Search results for ""whittles publishing""
Whittles Publishing One Great George Street: The Headquarters Building of the Institution of Civil Engineers
This book is the most thorough study yet undertaken of the headquarters building of the Institution of Civil Engineers in Great George Street, London, SW1. It considers how the building visually represents the authority of the profession and discusses not only the architecture and technology of the building but also the social relationships that underpin the structure. Few headquarter buildings associated with the professions have been subject to serious historical study; in effect they are anonymous buildings passed by each day almost without comment. The aim of this study is to show that such buildings have a story to tell, that they and their contents are more than just 'mute objects' but give valuable insights into the organisation occupying the building. The Great George Street building, which was constructed over a thirty-seven month interval from 1910 to 1913, is surprisingly barely mentioned by architectural historians and received only briefest acknowledgement in the building press of the day.The story has relevance to all those other professional associations that occupy a large headquarters building or council chamber and anyone who is interested in architecture and construction history.
£45.00
Whittles Publishing The Way We Were: Victorian and Edwardian Scotland in Colour
This is John Hannavy's reflective look at how Scotland was depicted in photographs and postcards 100 - 170 years ago. In many ways, it redefines our view of Scotland's past as we are familiar with seeing Victorian and Edwardian people and views in sepia, but these are in colour, adding a warmth and realism to the scenes which photographers immortalized. The subject matter of the pictures was as wide and varied as Edwardian life and work itself and it is here that the reader meets eccentrics and worthies, sees people going about their daily work, catching buses and trains, embarking on steamers, and simply enjoying Scotland's spectacular scenery. Many aspects of Scottish life are explored from people's jobs to the many ways in which they occupied their limited holiday and leisure time between 1840 and the outbreak of the Great War.These include Creating Tourist Scotland - how Victorian and Edwardian Scotland was sold to the world and the birth of Scotland's tourist industry; Scotland's Railways - the development of the railway network and some of the splendid photographs and postcards which were sold to travellers; Industrial Might; The Ubiquitous Steamer; Gateways to the World; Fisherfolk; Working the Land; The Textile Industry; Taking to the Road; The Scots at War - from the Crimean War, the first to be photographed, to the skirmishes leading up to the Great War; Out in the Scots Fresh Air; On Scotland's Canals; Village Life; Family Life; That's Entertainment; Town and City Life; What we did on Holiday and Sports and Outdoor Pursuits. Included are fine studies of the hardy Scotch Fisher Lassies who worked their way down the east coast of Britain gutting and pickling the herring; the people who lived and worked on Scotland's canals; the men who crewed the country's trains, trams and ferries, together with a host of others. In effect, it opens the book on what was perceived as an almost mystical and mysterious landscape, 'north of the border'.With almost 270 photographs, many of them previously unpublished, The Way We Were brings Scotland's colourful past to life.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Great British Shipwrecks
For more than 30 years, internationally acclaimed wreck diver and best-selling author, Rod Macdonald, has surveyed and researched shipwrecks around the world. His books such as Dive Scapa Flow and The Darkness Below are household names in the diving world. In Great British Shipwrecks Rod uses his encyclopaedic knowledge and an intimate understanding of shipwrecks, gleaned from a lifetime's diving, to provide a snapshot in time of some of the best known and most revered shipwrecks around the UK. For each of the 37 shipwrecks covered Rod provides a dramatic account of its time afloat and its eventual sinking - with each wreck being beautifully illustrated by renowned marine artist Rob Ward. Rod's journey around the UK starts with the classic recreational diving shipwrecks at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands from giants such as the German WWI battleships, Markgraf, Konig and Kronprinz Wilhelm, to the legendary WWI British cruiser HMS Hampshire on which Lord Kitchener perished on a voyage to Russia in 1916. Rod then travels to the English Channel where he covers such famous ships as the P&O liners Moldavia and Salsette which were lost during WWI with many others such as the SS Kyarra and the British submarine HMS/M M2 - the first submarine to carry a seaplane for reconnaissance. The reader is then taken to the North Channel of the Irish Sea where the famous technical diving wrecks of the White Star liner Justicia, HMS Audacious, the first British battleship lost during WWI, and the SS Empire Heritage, which was lost with its deck cargo of Sherman tanks on a voyage from New York during WWII, are beautifully illustrated. Returning to Scotland, the famous West Coast shipwrecks such as the Thesis, Hispania, Rondo and Shuna in the Sound of Mull grace the pages, in addition to the renowned wrecks of the SS Breda, lost near Oban, and the WWII minelayer HMS Port Napier off Skye. Lastly, Rod covers some major North Sea shipwrecks, revealing for the first time the haunting remains of HMS Pathfinder, the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by U-boat torpedo during WWI. This is a beautifully illustrated and definitive guide to the greatest shipwrecks around the UK and will be an enlightening and unmissable book for many.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing The Myth of UK Integration
This book dares to say what the politically correct thought police are determined you should not know. Michael Cole, broadcaster and writer, Chairman of a PR and broadcasting company, journalist and former Director of Public Affairs for Harrods and House of Fraser Group If we fail to learn how to live with one another - it is inevitable that divisions and hostility will occur. From the Foreword by Lord Noon of St John's Wood While focusing on Asians, Kailash Puri's blunt message is that integration among all ethnic communities and the British is a myth. We must accept that reality and address the implications before mental barriers become real barricades. She says that without talking, tensions build up and become a breeding ground for the violence which has hit cities around the world, not just London. But her solution to the dilemma is unique and inspiring. Honour killings and forced marriages continue to hit the headlines, indicating the prevalence of this largely hidden problem. Kailash Puri draws on more than 50 years' experience of advising clients in India, Africa, America as well as the UK, and gives a timely warning about the inevitable consequences of doing nothing. She warns of: *the dangers of drifting into parallel and hostile communities *the failure to understand one another's cultures *the divisions in education *the polarisation of social activity *the insularity of religion *the indifference of the business community *and the fundamental failure of social cohesion
£12.99
Whittles Publishing To Auckland by the Ganges
In 1863 there was only one method of travelling from Britain to the other side of the world - by sailing ship, on a journey that could take up to four months, when the vagaries of wind and weather could put travellers in peril during long voyages. The offer of grants of land in New Zealand was a means of enticing emigrants to the fledgling colony, particularly people who had a skill to offer. One such emigrant was David Buchanan, a journalist and editor of several prominent Scottish newspapers, who opted for a new life in the hope that the health and fortunes of his family would improve. He travelled with his surviving son and three daughters, having lost his wife giving birth to their ninth child. Using his journalistic skills, Buchanan maintained a daily journal of the voyage which was published twice-weekly in his former newspaper, the Glasgow Herald. His account blended accurate details of the vessel and its handling with anecdotal tales and experiences providing interesting snapshots of mid-nineteenth century life. His devotion to detail suggests a passenger's keen eye upon the operation and progress of the vessel by the ship's crew. Of especial interest is the description of daily life aboard a mid-19th century sailing ship, and the interaction between passengers and crew. The clear class distinction between cabin and steerage class passengers, as well as the many pitfalls and potential injuries to passengers and crew that are described will make illuminating reading. Upon reaching New Zealand Buchanan and his fellow passengers had stepped into the unrest of the Maori Wars, which were closely reported in British newspapers such as the Glasgow Herald. David Buchanan and his family may have settled and led a prosperous life but whatever befell him, he is due our gratification for providing an interesting and valued account of experiences on a voyage during the dominant era of sailing ships.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing High Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery
