remembrance. This book is the first ever to narrate history through the medium of ships featured on coins. Each entry contains information on the ships - wherever available - including length, beam, depth, and tonnage. The book constitutes a catalogue of ship coins organized according to the popular KM numbering system, with groupings under separate headings where ships have a common design. The coin images represent the many different ways in which the ships are depicted. Each volume contains a select bibliography and an index listing the ships, persons, and other major topics covered in the narratives. Volume I: Europe,1800 - 2005 will be followed by Volume II: America and Asia, 1800-2008, and Volume III: Africa and Oceania, 1800-2011.Trade ReviewFeatured in Antiques Info, Sept/Oct 2010
£52.25
Liverpool University Press Watercraft on World Coins: Volume II: America &
Book SynopsisOrganized as a catalog of ship coins, according to the popular KM-numbering system, these volumes list coins that have a common design are grouped under separate headings. Circulating coins and collector-oriented commemoratives are included and the coin images represent the many different ways in which the ships are depicted. Volume I Fram;, Golden Hind;, Santa Maria;, Vasa;, and H.M.S. Victory; are names of famous ships that have played a part in Europe's maritime history and the stories associated with these and many other ships are told in this book of ship coins. Each narrative provides the historical background and watercraft experience and circumstance of the soldiers, sailors, admirals and generals, explorers, naval commanders, and fishermen who sometimes through bravery and sometimes through human error have merited a place in the historical record, and are associated with particular vessels that have merited the striking of a coin in record and remembrance. Each entry contains information on the ships, wherever available (length, beam, depth, and tonnage). The book constitutes a catalogue of ship coins organized according to the popular KM numbering system, with groupings under separate headings where ships have a common design. The coin images represent the many different ways in which the ships are depicted. Each volume contains a select bibliography and an index listing the ships, persons and other major topics covered in the narratives. Volume II Including more than 600 narratives, the next in the series follows the publication of Volume I to describe coins from America and Asia.
£52.25
Liverpool University Press Watercraft on World Coins: Volume III: Africa and
Book SynopsisThe book is organised as a catalogue of "ship coins" according to the popular KM-numbering system. Coins that have a common design are grouped under separate headings. Included are both circulating coins and collector oriented commemoratives. The coin images represent the many different ways in which the ships are depicted. Volume II included over six hundred narratives, and follows on from the publication of "Volume I -- Europe, 1800-2005" (2007), acclaimed as a book that should be owned or at least read by every collector of world ship coins.Trade ReviewDotans research is detailed and his narratives about ships are aimed at all students of naval warfare, shipping and numismatics. Each narrative provides the historical background and watercraft experience and circumstance of the soldiers, sailors, admirals and generals, explorers, naval commanders and fishermen that have earned a place in the historical record and that have been featured on coins in their honor. -- Coin WorldFinally a new manual of numisnautics, which will be a valuable aid for many collectors. The outstanding characteristic of the book is its user friendliness. This work is an all-round success. -- NumisnautikEach coin is identified by its denomination, date of issue and metallic composition. A high quality black and white image accompanies many of the descriptions. For each coin listed there is a detailed description of the ship depicted on the coin its length, tonnage, launch date, speed, its place in history and, in some cases, its ultimate demise. -- The CN Journal, the official publication of the Canadian Numismatic Association
£52.25
Liverpool University Press Watercraft on World Coins: 3-Volume Set
Book SynopsisFram, Golden Hind, Santa Maria, Vasa, and H.M.S. Victory are names of famous ships that have played a part in Europe's maritime history. The stories associated with these and many other ships are told in this book of "ship coins". Each narrative provides the historical background and watercraft experience and circumstance of the soldiers, sailors, admirals and generals, explorers, naval commanders and fishermen who sometimes through bravery and sometimes through human error have merited a place in the historical record, and are associated with particular vessels that have merited the striking of a coin in record and remembrance. The three-volume set is the first ever to narrate the history through the medium of ships featured on coins. Each entry contains information on the ships, wherever available (length, beam, depth and tonnage). Each volume contains a select bibliography and an index listing the ships, persons and other major topics covered in the narratives.Trade ReviewDotans research is detailed and his narratives about ships are aimed