As a maritime trading nation, the issue of quarantine was one of constant concern to Britain. Whilst naturally keen to promote international trade, there was a constant fear of importing potentially devastating diseases into British territories. In this groundbreaking study, John Booker examines the methods by which British authorities sought to keep their territories free from contagious diseases, and the reactions to, and practical consequences of, these policies. Drawing upon a wealth of documentary sources, Dr Booker paints a vivid picture of this controversial episode of British political and mercantile history, concluding that quarantine was a peculiarly British disaster, doomed to inefficiency by the royal prerogative and concerns for trade and individual liberty. Whilst it may not have fatally hindered the economic development of Britain, it certainly irritated the City and the mercantile elites and remained a source of constant political friction for many years. As such, an understanding of British maritime quarantine provides a fuller picture of attitudes to trade, culture, politics and medicine in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

This book was originally published in 1957. During the First World War, German use of unrestricted submarine warfare, supported by extensive mining and surface raids, very nearly forced Britain out of the war in 1917. The island's heavy dependence on seaborne supplies was gravely threatened again in 1939, supplemented this time by air attacks on shipping. After the war, Commanders Waters and Barley wrote a Naval Staff History which has long been recognised as an authoritative study of the impact of the German campaign and its ultimate defeat by Britain and her allies. It remains an indispensable basis for any serious study of the Battle of the Atlantic and has here been updated and revised by Dr Grove, who also contributes a perceptive introduction outlining its significance.

ACTION-PACKED STORIES OF SHIPS SUCH AS: SS Benajmin Noble - SS Carl D. Bradley - SS Eastland - SS Edmund Fitzgerald - SS G. P. Griffith - SS Henry Steinbrenner - SS Island Queen - SS Kaliyuga - SS Kamloops - SS Lady Elgin - SS Mataafa - SS Noronic AHOY, MATE!Step into the past and aboard the decks of these twenty-one proud vessels, each one launched with high hopes but doomed finally to disaster. From the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the last major freighter lost on the lakes, to the Le Griffin, the ill-fated liner that mysteriously disappeared during a ruthless storm, author Michael J. Varhola spins these tales with heart-pounding drama. Whether battered by hurricane-force gales, gouged by hidden rocks, or simply sabotaged by poor judgment, these ships live on in the most compelling oceangoing stories you've ever read.

AHOY, MATE! Step into the past and aboard the decks of these twenty-five proud vessels, each one launched with high hopes but doomed finally to disaster. From the Huron, a wreck that caused 103 sailors to lose their lives, to the Pulaski, a maritime mishap where two star-crossed lovers almost lost each other forever, author Bob Brooke spins these tales with heart-pounding drama . Whether battered by hurricane-force gales, gouged by hidden rocks, or simply sabotaged by poor judgment, these ships live on in the most compelling ocean-going stories you've ever read.

In this stimulating and authoritative overview, Michael Pearson reverses the traditional angle of maritime history and looks from the sea to its shores - its impact on the land through trade, naval power, travel and scientific exploration. This vast ocean, both connecting and separating nations, has shaped many countries' cultures and ideologies through the movement of goods, people, ideas and religions across the sea.

The Indian Ocean moves from a discussion of physical elements, its shape, winds, currents and boundaries, to a history from pre-Islamic times to the modern period of European dominance. Going far beyond pure maritime history, this compelling survey is an invaluable addition to political, cultural and economic world history.

For over 30 years Peter Drummond has roamed Scottish fishing harbours armed with at least one camera. Here then are the best monochrome images taken over that period showing a wide variety of vessel types ranging from former ring netters and drifter/seiners through more modern designs to the latest 21st Century pelagic vessels, with brief histories of the boats illustrated. Covering waters around Scotland both east and west, from Kirkcudbright to Mallaig and from Eyemouth to Burghead, as well as a detailed appendix of vessels, this photographic collection is something special for the maritime enthusiast.

