The last great sea action of the period, it established British naval supremacy and ended the threat of French invasion. The Trafalgar Companion not only chronicles the campaign and the battle itself in unprecedented detail, but it also charts Admiral Lord Nelson’s life and career as well as his death at the height of the battle. Providing a wealth of background details on contemporary naval life, seamanship, gunnery, tactics, and much else, the narrative is supplemented by informative sidebars, 200 color illustrations, and stage-by-stage battle diagrams.

    An expert team of archaeologists vividly describe shipwrecks from centuries past, from the oldest and deepest ever excavated to the remains of battles in both the European and Pacific theatres of World War II, accompanied throughout by hundreds of evocative photographs and specially commissioned diagrams, reconstructions and plans.

    One of history's most famous yachts, and the giants who made it.

    There are swashbuckling mutineers, violent storms, uncharted reefs, enemy warships, as well as ripping yarns about Dutchmen and lascars, Aborigines and escaped convicts. In producing this remarkable book, McHugh has made extensive use of first-hand accounts and contemporary records. With characteristic flair, he also delves into the mysteries and controversies that still surround so many of the wrecks. Shipwrecks is a white-knuckle voyage through chaos and tragedy which proclaims the courage and strength of the human spirit. It is a powerful reminder that even in the twenty-first century, the sea remains a great, unconquered frontier.

    Of nearly 500 men, fewer than 40 survived the sinking on 19th July 1545. Trapped by netting, or below deck, they stood little chance, and their bodies and belongings went to the bottom of the sea. In 1982, amidst huge publicity, an expert crew of archaeologists and conservators raised the wreck and started a process of research that has now revealed fascinating details of life aboard the Tudor warship. Excavation of the hull and contents produced a huge collection of objects that together make up a detailed picture of life aboard the warship. Before the Mast explores how the men of the Mary Rose lived, through their surviving possessions; how they were fed; their music and recreation, medicine and provision for illness and injury, as well as working practices: carpentry and maintenance, stowage, navigation and ship's communications. The volume also includes an analysis of the human remains providing evidence for the stature and age range of the men, most were under 30, their health and injuries sustained.

    Once thought to be mythical, it was so difficult to find and pass, the first authenticated passage took place in 1606; in 1770 it was charted by Captain Cook. In that age of sail, however, many sailors who attempted a passage through it either drowned on the treacherous reefs or starved in open boats.Yet Miles Hordern was unable to resist its siren call. Following his predecessors' trail, his 28-foot sloop took him more than 4,000 nautical miles via the islands of Micronesia, the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef to Australia.

    Though not ships of the line these fast and powerful warships were the 'eyes of the fleet'. They enabled admirals to find where the enemy lay and his likely intentions, as well as patrolling vital trade routes and providing information from far-flung colonies. Together with their smaller cousins, the sloops and brigs of the Royal Navy, they performed a vital function.Generally commanded by ambitious young men, these were the ships that could capture enemy prizes and earn their officers and men enough prize-money to set them up for life. The fictional characters Horatio Hornblower and Jack Aubrey hardly surpassed some of the extraordinary deeds of derring-do and tragedy described in these pages.Originally published in two volumes, this book is a bargain for all who want the factual low-down on the Brylcreem Boys of Nelson's navy.

    Confounding his physicians, Hoyne lived for seventeen years, during which he produced some of the most dramatic paintings of America's maritime past. This beautiful volume is the first full presentation of Hoyne's work. More than 100 paintings are reproduced here, almost all of which portray the beauty of the fishing schooners and the terrors and hardships on the waters of the notoriously inhospitable Grand Banks.In addition to reproductions of his paintings, this book deals with the artist's life and techniques. It discusses the fishing schooners and their legendary designers. It also describes life and work on the most dangerous fishing grounds in the world with fascinating recollections of the great skippers of the fishing communities around Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the small villages that lined the East Coast.This book will confirm the artist's place as a master of marine realism.