at all students of naval warfare, shipping and numismatics. Each narrative provides the historical background and watercraft experience and circumstance of the soldiers, sailors, admirals and generals, explorers, naval commanders and fishermen that have earned a place in the historical record and that have been featured on coins in their honor. -- Coin World"Finally a new manual of numisnautics, which will be a valuable aid for many collectors. The outstanding characteristic of the book is its user friendliness. This work is an all-round success." -- NumisnautikEach coin is identified by its denomination, date of issue and metallic composition. A high quality black and white image accompanies many of the descriptions. For each coin listed there is a detailed description of the ship depicted on the coin its length, tonnage, launch date, speed, its place in history and, in some cases, its ultimate demise. -- CN Journal, the official publication of the Canadian Numismatic Association
£99.70
Ships in Focus Publications SD14: Die Ganze Geschichte
Book Synopsis
£28.02
Bernard McCall Bristol Port and Channel Nostalgia
Book Synopsis
£15.20
Bernard McCall Classic Dutch-Built Coasters
Book Synopsis
£16.15
Bernard McCall Mariners' Memorabilia Volume 3
Book Synopsis
£11.40
Whittles Publishing Mariner's Launch
Book SynopsisA social and historical narrative depicting life in the British Merchant Navy during the 1950s - the golden age of shipping. This story chronicles the growth of a youth, from naive 16-year-old to a mature young man, capable eventually of accepting the grave responsibilities entrusted to a watch-keeping officer on the bridge of an ocean-going ship. The reader follows his voyage escapades and sees him ambushed by pitfalls resulting largely from his innocence. Collectively these incidents capture the atmosphere of service as a navigating officer cadet in yesterday's Merchant Navy. Cargo handling and seafaring were then highly labour intensive. Ships were smaller in capacity and, with their forest of derricks, were constructed differently from today's clear-deck container and bulk carriers, but needed larger crews. Seamen nevertheless enjoyed a leisurely life, accepting as 'the norm' worldwide cargo delays and strikes, and having to invent their own unique brand of shipboard entertainment. With humorous touches, the author brings alive a lifestyle which epitomised excitement and adventure during this 'golden age' of international shipping, and where young people were expected to meet demanding everyday challenges.Trade Review" 'Focuses seafaring 'spot-on' - as Mortimer does for law - and Herriot for vets!' World Ship Society"
£16.14
Whittles Publishing But No Brass Funnel
Book SynopsisA boyhood visit to the battleship HMS Nelson left the author with the ambition to be a midshipman in the Royal Navy and to be in charge of a steam picket-boat with a brass funnel. The author relates how he went to sea, his adventures and experiences ashore and afloat during his 35 years service under the White Ensign and the Red Ensign. Starting as a Merchant Navy cadet in the British India Steam Navigation Company at the start of World War II, he subsequently joined the Royal Navy and progressed from midshipman to lieutenant during ten years of service. Captain Stewart's story includes details of his first ship, the SS Mulbera; coming home to the Clyde and later sailing around the Cape. During the war years he experienced life in a minesweeper and a corvette, and escorted convoys in the Arctic and the Mediterranean. Leaving the Navy after the war, he spent several years ashore before returning to seafaring in the Merchant Navy. He joined the fleet of a major oil company as a junior officer and quickly progressed through the ranks until he reached the rank of master, spending many years in command of large crude oil tankers. Although Captain stewart served in eight classes of warship and many more types of tanker, he never did command a picket boat with a brass funnel!
£16.16
Whittles Publishing Last of the Line
Book SynopsisNow that lightouse automation has been completed, what of the service and dedication to duty that was unfailingly provided by keepers, their associates and their families? This book records the memories of Harold Hall who entered permanent service with Trinity House in 1922 and served for 44 years. It also details the service of his ancestors and to complete the picture his daughter, Patricia, recounts her own experiences of this way of life. The end result is a fascinating account of three families connected by marriage, the Hall and Darling families - the well-known Grace Darling being the great, great, great-aunt of the author!
£16.14
Whittles Publishing Sea Like a Mirror
Book SynopsisLiving with the sea evokes a need to write about it, whether in poems, songs or prose. This book records a life spent upon the sea, from junior cadet to captain, and some of the reflections which at lonely times in the ocean's vastness seemed to have sprung from its depth. At first attracted by the escape from grammar school and the lure of visiting places with exotic names, it soon became apparent that the young cadet was no swashbuckler and would take some time to come to terms with the sea. But come to terms with it he did, albeit in a love/hate relationship, in which love ultimately won out.