A comprehensive guide to the characteristics and use of high resolution optical images from satellite-borne sensors Addresses the problems and issues surrounding the generation of high quality information Provides a review of planned sensors
£80.00
Whittles Publishing My Arctic Summer
Spitsbergen is the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago which is situated between the Greenland and Barents Seas, approximately 600 miles from the North Pole. In the 16th century the islands were visited by Barents' expedition and in the ensuing centuries were used primarily as a base for hunting whales, polar bears, seals and walruses. In the 18th century the first scientific and research expeditions came to the island from many countries. Following the Svalbard Treaty in 1920, Poland took part in this research and has since developed a strong tradition in the science of many aspects of the island's geology, glora, fauna and environment. The author describes her experiences during three polar expeditions to the High Arctic, and conveys to the reader the essence of this fragile environment, the atmosphere of this special place in the North, the landscape, nature and day-to-day life of people working on Spitsbergen - their joys and sorrows, and the complex relationships that can develop between people working under harsh conditions in remote arctic areas for months.For those who have already travelled to the Arctic, this book will be a welcome reminder of their own experiences and adventures, while for others it will open a window on the complex nature of the Arctic environment and the joys and hardships connected with any polar expedition, all within the backdrop of the susceptibility of these areas to environmental change.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing Wildlife Crime
'This is an important book. It is written by an expert who probably knows more about wildlife crime in the UK, and especially in Scotland, than anyone else. It is important because so little is known and understood about a widespread and deeply disturbing illegal practice...' Extract from Foreword by Sir John Lister-Kaye, OBE Through the professional life of Dave Dick, the RSPB's Senior Scottish Investigation Officer between 1984 and 2006, the often murky world of wildlife crime is revealed. This is the first book that faces up to the realities of the often unsuccessful efforts by the justice system in its attempt to stop these crimes. Unflinching accounts of the shocking levels of killing and the cruel and callous nature of the killers are related. However black comedy and lighter moments prevent this being just another catalogue of man's inhumanity to nature with personal accounts of the thrill and joy of watching some of our most beautiful birds and animals in their equally beautiful landscapes. The author examines the motives of both criminals and their pursuers in an attempt to show the truth of what has become a highly-charged and politicised topic.He reveals the truth of what is happening in some corners of our countryside, where the public may be discouraged to tread and hopes to inform a more reasoned debate on the topic. This timely and inevitably controversial book lifts the lid on the pressures faced by some of our most iconic wildlife species which are being shot, trapped and poisoned.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Patrick Neill: Doyen of Scottish Horticulture
Descended from a Haddington family of printers and booksellers, Patrick Neill became head of the most prestigious printing firm in Edinburgh. Leaving his manager to run the business, he devoted his life to writing, natural history, horticulture and civic duties. His early tour of Orkney and Shetland provided an insight into the social life of the islands and he regaled readers of the Scots Magazine with an intriguing running commentary on events in the Lothians. His survey of both private and commercial gardens and orchards in Scotland was a landmark publication and he published a perceptive account of his travels in northern Europe to discover whether any of their horticultural methods might be worth adopting. As a founder member and secretary for 40 years of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, he was a key figure in its successful establishment. He was also a founder member and secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society, whose origins related to the dominating geological controversy of that era. His role as secretary brought him into contact with most of the natural scientists in Scotland and distinguished botanists and other scientists were frequently around Neill's dinner table. His wide circle of friends included famous figures such as William Jackson Hooker and his son Joseph, Robert Brown, Sir William Jardine, Sir Calverly Trevelyan, Robert Stevenson, the McNabs, father and son, of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the maverick botanist George Don. To cap it all Neill won national recognition for the unparalleled diversity of species of plants, including newly-introduced species, in his remarkable garden at Canonmills. According to Loudon, the famous landscape designer, it was the richest urban garden in the country. This engaging book contains a wealth of historically valuable observations and also an insight into Edinburgh's scientific scene in the early 19th century. Patrick Neill is revealed as one the most interesting Scotsmen of the 19th century in terms of the variety of enterprises he fostered and the friendships he enjoyed with so many natural scientists of his day.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing Rudolph Glossop: and the Rise of Geotechnology
Rudolph Glossop made a unique contribution to the early development of both geotechnical engineering and engineering geology and this volume presents a fascinating and revealing perspective on his involvement by means of selected extracts from personal diaries, letters and journals. From his early experience as an undergraduate and the four years spent in the Gold Coast to the establishment of Soil Mechanics Ltd and his time as director of Mowlems, Glossop became one of the key figures and was involved in many of the key stages in the development of geotechnology. His journal provides a fuller understanding of the Mulberry Harbour, which was a key factor in the success of the D-Day landings in northern France, June 1944; while his diaries give a unique account of the significant challenges that had to be overcome during construction of Derwent Dam, N.E. England.The famous Skempton, in his obituary of Glossop, refers to works of original scholarship, written with the clarity and style of which Glossop was a master - by his own example and by the example of others, he never lost sight of the importance of bringing together the practical and academic aspects of both geology and soil mechanics. A" Ron Williams has painstakingly pieced together a fascinating account of the life and career of an outstanding engineer, and in the process has painted a vivid portrait of Rudolph Glossop and his achievements. Not before time will today's engineers and scientists have the opportunity to appreciate the achievements of one of the key figures in geotechnical engineering.
£50.00
Whittles Publishing Wrecks & Reefs of Southeast Scotland: 100 Dives from the Forth Road Bridge to Eyemouth
Situated on the south side of the Firth of Forth, the port of Leith, Edinburgh, is a major harbour for warships and cruise liners. Over hundreds of years it has been a trading port and a military dockyard. With Rosyth Dockyard situated further west, this busy waterway has two historically-important destinations for vessels and over time, many vessels were sunk during storms, failed to avoid collisions or were wartime victims of U-boats or aircraft. From Leith Docks the river widens forming a huge estuary filled with volcanic islands and submerged pinnacles that are blasted by fierce tidal streams, providing an opportunity for some fantastic scenic diving. This is also the final resting place of hundreds of shipwrecks, many of which are of especial historical importance. For the diver there is so much to explore in these new and exciting deeper wrecks that have the added attraction of being little known. These wrecks include an aircraft carrier, a German light cruiser that saw action at the Battle of Jutland, aircraft and even steam-powered submarines are all there waiting to be dived. Unlike the well-documented and dived River Clyde wrecks on the west coast, or those in the English Channel, these in the Firth of Forth are rarely mentioned - although many lie within a 20-mile radius of Edinburgh. The author has dived all the 100 sites and wrecks in the book and as a professional underwater photographer has provided truly atmospheric images that capture the special identity of these East coast wrecks and reefs. As well as his detailed knowledge of the sites, the author has also given his recommendations for dive sites, including their GPS positions, safety, and skill level required. Practical information such as dive centres, dive boats, accommodation and onshore activities is also included. This guide will help divers select the best dives to suit local weather conditions and to find the best scenic sites. It includes all the new and exciting dive sites recently found in areas such as Burntisland, North Berwick, Dunbar, St. Abbs and Eyemouth and information on how best to dive them - an absolute must for divers visiting this area!