The story of the Mulberry harbours must rank among the most remarkable to emerge from the Second World War. In terms of engineering achievement, it is surely one of the greatest of all time.Allied planners correctly anticipated that the Germans would deny, either by destruction or dogged defence, the vital Channel ports in the aftermath of D-Day. If the invading armies could not be kept resupplied, OVERLORD would fail. The only solution was to design, build, transport and install two massive artificial harbours.How this highly ambitious plan was implemented is told with clarity and authority in this superb book. The text, admirably free of unnecessary technical jargon, is well supported with photographs, diagrams and tables, which demonstrate vividly the scale of this great venture. The irony is that the real enemy turned out not to be the Germans but the elements. Code Name Mulberry is a first class account of all aspects of this extraordinary chapter in the history of the Second World War.

With echoes of Unbroken; the derring-do and bravado of The Right Stuff; and the battle-forged camaraderie of Band of Brothers, this is the World War II story of 95-year-old veteran George Morgan and the Underwater Demolition Teams. Forerunners of the Navy SEALs, the elite unit was given nearly impossible pre-invasion missions from D-Day to the most crucial landings in the Pacific Theater. Into Enemy Waters details the origins and heroic missions of World War II's most elite and daring unit of warriors, told through the eyes of one of its last living members, 95-year-old George Morgan. Morgan was just a wiry, 17-year-old lifeguard from New Jersey when he joined the Navy's new combat demolition unit, tasked to blow up enemy coastal defenses ahead of landings by Allied forces. His first assignment: Omaha Beach on D-Day. When he returned stateside, Morgan learned that his service was only beginning. Outfitted with swim trunks, a dive mask, and fins, he was sent to Hawaii and then on to deployments in the Pacific as a member of the elite and pioneering Underwater Demolition Teams. GIs called them "half fish, half nuts." Today, we call them frogmen-and Navy SEALS. Led by maverick Naval Reserve Officer Draper Kauffman, Morgan would spend the fierce final year of the war swimming up to enemy controlled beaches to gather intel and detonate underwater barriers. He'd have to master the sea, muster superhuman grit, and overcome the demons of Omaha Beach. Moving closer to Japan, the enemy's island defenses were growing more elaborate and its soldiers more fanatical. From the black sand beaches of Iwo Jima to the shark infested reefs of Okinawa, to the cold seas of Tokyo Bay, teenaged George Morgan was there before most, fighting for his life. And for all of us.

Symbols of safety, reassurance, and guidance, lighthouses hold a special fascination for many people. On the Great Lakes, lighthouses - "northern lights" - helped to open the region to settlement and supported the growth of commercial trade. To this day, they continue to light the way for thousands of recreational boaters. In this definitive guide to the lighthouses of the Great Lakes, Charles Hyde describes the histories of more than one hundred and sixty individual lighthouses that still exist on Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior, and the straits of Mackinac. He also describes the lives of early lighthouse keepers and their families, the heroes and heroines who lived in isolation, dedicated to aiding travelers in distress. Hyde documents maritime history from the early eighteenth century, when the first lighthouses were built in North America, and the subsequent growth of commerce on the Great Lakes. He also provides a general history of the United States Lighthouse Service and its descendants and examines how these organizations have functioned on the Great Lakes. As the shipping industry flourished, so too did the necessity for lighthouses. With their proliferation came a demand for more sophisticated structures. This book describes the changing design of lighthouses and the equipment that produces their beacons.

This book is a comparative study of the evolution of the German navy in the second half of the nineteenth century. It examines the development of strategy, especially commerce-raiding, in comparison to what other navies were doing in this era of rapid technological change. It is not an insular history, merely listing ship rosters or specific events; it is a history of the German navy in relation to its potential foes. It is also a look at a new military institution involved in an inter-service rivalry for funds, technology and manpower with the prestigious and well-established army.

This authoritative biographical guide presents the lives and careers of over six hundred men and women who have made their mark in the world's fighting navies, from the sixteenth century to the present day.
From the great admirals who won - or lost - major sea battles, to commanders who specialised in minesweeping; from eminent naval administrators to those who designed the ships, it features those who have helped to shape sea-warfare around the world.
Covering key events from the Battle of Trafalgar to those of World War Two and the Vietnam War, this is an invaluable work of reference for anyone interested in naval history.

