The Worcester and Birmingham Canal, some thirty miles long, was created from 1791, when it was authorised by Act of Parliament, to 1815 when it was completed 24 years later. Although intended as a broad canal for barges and having five broad tunnels, it was eventually completed with narrow locks due to financial difficulties. From Gas Street Basin at the Birmingham end it passes through the suburbs of Edgbaston, Selly Oak and Kings Norton, then through the long West Hill Tunnel and via Hopwood and Alvechurch through countryside to Tardebigge, all this section being on the Birmingham Level. Then it descends in stages via fifty-six narrow locks and two barge locks to the River Severn at Diglis via Stoke Prior, Hanbury Wharf, Dunhampstead, Oddingley, Tibberton, Blackpole and the eastern suburbs of Worcester City. The earlier chapters of this book trace in detail the successive stages reached in making the canal and the reservoirs needed to safeguard the water supplies of millowners, the financial and other problems faced, and the saga of the Tardebigge Boat Lifi. Later chapters cover the history of the canal following its completion, its use for both commercial and pleasure purposes, its administration and management, its upkeep and maintenance, its involvement with railways, and the various industries and amenities which were established beside it, Three of the final chapters feature past and present places and items of interest located along the canal from Birmingham to Worcester. Of special interest throughout is the impact the canal had upon the lives of countless people, those involved in its construction, those who lived and worked on the boats, those who were employed by the Canal Company as engineers, lock-keepers and maintenance men, people who worked in canalside factories, shops, public house, boatyards, and on wharves, and those concerned for the welfare of canal boat families and their animals.

CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80 are the first three ships in the Navy's new Gerald R. Ford (CVN- 78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs). CVN-78 was procured in FY2008. The Navy's proposed FY2013 budget estimates the ship's procurement cost at $12,323.2 million (i.e., about $12.3 billion) in then-year dollars. The ship received advance procurement funding in FY2001-FY2007 and was fully funded in FY2008- FY2011 using congressionally authorized four-year incremental funding. The Navy did not request any procurement funding for the ship in FY2012, and is not requesting any procurement funding for the ship in FY2013. The Navy plans to request $449 million in procurement funding in FY2014 and $362 million in procurement funding in FY2015 for the ship to cover $811 million in cost growth on the ship.

In exchange for his freedom from a secret Moroccan prison, deep-water salvage diver Jonah Blackwell agrees to lead a covert search for a missing research team in the dangerous coastal waters of Somalia, an area plagued by pirates and a deadly red tide killing all marine life within its reach. But when his expedition threatens the ambitions of billionaire industrialist Charles Bettencourt, Jonah's survival depends on hijacking a hostile submarine and assembling an unproven crew who must simultaneously investigate the source of a mysterious oceanic plague and face down Bettencourt's commandos. A thrilling, fast-paced adventure set in the world's last frontier, THE WRECKING CREW will resonate with James Rollins and Clive Cussler fans alike.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1904.

Queen Elizabeth: A Photographic Journey allows the reader to travel aboard Cunard's newest ship, the second largest ship to carry the Cunard colours. The ultimate in luxury cruising waits aboard Queen Elizabeth. From the three-storey Royal Court Theatre, complete with box seating, to the opulence of the Queens Room, the authors have captured the interior elegance of Queen Elizabeth with never-before-published images. Explore the behind-the-scenes areas, with a tour of the Engine Room, Stores and the Bridge, before returning to the passenger areas to discover bars, lounges, restaurants and cabins. This stunning volume is a must-have whether you're a seasoned Cunard passenger, or simply an armchair traveller. Written by two enthusiastic Cunard fans, travellers and historians, this book is beautifully illustrated with over 200 colour photographs and includes a foreword by Peter Shanks, former president of the Cunard Line, thoughts from Commodore Rynd on the ship's fifth anniversary and an afterword by Captain Chris Wells, Queen Elizabeth's First Master. This is Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross' sixth Cunard book and the fourth in their Journey series.