£16.14
Whittles Publishing Chronometer Jack: The Autobiography of the
Book SynopsisFrom 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. "Chronometer Jack" is an outstanding autobiography by John Miller, an Edinburgh-born Shipmaster and Coastguard officer, an educated man whose working life commenced on board East India Company ships. It provides many insights into the tough but sometimes amusing life under William Younghusband on the Lord Castlereagh, the tyrannical Tommy Larkins on the Marquis Camden and Thomas Balderston on the Asia. Seconded to an opium vessel and the associated risks of trading in opium in the 1820s, Miller experienced the trauma of capture by the Chinese. Returning to Scotland, he married Jessie Adamson, the sister of John and Robert, famed pioneers of photography. Later, Miller set up in business as a master-shipowner in the convict colony of Tasmania, trading mainly with Sydney and Port Phillip. The gripping narrative is full of incident and unforgettable characters and his first-hand observations on society in Van Diemen's Land when still a convict colony make compelling reading. Bankrupted, Miller and his family were forced to return to Britain where circumstances forced him to join the Coastguard, serving in Northumberland, Tynemouth and Lincolnshire. His frustrations with bureaucracy, the higher status accorded former Royal Navy Officers and, in his recruiting capacity, the relatively poor quality of seamen joining the Royal Naval Reserve, constantly surface in the text - a rare insight into the occupation and tribulations experienced by a Coastguard officer in the 1850s and '60s. Although Captain Miller's original manuscript included numerous references to people identified only by an initial letter, most of these were subsequently identified, providing his narrative with a rich and well-attested circumstantial context.Trade Review'He lived a remarkable life, and he describes numerous adventures including calls at St. Helena when Napoleon was imprisoned there... All this is told with humour and great gusto, which makes Chronometer Jack an excellent read, particularly for anyone with seafaring links to Australia, India or the Far East. And to discover the origin of the author's nickname, you will have to read the book.' International Tugmasters Association -------------------- '... an excellent edition of Miller's memoir which gives us a detailed picture of many aspects of life at sea and ashore for a British shipmaster in the period 1819 to 1865 ... this well-produced book presents a fascinating story which will be of interest to both maritime historians and scholars.' International Journal of Maritime History -------------------- '...a fascinating and exciting story ... Chronometer Jack is a thrilling read, and paints a picture of a life at sea. It's full of gripping yarns and unforgettable characters, yet is informative and insightful.' Preview -------------------- 'This book is an entertaining and captivating account of the working life of a 19th century shipmaster and coastguard officer. ...Once started, this historical narrative is hard to put down ... filled as it is with so much incident and unforgettable characters. ...Chronometer Jack gives us a rare account of an extraordinary life in the days of wooden ships and iron men! Highly recommended'. The Nautical Magazine -------------------- 'Perhaps most interesting are Miller's observations on the human aspects of his profession. His descriptions of the officers and men he served with throughout his long career are detailed and, at times, humourous. He had a keen eye for detail and the book is full of descriptions of poets and historic occurrences. ...Readers will find this book a fascinating view of British merchant seafaring life'. Naval History -------------------- '...an intriguing look at the maritime world of nineteenth-century Britain. ... The final result is that the captivating and imformative tales told by John Miller reveal the realities of British merchantman life while referencing the themes in a larger context of nineteenth-century history.' The Northern Mariner -------------------- `…A compelling account of an extraordinary life’. Julian Stockwin
£22.50
Whittles Publishing Wreck, Rescue and Salvage
Book SynopsisAfter joining the Australian Merchant Navy at the age of sixteen, Dick Jolly trained as an engineer before joining the Australian National Line as a cadet. After a four-year apprenticeship, he gradually gained promotion while travelling around the Australian coast. Fascinated by the world of commercial deep-sea tugs and salvage, his first real break came in Portsmouth in 1963 when he landed a job on RFA Typhoon. Relocating to Singapore and with a Foreign Going tugmaster's qualification under his belt, he went on to travel the oceans of the world, hauling derelict ships, dredgers, floating cranes and all manner of other craft. For four years he left the sea, trying to earn a living as an opal-miner in Andamooka in the Australian Outback where the vast majority of miners go bankrupt! It was an advert for the post of tugmaster in the Port of Eden which brought him to his senses, and he returned to the world of salvage. After further work in the Far East, his no-nonsense attitude was appreciated by the managing director of a new salvage company and the author was sent to Germany to purchase the company's tug, the Intergulf. Many contracts followed, until the Intergulf was sold from underneath his feet. Captain Jolly relates many fascinating stories from the hard-bitten world of commercial salvage: dragging blazing ships off rocky shorelines, rescuing crews from the middle of the ocean and avoiding hostile natives. On one occasion, he had to drive through the jungle at break-neck speed to avoid being taken hostage! These and many other gripping adventures are recounted in this exciting, true-life and humorous story, which is complemented by stunning colour and black and white photographs.Trade Review`...fascinating stories from the hard-bitten world of deep-sea towing and marine salvage... ...gripping adventures are recounted with keen observation and humour. An exciting, real-life maritime tale!' Julian Stockwin -------------------- 'This truly is an adventure story... An exciting book which grips the reader immediately... Recommended'. Sea Breezes -------------------- '...The stories are exceptionally well told and there is a rich vein of humour running through some of the incidents. They will provide many hours of fascinating reading'. Shipping Today & Yesterday -------------------- '...a lively treasure-chest of recollections of a lifetime in the business. And along the way, his book of memoirs ...lifts the hatch on the little -known world of deepsea towing and marine salvage. ...plentiful details of what was involved and observations of the people and places...' Nautilus UK Telegraph --------------------