As the fall of France took place, almost the entire coastline of Western Europe was in German hands. Clandestine sea transport operations provided lines of vital intelligence for wartime Britain. These secret flotillas landed and picked up agents in and from France, and ferried Allied evaders and escapees. This activity was crucial to the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and the SOE (Special Operations Executive). This authoritative publication by the official historian, the late Sir Brooks Richards, vividly describes and analyses the clandestine naval operations that took place during WWII. The account has been made possible through Sir Brooks' access to closed government archives, combined with his own wartime experiences and the recollections of many of those involved. First published in 1996, the original edition included descriptions of naval operations off French North Africa. The history has now been amended and expanded by Sir Brooks and is now published in two volumes. This first volume concentrates on the sea lines to Brittany.

Sailing beneath the ominous cloud of war between Turkey and Russia, the frigate Trojan is on her way to the Black Sea, carrying on board a mysterious passenger, a young woman whose identity must be concealed by orders of the Admiralty. Although First Lieutenant Phillip Hazard is captivated by the charming young woman, he has a far more pressing concern: the Trojan's captain is a sadistic despot-and quite possibly insane.

Shows how the rise of evangelical religion in the navy helped create a new kind of sailor, technologically trained and steeped in a higher set of values. This book examines how, as the nineteenth century progressed, religious piety, especially evangelical piety, was seen in the British navy less as eccentric and marginal and more as an essential ingredient of the character looked for in professional seamen. The book traces the complex interplay between formal religious observance, such as Sunday worship, and pockets of zealous piety, showing how evangelicalism gradually earned less grudging regard, until inthe 1860s and 1870s it became a dominant source of values and a force for moral reform. Religion in the British Navy explains this shift, outlining how Arctic expeditions showed the need for dependability and character, how Health Returns revealed the full extent of sexual licence and demonstrated the urgency of moral reform, and how manning difficulties in the Russian War of 1854-1856 showed that a modern fleet required a new type of sailor, technologically trained and steeped in a higher set of values. The book also discusses how the navy, with its newly awakened religious sensibilities, played a major role in the expansion of Protestant missions globally, in exploration,convict transportation, the expansion of imperial frontiers, and worldwide maritime policing operations. Fervent piety had an effect in all these areas - religion had helped develop a new kind of manliness where piety as well asdaring had a place. RICHARD BLAKE is the author of Evangelicals in the Royal Navy, 1775-1815 (Boydell 2008).

The Indian Ocean, used and travelled by humans for over 5000 years, is by far the 'oldest' sea in history. In this stimulating and authoritative overview, Michael Pearson reverses the traditional angle of maritime history and looks from the sea to its shores - its impact on the land through trade, naval power, travel and scientific exploration. This vast ocean, both connecting and separating nations, has shaped many countries' cultures and ideologies through the movement of goods, people, ideas and religions across the sea. The Indian Ocean moves from a discussion of physical elements, its shape, winds, currents and boundaries, to a history from pre-Islamic times to the modern period of |European dominance. Going far beyond pure maritime history, this compelling survey is an invaluable addition to political, cultural and economic world history.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203414136

On April 28th, 1789, a handful of men led by Fletcher Christian mutinied aboard the HMS Bounty, setting her captain, William Bligh, and 18 other men adrift, then vanishing into the Pacific Ocean. This is the story of the mutiny that became a landmark case in naval history.

This volume brings together a set of scholarly, readable and up-to-date essays covering the most significant naval mutinies of the 20th century, including Russia (1905), Brazil (1910), Austria (1918), Germany (1918), France (1918-19), Great Britain (1931), Chile (1931), the United States (1944), India (1946), China (1949), Australia, and Canada (1949).
Each chapter addresses the causes of the mutiny in question, its long- and short-term repercussions, and the course of the mutiny itself. More generally, authors consider the state of the literature on their mutiny and examine significant historiographical issues connected with it, taking advantage of new research and new methodologies to provide something of value to both the specialist and non-specialist reader. The book provides fresh insights into issues such as what a mutiny is, what factors cause them, what navies are most susceptible to them, what responses lead to satisfactory or unsatisfactory conclusions, and how far-reaching their consequences tend to be.