£18.99
Whittles Publishing The Storm Leopard
The Storm Leopard is an alchemic blend of travel and nature writing that explores the primary dilemma of the 21st century - the conflict of modern lifestyles with the natural environment. This is an account of the author's journey from the Cape to the Serengeti Plains and his search for an answer to the Old Timer, a Kenyan who foretold the end of the wild. Martyn decided on one more trip, but this time without an agenda, without a timetable and without preconceptions: with no purpose other than to know, to feel and to understand. The book is filled with insights of African elephants and antelope, and with portraits of a natural world inhabited by Bushmen, game wardens and scientists. Running through it is an outspoken and highly ethical regard for humankind's relationship with nature. From his first contact with Bushman rock art in the Western Cape, the author is drawn into a spiritual journey as he grapples with the quandary of balancing our lifestyles with protecting the environment. His travelling companion, Stu, a fellow scientist and arch cynic, is nettled by this lack of rationality. Marooned together in their 4A--4, the friction, humour and hardship of their journey carry the reader across the continent from one adventure to another, to the final revelation atop an isolated kopje in the heart of the Serengeti Plains. The Storm Leopard is a unique book that emanates from the author's passionate affair with nature and many years of experience in the field as an ecologist and consultant in conservation - nothing deals with today's environmental issues in the same way.
£19.99
Whittles Publishing Polymer Science and Technology: for Engineers and Scientists
Polymers and composites are widely used for a range of applications in engineering and technology. Selecting the correct material which is fit for purpose is a critical decision faced by engineers and scientists who do not necessarily have an in-depth knowledge of the chemistry or physics of polymers. This text book provides a practical insight into the factors which influence the performance of a polymer or composite allowing informed selections to be made. It is the result of thirty years of teaching polymer science and technology to engineers and scientists and provides a solid foundation from which more advanced study may be developed. The book complements introductory courses on polymers and composites, but also contains specialist material on the chemistry and physics of polymers appropriate for scientists seeking a general knowledge of polymer science. The production of articles from thermoplastics and thermoset resins is considered with respect to the vital issue of fabrication method and a broad appreciation of the use and application of polymers is provided by considering polymers as adhesives, in medical applications and in the fabrication of semiconductor circuits. Also included are the important topics of adhesion, fatigue, viscoelasticity, basic composite design, theoretical description of polymers, polymer synthesis and characterization.
£40.00
Whittles Publishing Not Really What You'd Call a War
Dedicated to the ship's company of "La Moqueuse", this book is not so much an account of naval operations as a kind of social history. With the help of recollections, diaries and letters home, the author recreates the reactions of an undergraduate to his various incarnations as an ordinary seaman in a corvette, the most junior officer on board a destroyer and the British naval liaison officer in a Free French sloop. Roughly half of the book deals with the very special atmosphere in the Free French forces and the complex situation in southern France immediately after its liberation in August 1944. The volume as a whole provides a vivid impression of what it actually felt like to be involved in the day-to-day experience of helping to make a warship work.
£14.95
Whittles Publishing Life in Lethinnis: A croft in the Highlands
After 20 years working as a professional biologist, the author decided to 'retire' to the Highlands, moving with his wife to a croft at the edge of a small and somewhat inaccessible village on the west coast. This was no romantic and idealistic aspiration for the Good Life, nor really an attempt to 'get away from it all'; rather a growing disaffection with living in the overpopulated south of England and a desire to return to his Scottish roots. Moving was like stepping back 50 years in time: most of the other residents of this tiny hamlet had been born and bred there, the majority were Gaelic-speaking and, with few of the conventional 'services', there was a strong sense of community that had been missed. This engaging story gives a collection of cameos from those first few years as they moved into and settled in their remote smallholding. It is developed as a series of short 'anecdotes' about life in this isolated west-coast Scottish community. Actual anecdotes are interwoven with snippets of natural history observation related to various topical wildlife issues. In the tradition of Lillian Beckwith's The Hills is Lonely, the stories revolve around the strong characters who made up this isolated community and became part of their everyday life. All the people and events described in this book are real, although places and names may have been changed. Enough clues remain that professional biologists or those with a keen interest in natural history will readily identify the peninsula. It is a joy to read and reveals Highland life with all its humour and character. Beautifullly illustrated by wildlife artist Catherine Putman.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing Into the Abyss: Diving to Adventure in the Liquid World: 1: The Diving Trilogy
Into the Abyss, the first volume in The Diving Trilogy, is a fascinating collection of true life diving adventures from Rod's long and varied diving career. It follows his progression from novice diver in the 1980s through the dangers of the deep air diving era and on to trimix diving in the 1990s where divers began to use commercial mixed breathing gases as the sport of technical diving was born. This opened up vast, previously inaccessible, swathes of the seabed, ushering in a great era of discovery of virgin shipwrecks, lost in time. Rod takes the reader to famous shipwreck sites around the world, from the sunken Japanese Fleet at the bottom of Truk Lagoon and Palau in the Pacific, to diving the third largest whirlpool in the world - the Corryvreckan Whirlpool off the west coast of Scotland. He describes this and many other terrifying incidents in which he and his colleagues have come close to death. The book is filled with danger, drama and excitement and chronicles his all-consuming passion, taking the reader on a spellbinding journey beneath the waves.
£19.99
Whittles Publishing Reading the Gaelic Landscape: Leughadh Aghaidh na Tire
Following the success of the first edition, this new edition has been expanded and improved with additional images and enhanced drawings. The subject matter has been expanded with the chapter on grammar and pronunciation extended. There are examples of how Gaelic personal names and the human body are used in place-names and many etymological sources have been added to place-name tables. In addition to the generic index, there is now an index of specific place-names. Finally, there's more to say about hares, bears and boars! Reading the Gaelic Landscape is essential for anyone who is interested in the Scottish Highlands and its native language. It enables people to read and understand place-names in Gaelic, providing insights into landscape character and history. The book enriches the experience of walkers, climbers, sailors, bird watchers and fishers by sketching the named context, where they practise their pursuits. Outdoor enthusiasts need no longer struggle with unfamiliar spellings and words, as they can develop a new perspective of place through an understanding of Gaelic toponymy. The ways Gaelic poets like Sorley MacLean and Duncan Ban MacIntyre used the named landscape in their work is explored. Names are used to speculate about species extinctions and the history of the Caledonian Forest. Readers learn how place has been defined in Gaelic and how this has been recorded, through a deeper understanding of how native speakers applied their language to the landscape. This new edition will build on the praise for the first: * ...essential for those interested in the Highlands and its ancient, living language. It helps readers and outdoor enthusiasts understand seemingly obscure words on maps, with insights into landscape history and ecology. The Scots Magazine * ...John Murray's book is unique ... The result is a triumph. ... Just occasionally you come across a book whose lasting value is so obvious that you know people will be referring to it in 50 years' time or more. Reading the Gaelic Landscape is one of those books. Undiscovered Scotland * ...the scope of the book is admirably broad, with primers on the history of the Gaelic language in Scotland, how the first maps of the country came to be made, and how the Gaelic speakers of old would have conceptualised things like colours and sounds, seasons and time. Roger Cox, The Scotsman * ...this book is a useful resource for those interested in Scotland's landscapes, environment and history. Wild Land News
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Diplomatic Protocol: Etiquette, Statecraft & Trust
Foreword by H.E. Dr. Khaled Al-Duwaisan, GCVO, Ambassador for the State of Kuwait, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Dean of Arab Ambassadors Prologue by Professor Nabil Ayad, formerly Founder and Director of the Academy of Diplomacy and International Governance, Loughborough University London Diplomatic Protocol explores the etiquette of diplomacy, without which all efforts to negotiate would flounder. In a world of instant communications, and the growing informality and influence of social media, the rules of diplomatic exchange have never been more important. They are not there to restrict but to enable. This book provides examples both modern and old, from taking up a post for the first time to departing a mission, where diplomatic protocol has been successful and where diplomacy has failed. Without a clear understanding of the practicalities of diplomatic protocol no aspiring ambassador can hope to succeed. With the benefit of first-hand international experience working with the diplomatic, political, military and business communities, the author offers a unique perspective on the challenges facing a troubled world and as a university lecturer, public and external examiner in diplomatic studies, she brings a current interpretation of a subject which is increasingly recognised as being essential in international affairs. From NATO HQ in Brussels and the Quai d'Orsay in Paris, from the United Nations to many of the royal palaces of the world, Rosalie Rivett is able to reflect from a privileged position on the past, present and future direction of diplomacy. Diplomatic protocol may be well-established but its interpretation and correct application in a rapidly-changing and complex political environment could not be more relevant.