£16.14
Whittles Publishing Mariner's Voyage: v. 2
Book SynopsisExtract from Foreword by John F. Millican, Director, Warsash Maritime Academy, Southampton, UK...Dr. Solly has very cleverly woven together a social history of seafaring in the post-war years...you discover just how well the author ...has captured the experience of being at sea ...a wonderfully evocative read, and an important contribution to the history of the period. This story continues the adventures of Jonathan Caridia, the narrator in "Mariner's Launch", and shows his continued professional and social growth.Written in an eminently readable style which encourages empathy with the narrator, the reader shares Jonathan's pride at leaving behind his cadetship and experiences his uncertainties when he joins his first vessel as Third Navigating Officer. Jonathan impresses as a very real person encountering new challenges and some dramatic situations, which he handles responsibly and with increasing confidence. The reader learns how he confronts new challenges and handles his responsibilities, often conveying a laconic, dry sense of humour.Seafaring then was more leisurely than today, yet "Mariner's Voyage" is not only for veterans but is also a must for younger readers and all who enjoy rattling a good read. Seafarer's expectations today may have changed a little, although computerisation requires different skills, but going to sea will always be exciting. The sea remains a demanding and challenging taskmaster for those navigating vessels and does not suffer fools gladly. This true-to-life adventure story of a young man's development in his maritime career will ring true with many seafarers, being appreciated by veteran and young sailors alike. It also gives a detailed and enjoyable picture of the 'golden age of shipping' and will be of great appeal to all maritime enthusiasts and armchair sailors.
£16.14
Whittles Publishing Postcards from the Edge: Remote British
Book SynopsisWe've been sending one another postcards for well over a century now - usually brief messages to our friends and family telling them about the weather on our holidays or where we're visiting next on our travels. A hundred years ago we sent postcards with more serious messages - important, personal information about births, marriages and deaths, urgent requests for help, or just to keep in touch before the use of the telephone became widespread. The choice of subjects featured on postcards today is vast, but amongst the most popular has always been the lighthouse - a symbol of safety and reliability, and evidence of Man's basic instinct to warn and reassure. Over the years, almost every British lighthouse has featured on a postcard of some description, and the ones with easy access are regularly updated with different views. This new book from Christopher Nicholson, author of the highly-acclaimed Rock Lighthouses of Britain, concentrates on vintage postcards featuring the remotest lighthouses of all. Within these pages are snapshots of the past and moments in time from the very edge of Britain - granite pillars rising from sea-swept reefs or the lights on uninhabited storm-lashed islets dotted around the coasts of England, Wales and Scotland. Some of these cards are artists' impressions, some are hand-tinted, while others are real sepia or black and white photographs - but they all show how things used to look and how life used to be at the very extremes of offshore Britain. Due to their age these postcards are now valuable documents of social history - keepers posing with their families or being relieved at the end of their stint of duty - and they also illustrate the changing appearance of the lighthouses, together with the appalling weather the keepers endured. Proof, if such were needed, that there was nowhere too isolated nor weather too rough that would daunt the determined postcard photographer! It was perhaps because of the very remoteness of the lighthouses that drew people to buy the postcards and these evocative photographs will invoke an appreciation of those bygone times. With chapters on 'pillar lights', 'island lights', 'relief days', 'wild winds and white water' and 'curiosities' the author has been given unique access to the collections of private individuals and lighthouse authorities to compile a fascinating and nostalgic work. Each lighthouse featured is accompanied by interesting historical details as well as a selection of vintage postcard views with extended captions - some over a century old.Trade Review'...a delightful and charming book. ...the great delight of this publication is visual attractiveness of the postcards. ...It is lavishly illustrated and the quality of the reproduction is high. It is packed with interesting historical information ad will have a very wide appeal.' Nautical Magazine '...a fascinating book... All facets of life are touched by these unique buildings, and this book shines a light on parts of our culture we didn't know existed.' The Weekly News '...showcases a unique collection of postcards featuring some of the most remote lighthouses... illustrate how lighthouses have changed and weathered over the years, and show the difficult conditions endured by lighthouse keepers...' Scottish Memories '...the many fascinating images in this book are all taken from actual postcards, some more than a century old. The combination of historical detail and images provides a vivid social history about these