Pirates, conspiracy, highway robbers, and other sinister forces confront Jared Lee, a young law clerk in Philadelphia smitten by a beautiful French noblewoman. Travel back in time to 1793, when life was not so safe and simple. This action packed adventure story takes young readers back, following our noble hero's misadventures as he falls in among a decidedly wrong crowd.

Overturns the generally held view that the press gang was the main means of recruiting seamen by the British navy in the late eighteenth century. SHORTLISTED for the Society for Nautical Research's prestigious Anderson Medal. The press gang is generally regarded as the means by which the British navy solved the problem of recruiting enough seamen in the late eighteenth century. This book, however, based on extensive original research conducted primarily in a large number of ships' muster books, demonstrates that this view is false. It argues that, in fact, the overwhelming majority of seamen in the navy were there of their own free will. Taking a long view across the late eighteenth century but concentrating on the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815, the book provides great detail on the sort of men that were recruited and the means by which they were recruited, and includes a number of individuals' stories. It shows how manpower was a major concern for the Admiralty; how the Admiralty put in place a range of recruitment methods including the quota system; how it worried about depleting merchant shipping of sufficient sailors; and how, although most seamen were volunteers, the press gang was resorted to, especially during the initial mobilisation at the beginning of wars and to find certain kinds of particularly skilled seamen. The book also makes comparisons with recruitment methods employed by the navies of other countries and by the British army. J. Ross Dancy is Assistant Professor of History at Sam Houston State University.

First published in 1997, this collection of articles, two of which hitherto only appeared in Dutch, examines the technical changes in shipbuilding, as well as new practices in shipping and fishing, from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution. It seeks to show how these changes transformed the European economy and affected the relationship between the economy and governments, and to portray the process, although most dramatic in the Dutch Republic, as part of a general European phenomenon. The studies also investigate the causes of these developments, and suggest how improvements in shipping may have affected patterns of trade and behaviour of public authorities.

Recognising the fundamental role both of shipping communities and the technologies crafted and shared by them, this book explores the types of ships, methods of navigation and modes of water-borne trade in the Indian Ocean region and the way they affected the development of distinctive settlements against a changing but strong sense of regional consciousness and identity.

This challenging new book argues that the People's Republic of China is pursuing a long-term strategy to extend its national power by sea.

On 15 April 1912, passengers stood on a dimly lit Boat Deck, looking down at the lifeboats they were told to enter. In the freezing air, away from the warmth of the interior, they had to decide whether to enter a boat that would be lowered into darkness or remain on an 'unsinkable' ship. RMS Titanic in 50 Objects is a look at the world-famous liner through the objects that tell her story. Sheet music recovered from the body of a musician, a full-sized replica of her First Class Entrance Hall clock, a lifeboat from a fellow White Star Line ship - all of these objects and more come together to tell not only the tragedy of the ship herself, but also that of her passengers and crew. Lavishly illustrated and extensively researched by two of the world's most foremost Titanic experts, this is her history brought to life like never before.

'An epic tale of exploration, daring and tragedy told by a fine historian - and a wonderful writer' Peter Frankopan, author of the bestselling The Silk Roads. 'The name of William Barents isn't that familiar to us these days...but this enthralling, elemental and literally spine-chilling epic of courage and endurance should change all that' Roger Alton, Daily Mail A dramatic and compelling account of survival against the odds from the golden Age of Exploration. The human story has always been one of perseverance - often against remarkable odds. The most astonishing survival tale of all might be that of sixteenth-century Dutch explorer William Barents and his crew, who ventured further North than any Europeans before and, on their third polar expedition, lost their ship off the frozen coast of Nova Zembla to unforgiving ice. The men would spend the next year fighting off ravenous polar bears, gnawing hunger and endless winter. In Icebound, Andrea Pitzer masterfully combines a gripping tale of survival with a sweeping history of the great age of Exploration - a time of hope, adventure and seemingly unlimited geographic frontiers.

From The Odyssey to The Old Man and the Sea, the long tradition of sea voyage narratives is comprehensively explained here, including a full historical perspective supported by discussions of key texts. Whether the task is to find out more about Moby Dick or the sea voyage theme in general, this broad introduction is the first step.