£25.00
Whittles Publishing Ceramics Processing in Microtechnology
The outstanding properties of ceramics have guaranteed their use for millennia and they remain vitally important in modern technology. This book provides an overview of the current status of processing of ceramic materials in micro technology. Emanating in part from scientific partners in the ceramics division of the European Network of Excellence, the book deals particularly with micro manufacturing and applications of ceramic materials.The book covers the spectrum of topics from design, through material development and synthesis, to microforming, thermal processing and metrology strategies, including characterization, quality control and the dependence of properties upon processing and microstructure. Processing technologies form a significant part of the book, and include replication techniques, tooling and mould fabrication and also special techniques such as embossing, electrophoretic deposition, high-pressure injection moulding and prototyping. Subtractive and additive process technologies are dealt with, before the book concludes with sections on quality assurance, metrology, and test equipment for micro components.
£85.50
Whittles Publishing Shipwrecks of the Forth and Tay
This 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.
£19.99
Whittles Publishing Manual of Soil Laboratory Testing: Pt. 2: Permeability, Shear Strength and Compressibility Tests
This is the second volume of three that provides a comprehensive working manual for the laboratory testing of soils for civil engineering purposes. It is an essential practical handbook for all who are engaged in laboratory testing of soils as well as being of great value to professional engineers, consultants, academics and students in geotechnical engineering. The contents have been revised and updated to reflect current practice in standard laboratory test procedures for determining some of the important engineering properties of soils.The authors have had many years experience in managing large soil testing laboratories since the early 1950s through to the present day, whilst actively contributing to the development of geotechnical testing through training courses, lectures, committees and working groups. They recognise that it is particularly important for test methods to be fully understood and a step-by-step approach has therefore been used in presenting each section. The test procedures comprise the measurement of soil permeability, CBR value, drained and undrained shear strength, and consolidation characteristics.Additional material in this new edition includes the Fall cone procedure for measurement of shear strength in clays based on the European Technical Specification, a simplified direct approach and a useful arrangement for applying pressures in multistage triaxial tests to meet the requirements of BS1377. The latest requirements for calibration of equipment and measuring devices are presented and discussed, together with the significance of quality assurance based on recognised laboratory accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025.Descriptions of test methods are complemented by many numerical examples in order to illustrate the methods for recording test data, making calculations, presenting graphical plots and deriving test results. Fundamental principles are explained, where appropriate, so that the operator can have a better understanding of the significance of the tests and guidance is given where experience has shown that difficulties may be encountered. The importance of good techniques, essential checks on test equipment and laboratory safety are all emphasised.
£99.00
Whittles Publishing Rats, Rust and Two Old Ladies
Delivering 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.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Escape to the Sea: Memoirs of a Victorian Merchant Mariner
Written by Tom 'Jack' Sullivan Green, AB of Bristol in the 1920s, "Escape to the Sea" is an inspiring, first-hand account of survival against the odds of an orphan boy in early Victorian England. Recounted in a fluent style and peppered with dialogue, this gripping tale of a seaman's life chronicles both tragedy and comedy amongst the everyday lot of a working world unimaginable in the modern era. Tom traces his early life when cholera claimed his Irish immigrant parents in the London slums of 1848; being apprenticed to a tailor before running away to sea to escape a 'miserable life'. His new life as an Ordinary Seaman began at Rochester on a West Hartlepool-based ship, but when a new and tyrannical skipper made terrifying death threats he was again forced to run away.Walking from London to Liverpool in 1866 to try his hand on trans-Atlantic passages, he gives a chilling account of the last public hanging at Stafford of a murderer, William Collier. Later in the same year, Tom's travels take him to Georgia, USA where he gives an eye-witness account of the tragic plight of slaves who were freed after the American Civil War. Homeless and weakened by starvation and disease, they came to the river bank to collect driftwood only to be grabbed by alligators. This description and other harrowing sights he saw ashore leave a searing impression of the aftermath of a devastating conflict. Following various brushes with authority, Tom changes his name to Jack Green and lies low taking shore jobs near Cardiff where he turns down working digging the Severn Tunnel due to claustrophobia. Eventually settling and marrying near Bristol, he experienced more exotic times as a mariner before he 'swallowed the anchor'.These included plying the former slave routes to West Africa; accompanying the third mate of his ship with some locally-recruited native sailors to collect the future bride of a chieftain which incurred a series of adventures, some at gunpoint. "Escape to the Sea" is complemented with documents such as the author's discharge certificates, illustrations of vessels and harbours visited, maps and photographs including his handwritten will, which required that 'when the breath is out of my body' it should be buried 'with no ceremony whatsoever'. A modest end for a colourful character whose wish was that his experiences should be made available to a wider audience than his immediate family. This action-packed maritime autobiography will be of especial interest to anyone with an interest in maritime history, ships and shipping and anyone looking for a good read.