sea-battered architectural masterpieces and the men who built and looked after them through storm and tempest'. The Northumbrian 'Postcards and lighthouses: two of our favourite things. So how could we resist Postcards from the Edge, a new book that combines both? The history of this most popular maritime building is cleverly chronicled... ... all the images are wildly romantic with tumultuous seas, turbulent skies and boats in full sail battling the odds'. COAST 'Christopher Nicholson's superb pictorial account of fascinating remote British lighthouse postcards is a treasdure for those who enjoy a nostalgic relection on our past historical icons. ...the atmosphere and period are captured with full character in these postcards. ... the author presents us with an amazing and nostalgic compendium of our maritime history. ... This richly illustrated, engaging work...' Anglesey Today '...a delightful and charming book. ...the great delight of this publication is visual attractiveness of the postcards. ...It is lavishly illustrated and the quality of the reproduction is high. It is packed with interesting historical information ad will have a very wide appeal.' Nautical Magazine '...a fascinating book... All facets of life are touched by these unique buildings, and this book shines a light on parts of our culture we didn't know existed.' The Weekly News
£17.09
Whittles Publishing Rats, Rust and Two Old Ladies
Book SynopsisDelivering two 38-year-old Mississippi river tugboats halfway around the world from Bahrain to Trinidad would not be every ship master's dream employment. However, for Captain David Creamer, the seven-week voyage of the Justine and Martha was not only unique, but a memorable experience he was unlikely ever to forget or repeat. As the author relates the day-to-day problems that the twelve crewmen encountered while living onboard, the reader is drawn into their world. The discovery of a plague of rats, steering problems, running out of fresh water and running aground in the middle of Sitra port, Bahrain are just some of the difficulties the two old boats encountered on their way to the Caribbean. Rusty water, fuel oil in a toilet, and a fire onboard in the Gulf of Suez were some of the setbacks experienced on the first leg of the voyage.Designed principally for river work and not as ocean-going or deep-sea vessels, the hapless Justine and Martha encountered a short but violent Mediteranean storm on the passage from Port Said to Malta rendering conditions onboard extremely uncomfortable.On the leg of the journey from Malta to Trinidad, they hit more bad weather, partially flooding the Martha. It also became apparent that the fuel taken onboard by both vessels was biologically contaminated. Forced to stop at Gibraltar to clean the fuel tanks, the author and Chief Engineer visited Nerja in Spain, which coincided with the start of the Mardi Gras. Although blessed with good weather for their crossing of the Atlantic, this epic voyage almost ended in disaster just a few meters from the final destination. An explosion from the engine-room, followed by a high-pitched mechanical whining, signalled the end of both engines, leaving the Justine to drift helplessly towards the jagged edges of a ramshackle concrete pier.Trade Review'For anyone familiar with 1960s era tugs... ...this nicely illustrated book will bring back fond memories'. Professional Mariner; '...this excellent and entertaining book. ...the author turns the experience into a book which is both amusing and page-turning. The reader can hardly wait for the next disaster! ... To find out what other challenges they faced, you will just have to buy the book. We are sure you will enjoy it. ...you are in for a real treat. Highly recommended.' International Tugmasters Association; '...this wonderful account... It is an excellent, mirth-provoking and memorable book...' The Little Ship; 'Whether you are a salty dog or a cruise-ship lizard, you will enjoy this warts-and-all account of a modern life on the ocean wave.' Soltalk; 'Creamer tells a good yarn well, such that his book would make an entertaining read for anybody, not only Old Salts with natural interest in nautical old ladies.' Nautilus UK Telegraph; '...In some ways a "Dad's Navy" adventure, it was an unusual but unforgettable ship delivery. ... Nevertheless, ingenuity, imagination or determination, or a combination of the three, prevailed'. Work Boat World; '...Creamer wrote a superb book - charmingly erudite yet easy reading and filled with history, insights, humour, a most-happy mix of details and generalities, and enough technical details so the tug-oriented reader knows what is really happening. The book gets my highest recommendation'. TugBitts
£18.04
Whittles Publishing An Illuminating Experience
Book SynopsisThroughout the 1960s and '70s, despite having the technology to land men on the moon, some of our lighthouses were still operated by oil, not only for the main navigation light, but also in the keepers' living quarters. With some of the offshore stations lacking even the basic facilities of running water, a bathroom or heating life onboard was, to say the least, pretty basic. The author's story begins in 1966 - a time when oil lights were rotated by a hand-wound clockwork mechanism and keepers handled explosive fog signals. Little did the author realize that he would witness, and become part of, a new technological age that would sweep through the industry. Unmanned lighthouses being operated by remote control via telemetry links to a computer and satellite information provided by GPS. Travelling extensively around the coasts of England, Wales and the Channel Islands, his 22 postings varied from offshore lighthouses, such as the famous Needles Rock at the Isle of Wight, where the men were confined to just a handful of circular rooms, to those located on beautiful islands such as Lundy in the Bristol Channel where the accommodation was more spacious. Due to their isolation, lighthouses and their keepers were in an advantageous position to assist the Coastguard and rescue services and the author describes how he became involved in two hazardous rescue operations for which he was awarded the Royal Humane Society bronze medal. With the onset of automation, it was frequently necessary for keepers to share their already-cramped living space with the contractors who installed the specialised equipment that would ultimately result in their redundancy. Although the introduction of helicopters was initially a godsend in overcoming late reliefs, it proved to be the nail in the coffin for the men of the service, as they offered virtually all-weather access. "An Illuminating Experience" tells the fascinating story of a way of life that has become a part of our maritime heritage.Trade Review'It is a story by a man who clearly loved his career and the sea and will be of interestto all those who have looked at the lights from the shore or from the sea.' The Royal Naval Sailing Association Journal
