In 1066 eastern Sussex was the beachhead for the successful invasion of England by Duke William II of Normandy. He was crowned William I, King of England, at Christmas 1066 and 1067 was the first year of the Normanisation of England. 1538 saw the dissolution of the major monasteries and abbeys including those of Battle and Robertsbridge, and the start of the English Reformation. How did William and his successors, from the houses of Normandy and Blois, via the Angevin and Plantagenet kings, through the Wars of the Roses to the rise of the Tudors change eastern Sussex? Most of the history is hidden away in ancient documents, but some remains visible, in the ruins of old abbeys and castles and in the landscape itself. Before 1066 eastern Sussex appears to have been somewhat separate from the sub- Kingdoms of Sussex - and many would say it still is. It was more influenced by the Kingdom of Kent to the east than the rather fragmented Sussex to the west. It was at times called Hastingas - which existed from about the 6th to the early 11th centuries. This evolved to became the part of Sussex called the Rape of Hastings, which, with the Hundred of Pevensey, makes up '1066 Country': eastern Sussex. It stretches from Pevensey to Rye, and inland from the coast to the Kentish boundary. Battle and its abbey sits at its heart, on the site of the Battle of Hastings. The ways in which Battle, Bexhill, Pevensey, Robertsbridge, Rye, Winchelsea and all of eastern Sussex evolved between 1067 and 1538 are covered in this book. It also acts as a guide book to further reading about the more complex issues.

The islands surrounding Scapa Flow made one of Britain's best natural harbours, while the location at the north of Scotland protected the approaches to the North Sea and Atlantic. The naval base was important during both wars but what makes Scapa Flow famous is its wrecks, the remains of a German fleet, which once numbered some 74 vessels, most of which were scuttled in 1919, as well as the war graves of HMS Royal Oak and HMS Vanguard. The wrecks of the navy ships still survive, along with eight German warships for which a second war came and prevented salvage. Now a divers' paradise, the wrecks of Scapa Flow bring divers from all over the world and employ many in Orkney itself. This is the story of the ships of Scapa Flow, their sinking and their salvage, using many previously unseen images of the recovery and subsequent removal of many of the German battleships and cruisers to Rosyth dockyard in Fife for breaking up.

'A roaring tale ... remains as vivid and exciting today as it was on publication in 1697' Guardian The pirate and adventurer William Dampier circumnavigated the globe three times, and took notes wherever he went. This is his frank, vivid account of his buccaneering sea voyages around the world, from the Caribbean to the Pacific and East Indies. Filled with accounts of raids, escapes, wrecks and storms, it also contains precise observations of people, places, animals and food (including the first English accounts of guacamole, mango chutney and chopsticks). A bestseller on publication, this unique record of the colonial age influenced Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels and consequently the whole of English literature. Edited with an Introduction by Nicholas Thomas

The year 1588 marked a turning point in our national story. Victory over the Spanish Armada transformed us into a seafaring nation and it sparked a myth that one day would become a reality - that the nation's new destiny, the source of her future wealth and power lay out on the oceans. This book tells the story of how the navy expanded from a tiny force to become the most complex industrial enterprise on earth; how the need to organise it laid the foundations of our civil service and our economy; and how it transformed our culture, our sense of national identity and our democracy.

Brian Lavery's narrative explores the navy's rise over four centuries; a key factor in propelling Britain to its status as the most powerful nation on earth, and assesses the turning point of Jutland and the First World War. He creates a compelling read that is every bit as engaging as the TV series itself.

David Hannay endeavours to give a popular, but clear and not inaccurate, account of the growth, and services, of the Royal Navy. The books is divided into two volumes. The first volume begins with King John and ends at the Revolution of 1688. The second volume will give the history of the great struggle with France and her dependent allies, which began in 1689, and ended only when the time of great naval wars was over.

David Hannay endeavours to give a popular, but clear and not inaccurate, account of the growth, and services, of the Royal Navy. The books is divided into two volumes. The first volume begins with King John and ends at the Revolution of 1688. The second volume will give the history of the great struggle with France and her dependent allies, which began in 1689, and ended only when the time of great naval wars was over.

There is not a statue of Zachariah Charles Pearson (1821-1891), twice Mayor of Hull, on the land he gifted to the City for its first public park. Why not? Here the great-great-granddaughter of the Victorian philanthropist builds a life-story from a fascinating mix of family and local folk-lore and photographs, genealogical research, and the resources of local, national and international archives - as well as travel to the United States and long journeys online. Thousands of pieces of jigsaw spread out on the table are brought together to make up a picture of Zachariah's life as he built up his business from humble beginnings and rose to fame, fortune, and philanthropy. By the age of 21 he was captain of 'the finest ship then sailing out of Hull'. Within the next three years he was married and the owner of his own vessel - a young entrepreneur expanding his trading routes and establishing his businesses around the world, ready to turn events to the advantage of his family and the development of his city. What could go wrong? As the book reveals, dramatic world events, bad luck and poor judgement were to bring prolonged financial and social disaster.In his later years, when rebuilding his public presence in Hull, Zachariah certainly maintained a lower profile than his previous flamboyance. A fascinating slice of the history and life of nineteenth-century Hull.

*Shortlisted for the 2019 Mountbatten Award* "We went up on deck and were looking around when the awful crash came. The ship listed so much that we all scrambled down the deck and for a moment everything was in confusion. When I came to myself again I glanced around but could find no trace of Mr Prichard. He seemed to have disappeared." - Grace French The sinking of the Lusitania is an event that has been predominantly discussed from a political or maritime perspective. For the first time, The Lusitania Sinking tells the story in the emotive framework of a family looking for information on their son's death. On 1 May 1915, the 29-year-old student Preston Prichard embarked as a Second Class passenger on the Lusitania, bound from New York for Liverpool. By 2pm on the afternoon of 7 May, the liner was approaching the coast of Ireland when she was sighted by the German submarine U-20\. A single torpedo caused a massive explosion in the Lusitania's hold, and the ship began sank rapidly. Within 20 minutes she disappeared and 1,198 men, women and children, including Preston, died. Uncertain of Preston's fate, his family leaped into action. His brother Mostyn, who lived in Ramsgate, travelled to Queenstown to search morgues but could find nothing. Preston's mother wrote hundreds of letters to survivors to find out more about what might have happened in his last moments. The Lusitania Sinking compiles the responses received. Perhaps sensing his fate, Prichard had put his papers in order before embarking and told a fellow student where to find his will if anything happened to him. During the voyage, he was often seen in the company of Grace French, quoted above. Alice Middleton, who had a crush on him but was too shy to speak to him throughout the entire voyage, remembered that he helped her in reaching the upper decks during the last moments of the sinking: "[The Lusitania] exploded and down came her funnels, so over I jumped. I had a terrible time in the water, 41/2 hours bashing about among the wreckage and dead bodies... It was 10.30 before they landed me at the hospital in an unconscious condition. In fact, they piled me with a boat full of dead and it was only when they were carrying the dead bodies to the Mortuary that they discovered there was still life in me."