£14.99
Whittles Publishing School of the Sea
Based on his daily diary entries that provide a vivid and accurate picture of events, the author candidly recounts his development as a merchant mariner from his early years as an indentured apprentice on the Elysia, followed by two years sailing on a passenger ship to India before the Second World War erupted. At sea the war news is relayed in bits and pieces, feeding the underlying tension that keeps rising to the surface. Daily life is punctuated by terrifying episodes such as seeing ships sunk in convoy or hearing bombs drop beside the ship when in port during heavy air raids and the author also relates the horrific experience of being torpedoed. The extremes of nature that all on board had to contend with - winter storms on the North Atlantic; navigating in convoy through flow ice and avoiding icebergs; fog and the ever-present danger of collision; the extreme heat experienced in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, without air conditioning - are all accurately described. He also relates the problems encountered when sailing on worn-out ships that would normally have been scrapped had it not been for the war, and as a consequence experiencing leaks, engine trouble and bursts of flame spouting from the funnel in areas where submarines were operating! There are glimpses of the author's moods and thoughts, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and sometimes romantic. He displays a droll sense of humour and there are interesting philosophical comments dotted throughout the book. On a return to peacetime sailing, the author was an officer on cargo ships, qualifying as a Master Mariner before he left the sea. "School of the Sea" is a treasure house of unusual information, the kind not usually included in history books. It's personal, vivid, and entertaining and contains some wonderful descriptions of the dramas and mundane routines of shipboard society; stays in foreign ports; when on leave and the long sequestered life at sea. So much is missing from some existing maritime literature on WWII, where the focus is mainly on danger, excitement and death - this book, like no other, captures every dimension of daily life at sea and in port.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing The Unbroken Harp
This novel, from a foremost expert on the Clearances, tells the story of Flo Campbell and her eviction from the family's island home, and all her subsequent struggles. The compelling storyline has terrific energy, from the Battle of the Braes and Flo's departure from the island to her travels and employment on Skye and beyond. Flo's spirit remains unquenched whether challenged by the faithlessness of lovers or the callousness of employers and she is a historical witness who embodies the undying memories of her Highland people. She spends much of her life in the lowlands of Britain and in this as in many ways she incarnates the crofters, fishermen, labourers and artists who spring from that epic northern terrain. This is a masterful portrayal of the perverse power and wretched consequences of the Clearances and how they transformed the lives of individuals, and also the power of a native landscape in a Celtic breast.
£9.65
Whittles Publishing The Enigmatic Sailor
The part played by code-cracking in World War II has been revealed in popular film and has also inspired several accounts by code-crackers. Much less well-known is how code-cracking was used in operational situations. In this account the "Silent Service" speaks through the voice of a young and inexperienced naval officer whose rites of passage to manhood required him to act as a seagoing eavesdropper, a role calling not only for quick intelligence but also for facing up to excitement and danger. Sir Alan Peacock's story is interlaced with graphic accounts of life on the lower deck, being torpedoed in a Channel action, and how to contribute to intelligence information that was required to foil enemy attacks on Russian convoys whilst facing atrocious weather conditions. The influence this intense experience exerted on Peacock's subsequent career in economics is also discussed.
£15.99
Whittles Publishing Basic Environmental and Engineering Geology
As society becomes more aware of the significance of the environment, such issues become increasingly important. The book exemplifies the vital role of environmental geology and geological processes in understanding the physical environment and the influence and fundamental importance of engineering geology in our modern world, particularly the infrastructure, whether it be foundations, routeways or reservoirs. The influence of geohazards, the significance of soil and water resources, and the impact of mining, waste disposal and pollution/contamination on the environment are all examined in this book. The various aspects of construction that are involved in the development of the infrastructure are also discussed - land evaluation and geological construction materials are therefore taken account of in this context. The book provides a wealth of practical examples and a comprehensive suggested reading list is provided for each chapter.
£65.00
Whittles Publishing Topics in Environmental and Safety Aspects of Combustion Technology
This work covers a number of diverse topics and has underlying chemistry, especially combustion chemistry, as a unifying theme across the chapters. There is frequent reference to the research literature, and accounts of many case studies. There are over 40 numerical examples in an appendix, suitable for tutorial use, with fully worked solutions in a second appendix.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Beyond the Harbour Lights
This 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.
£15.95
Whittles Publishing Durability of Materials and Structures in Building and Civil Engineering
This book discusses the durability of construction materials in the context of structures. Steel, concrete, timber, masonry, aluminium, plastics and composites are all dealt with. The state of the art is presented for each material and the effects of the environment on durability are covered, including the particular problems faced with, for example, underground structures, and structures in marine and tropical environments. Where appropriate, authors assess properties of materials before considering the performance of structures. Each chapter is augmented by numerous examples illustrating the durability of elements in a structure, the performance of materials, and any problems encountered with durability. How these problems are overcome and improvement of durability is discussed as appropriate. The chapters are written by an international team of authors, resulting in a wide spread of information, drawing upon vast cumulative experience and illustrated by many real examples. In addition, a diverse array of climates is considered, making this a comprehensive volume containing much vital information for engineers and materials technologists.Further an introduction is given to organisations involved in creating national and international standards and the important legal aspects of durability and related issues are also presented. The book is very heavily illustrated with line drawings and graphs, photographs of specific examples and also materials under test and after forensic testing. This enables the reader to fully appreciate the topic of durability and how it interleaves with forensic engineering.
£85.50
Whittles Publishing Numerical Exercises in Fire Protection Engineering
This valuable book draws on the author's long and varied experience in combustion technology and contains soundly-based engineering calculations in fire protection engineering based on start-of-the-art methods. This branch of engineering has evolved in order that knowledge in areas including chemistry, physics, structural engineering, mechanical engineering and statistics can be focused on fire safety. This is of especial importance in the operation of facilities such as airports, campuses and shopping malls and also in industrial settings where fire safety is vital due to the major benefits in terms of preservation of life and assets. The topics covered in the book have their basis in thermochemistry and heat transfer and examples covered are wide and include household fires, vehicular fires, extinguishments, calorimetry, and evacuation of persons in a fire and detector systems. The contents of the book have an original slant with many new ideas. However, these have been adapted into calculations, which are ideal for student use, requiring no additional mathematical skills beyond those expected of an engineering or physics student. Each chapter has a short introduction followed by worked examples with information for the calculations being derived from international authoritative publications on fire protection engineering, resulting in a valuable teaching/learning tool.
£11.69
Whittles Publishing Across the Pond: An Introduction to the Nautical History of the North Atlantic
An introduction to the nautical history of the North Atlantic. For centuries the Atlantic hemmed Europe behind its storms and mysterious breadth. This was the ocean sea that extended to nowhere, or to the end of the world. Although there were legends of crossings by Celtic saints and Norse ocean farers, it took the vision of an Italian and the finance of a Spanish queen to shatter the shackles of superstition. Columbus was the catalyst who opened the door to the modern world. "Across the Pond" tells of the changing use of this ocean, from a barrier to a route to riches and a highway for trade. There are episodes of exploration and exploitation, there are fighting ships and fisheries, treasure and timber, and always the danger of the sea. There also slipped the slavers with their cargo of shame. This is an ocean that bred some of the world's hardiest mariners, famous men such as Cabot and Hudson and Vespucci, but also the nameless thousands who manned ships, the hard-used mariners from the Chesapeake, the Solway and Seville. Here was bred the down east Yankee, the Nova Scotian bluenose and the Scouser from Liverpool.