£14.24
Whittles Publishing Shipwrecks of the Forth and Tay
Book SynopsisThis new book is a very much improved and updated edition of the successful previous edition, "Shipwrecks of the Forth", and benefits hugely from the vast amount of vital new information gleaned by the author during 15 years of painstaking research. Each wreck is listed by area with details of position, history and fate. The text is accompanied by maps and charts and illustrated with many dramatic photographs. As a result of this meticulous work, exciting discoveries and recoveries such as ships' bells and pottery have been made by divers, allowing them to confirm identities of previously unknown wrecks.In addition to first-hand local knowledge of fishermen, coastguards, lifeboat men and divers, the author has consulted primary sources including official records from the Admiralty and Lloyds, official German U-boat records and Norwegian, Swedish and Danish records. Many vessels were lost due to running aground or collisions but the vast majority of shipwrecks immediately surrounding our coasts resulted from military activities during the First and Second World War. As such this aspect of the book provides significant historical interest for readers.Trade Review'Each of the listed wrecks is accompanied by details of the sinking, the position (where known), history and fate of the crew, along with supporting maps and charts. ...a valuable book contributing to the maritime history of the area. Highly recommended'. Sea Breezes -------------------- '...is a triumph of research and dedication as it reveals the facts about the loss of some 300 ships and other craft within a given geographical area of the UK and, as such, will prove to be an invaluable asset to all scuba divers and others who seek to learn more about these vessels and their history. ... For those with a passion for the shipwrecks within the geographical area covered by this work, I doubt a better book will ever be published and I congratulate the author on his attention to detail and painstaking research'. Sport Diver Magazine -------------------- 'The author has compiled an amazing collection of photographs, some are sinking , some aground, of the ships listed. Typically meticulously, the author has incorporated a detailed index of the exact position of all the wrecks mentioned'. Ships and Shipping -------------------- 'This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in maritime affairs and particularly shipwrecks. It is written in an engaging personal style and with such a wide range of stories and facts that it will appeal even to those who have no intention of searching for wrecks to dive on in the east of Scotland'. The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord -------------------- '...will appeal to submarine buffs and all wreck divers... ...contains masses of new information. It deals with more than 300 wrecks sunk off the coast off Scotland... Full of detail about the sinking, positions and what divers will see today, it is particularly strong on submarines'. DIVER Magazine
£17.99
Whittles Publishing Nothing Over the Side: Examining Safe Crude Oil
Book SynopsisThis is the first recent book to lift the lid off the crude oil tanker industry and to demonstrate that, contrary to general opinion, crude oil tankers are the safest and most regulated business/industry in the world. As an ex-supertanker navigating and deck officer, the author saw for himself during two recent voyages how ships were operated on a daily basis and everything was recorded exactly as it happened. These findings are important to all who wish to know what happens aboard the thousands of tankers that transport the vast quantities of unrefined oil used for the diverse essential commodities in our daily lives. Other issues are confronted such as the efforts made by the industry to deal with flag states and sub-standard operators that do not readily conform to international laws and conventions; the examination of double-hulled tanker construction; the protection of tanks against rusting and corrosion; water ballast transference; cutting greenhouse emissions and sea pollution prevention, including the environmentally-safe dispersal of marine growths on the hull. Light is cast upon a number of topical issues such as international piracy; concern with the worldwide fall in numbers of officers and ratings; up-to-date methods of securing their training; safety on board ship and the navigation of the tankers themselves, along with the latest efforts to regulate ship breaking on Asian beaches. The determined efforts of the crude oil tanker industry including its proactive initiatives to make each tanker safe and efficient at sea provide a fascinating account which is at times surprisingly dramatic.Trade Review'This excellent little book was created by an experienced navigating officer who has since become an academic. Before he commenced he was well aware of the safety and pollution consciousness of the tanker sector. ...this book provides an unbiased and balanced description of how the sector operates. It would be a good idea if INTERTANKO were to provide for its widespread dissemination throughout the world's general media.' Work Boat World '...does provide useful data for students of the industry... ...he does cover a lot of aspects from operation and regulation through construction and corrosion to ship breaking in India...' The Nautical Magazine '...It is a thorough and clearly-written portrayal of life at sea which succeeds in its aim of lifting the lid on the crude oil tanker industry'. Nautilus TelegraphTable of ContentsForeword. Introduction. Outward to Statfjord. Homeward to Tranmere Terminal. Around the Skaggerak. State Responsibilities and Pollution Matters. Ship Safety. Human Concerns. Practical Insights. The Proactive Approach. Conclusion