    Roller presents an important examination of the impact of the Greeks and Romans on the world through the Pillars of Herakles and beyond the Mediterranean.Roller chronicles a detailed account of the series of explorers who were to discover the entire Atlantic coast; north to Iceland, Scandinavia and the Baltic, and south into the Africa tropics. His account examines these early pioneers and their discoveries, and contributes a brand new chapter to the history of exploration.Based not only on the literary evidence, but also personal knowledge of the areas from the Arctic to west Africa, the book looks at the people, from the earliest Greeks, through the Carthaginians to the Romans, and examines their exploration of this vast and largely unfamiliar territory.Discussing for the first time the relevance of Iceland and the Arctic to Greco-Roman culture, this groundbreaking work is an enthralling and informative read that will be an invaluable study resource for Greek and Roman history courses

    

    For those who lived along the Atlantic coast, it was the East—and the Atlantic Ocean—that beckoned. While historical and fictional accounts have tended to stress the exceptional circumstances or psychological compulsions that drove men to sea, this book shows how normal a part of life seafaring was for those living near a coast before the mid–nineteenth century.Drawing on records of several thousand seamen and their voyages from Salem, Massachusetts, Young Men and the Sea offers a social history of seafaring in the colonial and early national period. In what sort of families were sailors raised? When did they go to sea? What were their chances of death? Whom did they marry, and how did their wives operate households in their absence? Answering these and many other questions, this book is destined to become a classic of American social and maritime history.

    Now FDR wants to invade France, to take the pressure off embattled Russia. Churchill thinks this will be a disaster for the British Army, which will field most of the invasion force, and suggests sending an all-American convoy to Russia bearing arms to support the hard-pressed Soviet Union. Now the action centers on a minesweeper — the Black Swan — skippered by a broken-down, drunken RN officer, Scottish Lt Commander Donaldson. He and his untrained crew do their best to help their new US allies, but will this be enough to ensure that the fleet reaches the Russian port of Murmansk intact? And will the “special relationship” survive the outcome of this mission? Duncan Harding is a pseudonym for Charles Whiting (1926-2007), who also wrote as Leo Kessler and John Kerrigan. Charles Whiting volunteered for the Army aged 16 in 1943, where he saw active service in Belgium, Holland and Germany with the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment. He has over 350 books to his credit, encompassing military history, espionage, biography and action fiction and holds the Sir George Dowty Prize for Literature.

    A large vessel for the time, the merchantman displaced twelve hundred tons and carried three to four masts. The ship foundered during a storm in a northern channel of the Tagus River. Within hours the currents and the storm had torn it asunder and spread its precious cargo along the shores of the estuary. The Pepper Wreck tells the story of the ship’s excavation by crews working in cold water and fast currents between 1997 and 2000, four centuries after Nossa Senhora dos Mártires went down. Author Filipe Vieira de Castro discusses the nautical history of Iberia, with special attention to shipbuilding and the development of the nau, a type of round ship used by the Portuguese on routes to the East. He also considers life aboard the ships, describing a typical menu, musing on the incidence of disease, and distinguishing the privileges of the different social classes and the perquisites the more privileged enjoyed. Turning to the excavation of the ship, Castro describes the site, the shifting laws governing archaeology in the region, and the fast currents that limited divers to working during ebb tides. The objects found with the wreck, from pottery to astrolabes, contribute substantially to knowledge of early modern shipbuilding techniques. Valuable to historians of seafaring and of Iberia and to those interested in Portuguese trade with the East Indies, this carefully wrought and generously illustrated volume is a veritable treasure trove for archaeologists.

    Enthusiasts will find completely up-to-date information on these extremely popular boats, more than 450 color photos, and descriptions of different types of sailing ships and rigging. Each craft listed features a full-color picture, details, and statistics, accompanied by facts and figures on its home port, the year it was built, the names of the owner and crew, plus rigging, tonnage, mast, sails, and use. The history of each vessel starts from the moment it was launched and continues right to the present; reproductions and museum ships also appear. A useful glossary includes important nautical terms.

    Details the Confederate States Navy and its introduction of the ironclad, the spar torpedo, and submersible warfare.

    Navy, ordered in 1794 as a counter to the Barbary corsairs in the Mediterranean. Heavily built but fast, she was rated as a 44-gun ship but mounted thirty 24-pounder cannons. Her most famous encounter came in 1812 when she successfully fought against the HMS Guerriere, earning the nickname Old Ironsides when the British round shot could not penetrate her walls. Built in Boston where she has been berthed for over seventy years, she is considered to be the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. The internationally-acclaimed draftsman and author Karl-Heinz Marquardt worked closely with the team at the Constitution to ensure that the book is accurate and up-to-date. Dozens of photographs and some 100 perspective and 3-view drawings are included along with fully descriptive keys and a large-scale foldout plan on the reverse side of the jacket.

    Unlike most historical accounts that follow Flinders's travels, this takes its lead from the voyages of Baudin and then juxtaposes the two voyages with first hand accounts, charts, and illustrations that compare and contrast the "Anglo" and "Franco" interpretations. A complex and fascinating tale is woven, one that is steeped in the language and the imagery of a unique period of world exploration.