£15.95
Whittles Publishing King Cameron
Generation after generation, people dragooned by government rise up and struggle with the bonds of law and ownership which oppress them, and so it was on Tayside at the end of the 18th century and in the Outer Isles in 1849. From time to time a person of unusual resolve and clarity of mind finds him - or herself thrown up into the vanguard of the rising, to speak and decide and rally. Angus Cameron, a wright from Lochaber, spoke up for the families around Loch Tay who were faced with losing their young men to a Conscription Act in the summer of 1797. Cameron knows how his people have suffered through decades of eviction and military recruitment and is anguished by how little the ordinary people can do against a heartless Establishment which has weapons, powers and privileges. Arrested and outlawed, he survived to live on. King Cameron imagines a later life for him, as husband and father, then again as spokesman for crofters facing eviction on North Uist. These are times of famine, emigration, and the desperate fight with stones and tangle-stems against clearance from the homeland. David Craig writes with power and anger of lives which have few memorials. Past times are not museum-frozen, they are brought near enough to hear and touch and smell. The whole experience of countryfolk as they fish and plant argue and sing, love and bear children are revealed to the reader. Here is an entire class, shown (as it rarely is) in lifelike close-up, during the most testing episodes in its history, enduring the Potato Famine, battling with their bare hands against clearance. It will appeal to everyone with an interest in the Clearances, Scottish history or anyone who appreciates a good read by an expert storyteller. For a fuller appreciation of the story, readers will enjoy its sequel, the acclaimed "The Unbroken Harp".
£8.94
Whittles Publishing Pulling Together: The Making of a Global Maritime Trade Union
Ship masters and officers may not seem like pioneers of trade unionism. However, this history of their unique union, Nautilus International, shows how they have been pitched into the forefront of a long struggle for decent jobs, fair pay and conditions, employment rights, and health and safety – all in an international industry marked by savage and cut-throat competition. This book traces the evolution of today’s trans-boundary organisation from its roots in the Victorian-era expansion of the merchant fleet and the moves to raise the status and professionalism of its seafarers. It tells how successive unions have sought to overcome such seemingly perennial problems as piracy, criminalisation, substandard ships, excessive working hours and the threat of being replaced by low-cost crews – not to mention the battle against government indifference and public ignorance of an industry that is essential for an island nation. From the formation, in 1857, of the Mercantile Marine Service Association (MMSA) – the foundation stone in the building of today’s union – the book explains the remarkable ways in which the union has adapted and developed to meet the changing and complex challenges faced by members. From the provision of specialist welfare services and a global network of legal support to its leading role in the development of the international ‘bill of rights’ for seafarers, the union and its forerunners have been at the cutting edge of cradle- to-grave support for members. Pulling Together also describes the way in which the union has helped to produce trail-blazing systems of structure and organisation to represent members against the backdrop of a volatile ‘boom and bust’ industry, often in the face of intense shipowner hostility. Helping to build national negotiating machinery in one of the most open markets of all industries, the union and its predecessors have worked across borders to create a united response to the global challenges they face. With the shipping industry now entering its fourth industrial revolution, this book shows how Nautilus can draw from more than 160 years of history to continue the fight for a fair future for its members.
£19.99
Whittles Publishing Wild Places Wild Encounters
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Salt Horse: Memoir of a Maverick Admiral, Claude Lionel Cumberlege
Written originally in 1936–38 by Admiral Cumberlege as a record of his life, Salt Horse was never published. The original manuscript has been expertly edited and made readable in terms of language to a modern audience. It now comprises chapters on Cumberlege’s naval career in the RN and Royal Australian Navy and also on the 1922–38 period when he lived year-round on two large sailing craft, cruising the coasts of France and Spain. Cumberlege writes with some verve. He has strong views, made numerous friends wherever he and his second wife Nora went, and lived a spirited, irreverent and fortunate existence in peace and war. Some of his stories (for instance, about WW1 in New Guinea, or about his 1905 lunch in Gibraltar as a young officer with Kaiser Wilhelm II) are historic and eye-catching. In many ways, the book describes a world, and a way of life, that has disappeared for ever. Salt Horse is complemented with a timeline, family tree and Introduction which trace Cumberlege’s background. An Afterword takes his life story from 1938–63 when he died. The numerous black-and-white images and short footnotes bring many of the people mentioned in the text to life.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Beautiful Beasts Beautiful Lands
A critique of modern conservation in the face of climate and biodiversity emergencies. It describes the author's journey from nature lover to conservationist
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Roaming Wild: The Founding of Compassion in World Farming
Roaming Wild details the unconventional and pioneering lives of Anna and Peter Roberts, a British couple who were instrumental in making the animal welfare movement a respectable, highly-impactful and worldwide organisation. This book explores the paths that led Anna and Peter to found and steward what is now the world's largest and most successful animal welfare charity from a backroom of their own home, with few funds, and at a time when caring for animals and our planet was seen as 'crankish' and 'sentimental'. This is the story of their family, their era, influence, their rebellion and prophetic ideas and the development of Compassion in World Farming. It spans the period from the early 1920s when they were born, throughout the decades of their childhoods and World War II, to their highly romantic meeting and marriage in the 1950s, and then the next years of their lives as dairy and chicken farmers in rural Hampshire. This 'ordinary' part of their story preceded their move to change everything by making the 'extraordinary' decision during the tumultuous 1960s, of risking their livelihood, going vegetarian (as animal farmers), and losing the approval of their peers, to found their compassion-driven campaign. This personal transformation was at a time when the British countryside was also transforming, irrevocably and for the worse, when intensive, polluting farms were just taking root, the cruel battery and broiler system had recently been developed, and the countryside's biodiversity was being destroyed with the implementation of monoculture and the profligate spraying of lethal biocides, such as DDT. The Roberts were at first rejected by the popular animal charities of the day; believing that the public cared only about companion animals or those in circuses, rather than those animals who suffer the most at human hands - those in the food chain - and so the Roberts family went out alone and set up CIWF in the face of much public derision. Then followed the highs and lows of campaign life, a court battle with an order of veal-farming Catholic monks, famine campaigns in Ethiopia, work alongside comedian Spike Milligan, model Celia Hammond and philosopher Peter Singer, challenging EU legislation, and battles with agricultural and chemical giant Monsanto. Corporate giants like McDonald's were influenced to go free-range, even the British Royal family was challenged to go free-range, and animals were put on the agenda of every major political party in the 1970s and much more. The story interweaves the personal with the political and documents the highs and lows of family life, the judgement faced when they chose to raise their three daughters as vegetarians in the 1960s, their myriad spiritual quests, including the couple's time spent in the Indian ashram of Sathya Sai Baba, their rewilding of the land near their family home, and the story of their fifty-year love. This is a tale of an 'ordinary couple with an extraordinary vision'.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing An Expedition Handbook: with Mountaineering Case Studies
This is for anyone who believes there is something special about taking on a challenging task in a remote place where few, if any people have been before. It may be a mountain range where your team is the only human presence, or a mountain on which you are making a first ascent. It's a unique opportunity to relate to a particular landscape, and in doing so to understand that environment and yourself better than before; something valuable that's shared within your team. Most mountaineers are familiar with challenges but the added dimension of remoteness intensifies the experience, tests one's self-reliance and teamwork so much more thoroughly. Having been told on numerous occasions that 'I'd love to go on an expedition but I don't know where to start', the Handbook offers much more than just a start. Based upon years of Alpinism and expeditionary mountaineering, including leading more than 20 expeditions, it became apparent to the author that a systematic approach can avoid logistical and personnel problems by thorough preparation. After running seminars on expedition planning at the National Outdoor Centre, the author believed there was much more ground to cover - even after a two-hour interactive session. As well as providing this information, the book shares some of the accumulated wisdom from the traditions of expeditioning in the writings of such towering figures as Bill Tilman, Eric Shipton and Frank Smythe. An Expedition Handbook includes many practical tips, from assessing the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning to tent design and pitching methods. Readers can learn about expeditions whilst enjoying the very elements that make it all worthwhile; the adventure, the camaraderie, the exotic locations, the triumphs. Aspirant expeditioners should therefore be able to organise more successful and satisfying expeditions so that fewer but better expeditions take place, cutting the climate cost of travel, and bringing back an appreciation of wild places and a willingness to stand up for rewilding in environments closer to home.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Introduction to Nuclear Safety: Principles and Applications
This book encompasses many different topics in the field of nuclear safety and answers the need for an accessible introductory text to complement industry guidance. It focuses on the principles and applications of nuclear safety, guiding the reader through the 'why' and the 'how' of constructing a nuclear safety case. The theory is enhanced by the provision of examples on how safety cases may tackle a particular problem. Each nuclear site licensee has its own way of undertaking nuclear safety although there is much common ground. The book adopts a consensus approach to the various methodologies used in the industry and armed with such knowledge, an individual should have a good grounding for the application of nuclear safety in the manner required for their industry. Introduction to Nuclear Safety describes why we pursue nuclear safety, including the legal, financial and moral reasons. The fundamental concept of reducing risks to as low as reasonably practicable in the nuclear industry is discussed and the safety case life-cycle from design to commissioning to operations and decommissioning is described. Typical safety case methodologies are also discussed. In considering the applications of nuclear safety, examples of how to undertake an assessment are given. Producing a safety case is not solely a theoretical exercise; it must be implemented and adopted for use within the plant. Therefore, the book describes how safety case documents can be utilised within the plant. The book assumes only a relatively basic knowledge of physics, engineering and mathematics but the interested reader can find more detailed texts in the bibliography.