£17.99
Middleton Press Solent - Creeks, Craft and Cargoes
Book Synopsis
£18.95
Kettle's Yard Gallery Alfred Wallis Ships & Boats
Book SynopsisAlfred Wallis (1855-1942) is one of the most original and inspiring British artists of the 20th Century. Promoted by the artist Ben Nicholson amongst others, Wallis’s paintings influenced the development of British art between the wars. The directness of Wallis’ vision reflected a lifetime of living by and from the sea. His paintings are of what he knew, remembered and imagined. Yet they are also timeless stories about survival and the nature of our relationship with the world. As Jim Ede commented “Wallis is never local.” With over 70 illustrations, excerpts from letters and texts by Michael Bird, Ben Nicholson and Jim Ede, this book takes a fresh look at this extraordinary artist and his relationship to Kettle's Yard. It includes some of Wallis's best works from the Kettle’s Yard collection including many that are not normally on display, from ambitious paintings such as Saltash to what Wallis knew and loved best: ships and boats. Kettle's Yard, the University of Cambridge's modern and contemporary art gallery, holds the largest public collection of works by Alfred Wallis. Wallis was born in Devon. He was a fisherman and later a scrap-metal merchant in St. Ives. He took up painting in his later years, following the death of his wife in 1922. He was admired by Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood, who came across his work when visiting St. Ives in 1928 and included it in the Seven & Five Society’s exhibition of 1929. He died in Madron Poorhouse.
£11.40
Signal Books Ltd The Thames: A Cultural History
Book SynopsisIt may not be the longest, deepest or widest river in the world but few bodies of water reveal as much about a nation's past and present, or are suggestive of its future, as England's River Thames. Tales of legendary lock-keepers and long-vanished weirs evoke the distant past of a river which evolved into a prime commercial artery linking the heart of England with the ports of Europe. In Victorian times, the Thames hosted regattas galore, its new bridges and tunnels were celebrated as marvels of their time, and London's river was transformed from sewer to centrepiece of the British Empire. Talk of the Thames Gateway and the effectiveness of the Thames Barrier keeps the river in the news today, while the lengthening Thames Path makes the waterway more accessible than ever before. Through quiet meadows, rolling hills, leafy suburbia, industrial sites and a changing London riverside, Mick Sinclair tracks the Thames from source to sea, documenting internationally-known landmarks such as Tower Bridge and Windsor Castle and revealing lesser known features such as Godstow Abbey, Canvey Island, the Sanford Lasher, and George Orwell's tranquil grave. Paintings, Words and Music: Turner, Tissot, Whistler and Monet; Shakespeare at Southwark, Alexander Pope, Charles Dickens, Jerome K. Jerome, William Morris; Handel's Water Music, the first rendition of Rule Britannia, the Rolling Stones and The Who rocking Eel Pie Island. Power, Politics and Intrigue: Runnymede and Magna Carta, the first English parliament, Whitehall Palace, Cliveden and the Profumo affair, the Houses of Parliament and the brooding headquarters of MI5 and MI6. Trade and Commerce: Eel trapping, osier growing; bargemen, watermen and lightermen; the rise and fall of London's docks; urban regeneration, rural protection.
£14.25
Archetype Publications Ltd Conservation of Archaeological Ships and Boats
Book Synopsis
£45.00
Transworld Publishers Ltd Titanic: The Real Story of the Construction of
Book SynopsisWhen Titanic set sail in 1912, she was the largest, most luxurious and most technologically advanced man-made moving object in the world. Built by the great industrial communities that made Britain the pre-eminent superpowerof the age, the famous ocean liner signalled the high-water mark of our nation's manufacturing industry. A must-read for any Titanic enthusiast, this fascinating book tells the untold stories of the men and women who made the 'ship of dreams' a reality: the fearless riveters who risked deafness from hammering millions of rivets that held together the fortress-like steel hull the engineers charged with the Herculean task of fitting engines to power the massive ship across the Atlantic at a speed of 23 knots the electricians who installed state-of-the-art communications systems and enormous steam-driven generators, each capable of powering the equivalent of 400 modern homes the highly skilled carpenters, cabinet-makers and artists who laboured over every last detail of the opulent staterooms.Titanic, of course, was destined to sink on her maiden voyage, but the achievement of the thousands of people who built and fitted out this astonishing ship lives on.
£14.39
Crucible Books British Shipbuilding 1500-2010: A History
Book Synopsis
£17.99
Middleton Press Sussex Beach Trades: Sea Coal to Trippers
Book Synopsis
£18.95
Rowman & Littlefield Master Mariner: A Life Under Way
Book SynopsisFrom his days as a cadet on the aging training ship Worcester, Captain Philip Rentell's forty-year career has spanned the world's oceans and a huge variety of seagoing experience. He served as a junior officer on numerous freighters and liners, as the navigator of cross-Channel hovercraft, and then as first officer of the Cunard flagship QE2, on which he went to the South Atlantic with over 3,500 British troops and a volunteer crew of 650 during the Falklands War of 1982. SInce leaving Cunard in 1990. he has been and English Channel and North Sea pilot, and has commanded a succession of cruise ships.
£10.79
Rowman & Littlefield Voices from the Bridge
Book SynopsisBased on interviews and written accounts from over 50 contributors, this title vividly depicts the experiences of the deck officer, from pre-sea training and cadetship through the ranks to the eventual achievement of a Master's authority and responsibilities.
£16.19
Luath Press Ltd Scotland's Great Ships
Book SynopsisFrom the Celtic sea-farers to the Cutty Sark and the Royal Yacht Britannia - Osborne and Armstrong champion great ships. Combining the ships' histories with their involvement and significance in Scottish life and imagination, this is a unique study of Scotland's oft forgotten maritime legacy. Not just a book for ship enthusiasts, this lavishly illustrated, highly accessible and readable account of Scotland's great ships will capture your imagination and leave you dreaming of life on the high seas.
£20.00
National Maritime Museum Fish and Ships: A Nautical Miscellany
Book SynopsisWhen is a boat not a ship? Was Captain Kidd truly a pirate? What was the deadliest disaster at sea? Is the Bermuda Triangle dangerous? Are mermaids real? What does ‘three sheets to the wind’ mean? How do you tie a clove hitch knot? Ahoy! Want to learn the ropes of the maritime world? This light-hearted, illustrated miscellany is packed full of hundreds of amazing facts from the experts at the National Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark to put the wind in your sails. All aboard, it’s time to discover the world beyond the shore.
£11.69
Royal Yachting Association RYA Inland Waterways Handbook
Book Synopsis
£13.99
Amber Books Ltd Fighting Techniques of Naval Warfare
Book SynopsisFighting Techniques of Naval Warfare describes the fighting techniques of navies throughout the ages, from ancient times to the present day. The book explores the tactics and strategy required to win battles with the technology available, and points out how the development of such weapons changed the face of naval warfare. Divided into five sections, the text first examines the ancient methods of fighting at sea. Fighting Techniques of Naval Warfare describes why some navies and admirals were more effective than others, and why certain tactics were successful or not. Progressing through the ages, each section contains four key battles illustrated with maps to highlight the tactics in vogue at the time, while the accompanying text describes the equipment used by navies of the period. The battles featured include Actium, Sluys, the Armada, Sacheon, Quiberon Bay, Lake Erie, and Jutland. Using specially-commissioned colour and black-and-white artworks to illustrate the battles, equipment and tactics of the era, Fighting Techniques of Naval Warfare shows in detail the methods by which navies gained and lost ascendancy on the oceans.Table of ContentsCHAPTER 1 The Age of the Galley CHAPTER 2 The Age of Cannon CHAPTER 3 The Age of Sail CHAPTER 4 The Nineteenth Century CHAPTER 5 The Modern Era SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
£17.99
Lodestar Books Viola: The Life and Times of a Hull Steam Trawler
Book SynopsisDeep in southern latitudes, in a desolate corner of Cumberland Bay on the east coast of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, hard by the rotting quays of the abandoned whaling station of Grytviken and almost within a stone's throw of the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton, lie three forsaken steam ships: rusting remnants of our industrial past, unique survivals from a vanished age of steam at sea. One of these ships is 'Viola', the sole surviving Hull steam trawler from the huge fleet which put 'fish & chips' on Britain's plates more than a hundred years ago. In this absorbing account, maritime historians Robb Robinson and Ian Hart describe her ancestry and origins in the Victorian and Edwardian North Sea fishery - vividly depicting life for her crew in the most dangerous industry of its time; they record her Great War service as a U-boat hunter - one of the many merchant vessels largely unsung for their contribution, and often sacrifice, in wartime; and they recount her subsequent career hunting whales off West Africa, then later sealing and exploration work in the South Atlantic, before her final abandonment in South Georgia. Here she became quarry for the infamous Argentine scrap metal expedition of 1982, in the initiating action of the Falklands War. This improbable yet true story of a humble working vessel and those involved with her is a highly readable work of social, as well as maritime, history.
£12.00
Northern Eye Books Walks to Lighthouses: Walks to the most
Book SynopsisThis attractive and cleverly structured guide gives walkers ten of the finest walks to the ten most spectacular lighthouses in Wales in a popular pocketable format. With clear information, an overview and introduction for each walk, expertly written numbered directions, large scale Ordnance Survey maps, superb eye-grabbing panoramic photographs, and interpretation of points of interest along the way, these guides set a new standard in clarity and ease-of-use.
£7.15