£45.00
Whittles Publishing The Corncrake: An Ecology of an Enigma
Changes in farmland management throughout the twentieth century, including agricultural intensification and increasing mechanisation, have resulted in the loss of habitat for many species. The Corncrake is one such species that has faced multiple challenges to its survival. Although it was once a common bird throughout northern Europe, the breeding areas of Corncrakes have been steadily reduced to a fraction of what they once were, and in many areas their continuation as a regularly breeding bird is in serious doubt. In addition, the behaviour of the Corncrake, nesting under the cover of tall grass and undertaking annual long-distance migrations, means that for most of the last hundred years, its detailed ecology has remained mysterious and little understood. Although there have been millions of words written about the Corncrake in scientific papers, until now there has been no full-length book that attempts to capture all the aspects of its ecology, and to present this information to non-specialists. As a result, until very recently, many important facts about its lifestyle and behaviour have not been widely known, even among ornithologists. Although scarcely seen in its natural habitat, the Corncrake is well-known in many rural areas due to its characteristic (and persistent) night-time calling, but new discoveries with the aid of acoustic science have proved surprising, and may offer new ways of improving the location, identification, and management options to protect and enable the population of this iconic species to recover, even to thrive in our countryside. A new appreciation of the requirements of this species and the ways in which our sensitive management of the whole landscape, both in its potential breeding areas across Europe and Asia and in the seasonal quarters in regions of Africa, offer new hope for the future of this fascinating bird.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing The Magnetism of Antarctica: The Ross Expedition 1839-1843
This under-documented expedition was a pivotal moment in the annals of polar exploration and was the starting point, in historical terms, of revealing the great unknown continent of Antarctica. It was the first time in nearly 70 years since Captain James Cook had circumnavigated Antarctica, that a Royal Naval voyage of discovery had ventured so far South. They set a new 'furthest south' record in the process beating the one set up by James Weddell in a whaling ship in 1823. The expedition set sail from Greenwich in 1839. It consisted of two wooden sailing ships commanded by Captain James Clark Ross and Commander Francis Crozier. The ships were manned exclusively by Royal Naval personnel and each ship had a complement of 64 men and officers. Their primary task was of a scientific nature to study the Earth's magnetic field and build up a set of results that could provide a greater understanding of the effects of magnetism on compasses and their use in navigating the world's oceans. This voyage had a set of planned targets and all were accomplished. In the process a vast amount of scientific information was collected. Many exotic places were visited during the voyage amongst them Madeira, St Helena, Cape Town, Kerguelen island, New Zealand, Australia and the Falkland Islands but the pinnacle was the discovery of the Ross Sea, The Ross Ice Shelf and the mighty volcanoes of Erebus and Terror (named after the two ships). The crews experienced the dangers of navigating in ice-strewn waters and narrowly escaping being crushed by icebergs. Illness was kept at bay although several lives were lost due to accidents. It would be another 60 years before the scenes of their greatest discoveries were visited again and then the Golden Age of Discovery was ushered in with the likes of Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing At the Very End of the Road
At the very end of the road is a six-bar metal gate. It is chained and padlocked and marks the exact line where the tarmac stops. Beyond that is a track, twelve pasture and hay fields, and an area of saltmarsh, bounded on one side by a river and on the other by vast tidal mudflats. Deep in the west of England, this is a place sculpted by the wind and painted by the tides. It is a place full of wildlife. This immersive and carefully crafted book of place explores the impact of season and tides and weather upon this land at the edge through a series of literary pictures crafted through lyrical imaginative language. The author attempts what few, if any, have tried to do, namely to render meticulous observations of the intimate details of wildlife and landscape to depict a place as faithfully and transparently as possible. This is a bold book, one that tries to capture the elusive soul of a place; a daring examination of both what makes a place and how it is remade daily through the interactions between landscape and observer. It is also radical for its approach challenges the current orthodoxy of nature writing that in order to supply a connection between author, subject, and reader, some sort of narrative framework of human emotion is required to provide it with a rationale. So, although the prose is subjective, the book is framed in such a way as to remove the author's presence almost completely. There is no story save that of the eternal change of the seasons, no narrative connection, no focus on a single species, no discussion or allusion to the environmental issues of our age, no characters. Indeed, there is barely any mention of people at all. Although it rarely tries to explain or educate, it simply places observations at centre stage. Yet in trying to unearth what it is precisely that constructs our relationship with place, the author has, paradoxically, produced one of the most deeply personal and unusual nature books.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing 'Rosy' Wemyss, Admiral of the Fleet: the Man who created Armistice Day
Rosslyn Wemyss' life and career was both fascinating and brilliant - a most distinguished admiral who is very little known. As the Allied Naval Representative at the Armistice negotiations on 11th November, 1918, he left an indelible mark on the life of this country when he was responsible, with Marshal Foch, for the creation of Armistice Day. The negotiations took place in a railway carriage at Compiegne in France when the decision was made at 5.30 am to cease hostilities on land, in the air and sea at 11 am on that day. One of the most illustrious of Scottish admirals, he was a member of the Clan Wemyss, whose ancestral seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife, overlooking the Firth of Forth. Rosslyn joined the Navy at the age of 13 in 1877, at the same time as Prince George, the younger son of the Prince of Wales, they became lifelong friends. After they left Dartmouth they joined their first ship together and sailed around the world for the next two years. In his early career, this friendship found him posted to serve on two ships for Royal Tours abroad and on two of the Royal Yachts. In 1915, by then a Rear Admiral, he was sent to create a naval base at Mudros, to serve the Gallipoli campaign and was in command of the landings and then the evacuation of all the troops. The evacuation was so successful that only one man was lost from the approximately 140,000 who were taken off the beaches. From there, he was sent to Port Said to command the East Indies and Red Sea Station. For the next 18 months, the main thrust of his command was supporting the Arab Revolt and helping T.E. Lawrence and the Arabs, under Emir Feisal, to oust the Turks from all the ports on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Without his support, the Arab Revolt would have collapsed and the legend of Lawrence of Arabia would not have been created. In 1917 he returned to the United Kingdom to become Deputy First Sea Lord, stepping up to the post of First Sea Lord at the end of the year. As First Sea Lord, he represented British naval interests at the Versailles Peace Conference. Through Rosslyn's rich archive of letters and reports and his own words, this book gives a wonderful insight into the life of a man who became one of the most popular and senior officers in the Royal Navy at the time, and who was known throughout the Navy as 'Rosy'.
£17.99
Whittles Publishing A Scottish Blockade Runner in the American Civil War - Joannes Wyllie of the steamer Ad-Vance
Born in 1828 near Kelso in the Scottish Borders, Wyllie went to sea as an apprentice seaman in 1852 and quickly rose through the ranks. By 1862 he had gained his masters certificate in Liverpool, and there he took command of his first vessel, the Bonita. He sailed for Nassau, then a booming port involved in running contraband through the Union blockade of the Confederate States, at that time fighting in the American Civil War. Sailors from Britain rushed to man these vessels as great fortunes could be made if a successful run was made into a Confederate port. On the return journey, two agents of the State of North Carolina, Thomas Crossan and John White, were travelling to Britain on the orders of Governor Zebulon Vance to purchase ships to run the blockade. This set Wyllie's career as a blockade runner on course. White and Crossan arranged the purchase of the Clyde-built paddle steamer Lord Clyde and, just five months after docking in Liverpool as commander of the Bonita, Wyllie took command of the Lord Clyde, renamed the Ad-Vance. He was aboard from the start of the vessel's new career until her capture in September 1864. Two more commands of blockade runners followed; he was captured again and then evaded the American authorities through an ingenious, and at sometimes unbelievable, escape to Scotland. After the war Wyllie continued at sea for another two years before returning to Scotland to settle as a farmer. Unlike some of those who ran the blockade, Wyllie appears not to have come back a wealthy man. For over 30 years he gave numerous popular lectures of his time at sea in aid of local charities and was known locally as 'Captain Wyllie'. The role that Wyllie played during the Civil War is explored in depth and reveals that he was a constant face, and force, in the crew of the steamer with his actions and abilities being greatly appreciated by both crew and owners alike. The most comprehensive history of the Ad-Vance is provided, from the day she left Glasgow until her capture off the Carolina coast. Many fascinating contemporary passenger diaries, personal recollections from crew, letters and telegrams between Wyllie and Governor Vance, official records of the war and newspaper reports are included. In association with Glasgow Museums.
£18.99
Whittles Publishing Soil and Rock Description in Engineering: 3rd edition
This is a revised and updated edition of the highly successful first and second editions. In the intervening period the procedures used in the description of soils and rocks have continued to develop and evolve and this new edition incorporates changes in the international standards EN ISO 14688 and 14689 and those resulting in the national standard, BS 5930:2015 and the 2020 amendment thereof. Close comparison is also made with US practice in description (ASTM D2488) and classification (ASTM D2487). Significant changes in rock description are included – the reintroduction of the Approaches 1 to 5 for rock weathering; Approach 1 for description and Approaches 2 to 5 (Rock Weathering Working Party) for classification when appropriate and helpful. Also covered is the reintroduction of the 12.5 MPa boundary and the term moderately weak in rock strength description: a significant boundary in design in rock. The book continues to provide invaluable practical guidance in carrying out engineering geological logging of soil and rock samples and exposures in the field. The systematic and codified approach is laid out in detail to ensure the defined descriptors are used in a consistent format, rendering mistakes less likely and the necessary communication from field to design more successful. The procedures, techniques and tips within this book continue to serve and guide young practitioners learning their craft, but also their seniors and mentors, including responsible experts who sign off the logs and report on behalf of their company. More than ever, the need to be aware of current practices in order in order to avoid costly mistakes is paramount.
£90.00
Whittles Publishing Professor A. W. Bishop's Finest Papers: A Commemorative Volume
This volume brings together a selection of key papers by this soil mechanics pioneer. The papers have been selected on the basis of their importance in the development of soil mechanics and to highlight the nature and range of subjects that Bishop investigated during the thirty-seven years of his career. Bishop's most influential paper was presented at an ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) conference in Boulder, Colorado, in 1960, and while it made a big impression at the time, it is now in danger of disappearing from sight. In addition, two of Bishop's very significant papers were published in the late 1970s in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, not normal reading for the soil mechanics fraternity, and thus became known to only a few people. That has remained the case to this day, and the fact that these two papers have not been republished was the initial motivation for creating this volume. In addition, it is nearly 40 years since Bishop retired from his professorial position at Imperial College and a fitting time to remember Bishop with both a biography, The Bishop Method, and this volume of his papers. In addition to the Bishop papers, there is a paper by Laurie Wesley and Richard Pugh reflecting their research with Bishop. Separate papers were to have been written after the completion of their PhDs, with Bishop as the lead author, but because of his illness this didn't happen. The opportunity has now been taken to present the comprehensive research in these papers, as a tribute to their supervisor and mentor.
£40.00
Whittles Publishing Flight from Afghanistan: Tella's Story
'In clear and utterly compelling English, this moving memoir tells the story of the agony, and the ecstasy, of one refugee - and of every refugee. A must read for anyone interested in the triumph of Afghanistan's spirit over its seemingly endless suffering'. Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, British Ambassador to Afghanistan, 2007-2010 Flight From Afghanistan is a harrowing account of what drives a man to flee his home country in fear of his life, the trauma of refugee camps and the dangers he faces even when he reaches the sanctuary of the West. Afghans are the second largest refugee group in the world. When confronted by certain death at the point of a gun, Tella Omeri, an uneducated boy from a peasant family knew he had no alternative but to put his life in the hands of ruthless human traffickers, living on his wits and instincts. His 11-year flight, which began as a six-year- old child, is a story combining brutality with courage, hopelessness with resilience. The author asks for no pity, but in his short story he seeks to explain the motivation behind his decisions and paints a radically different picture of life in a troubled region, challenging world leaders and domestic warring factions to find a solution to the endless conflict. While thousands of refugees flee conflict and danger every day, Flight from Afghanistan shines a powerful light on what it actually means to undertake such a journey, and gives a voice to the often forgotten silent victims of the long running wars in the author's home country. * 'Afghan refugees represent one of the world's largest protracted refugee populations. Over the past four decades, many have been forced from their homes to never see them again. Some were able to return, for a while, but had their lives upended by a fresh eruption of conflict and violence - either to be displaced elsewhere in the country, or to become refugees yet again'. Amnesty International * 'Afghanistan is the world's least peaceful country'. Institute for Peace and Economics, June 2019 Tella Omeri now lives in the UK as a British Citizen with his wife and children.
£12.99