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Buoyed by the runaway success of his bestselling A General History
of the Pirates (1724), Captain Charles Johnson went on to publish a
much-expanded edition of the work to include a further 80 accounts
of some of the most extraordinary British criminals of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries entitled A General History of
the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Pirates, Highwaymen,
Murderers, Street-Robbers, &c. (1734). He added further pirate
biographies but expanded the cast to include a ferocious band of
ruthless and vicious highwaymen, murderers, and wider criminals.
Johnson's volumes, featuring fictional accounts based on factual
sources, are significant as the forerunners of the real-life
criminal biography genre, and for their influence on such early
novels as Defoe's Moll Flanders and Fielding's Jonathan Wild but
equally resonate right through to the present day inspiring the
fiction of Ben Aaronovich and Jake Arnott. Originally published in
folio size complete with fine engravings, this new collection of
rogues includes the very best of these original decorative plates
but also presents a series of related illustrations, playbills, and
portraits from the British Library collections.
Naval warfare is vividly brought to life, from first contact
through how battles were won and lost to damage repair. Our
understanding of warfare at sea in the eighteenth century has
always been divorced from the practical realities of fighting at
sea under sail; our knowledge of tactics is largely based upon the
ideas of contemporary theorists[rather than practitioners] who knew
little of the realities of sailing warfare, and our knowledge of
command is similarly flawed. In this book the author presents new
evidence from contemporary sources that overturns many old
assumptions and introduces a host of new ideas. In a series of
thematic chapters, following the rough chronology of a sea fight
from initial contact to damage repair, the author offers a dramatic
interpretation of fighting at sea inthe eighteenth century, and
explains in greater depth than ever before how and why sea battles
(including Trafalgar) were won and lost in the great Age of Sail.
He explains in detail how two ships or fleets identified each other
to be enemies; how and why they manoeuvred for battle; how a
commander communicated his ideas, and how and why his subordinates
acted in the way that they did. SAM WILLIS has lectured at Bristol
University and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. He is
also the author of Fighting Ships, 1750-1850(Quercus).
Naval warfare is vividly brought to life, from first contact
through how battles were won and lost to damage repair. Our
understanding of warfare at sea in the eighteenth century has
always been divorced from the practical realities of fighting at
sea under sail; our knowledge of tactics is largely based upon the
ideas of contemporary theorists[rather than practitioners] who knew
little of the realities of sailing warfare, and our knowledge of
command is similarly flawed. In this book the author presents new
evidence from contemporary sources that overturns many old
assumptions and introduces a host of new ideas. In a series of
thematic chapters, following the rough chronology of a sea fight
from initial contact to damage repair, the author offers a dramatic
interpretation of fighting at sea inthe eighteenth century, and
explains in greater depth than ever before how and why sea battles
(including Trafalgar) were won and lost in the great Age of Sail.
He explains in detail how two ships or fleets identified each other
to be enemies; how and why they manoeuvred for battle; how a
commander communicated his ideas, and how and why his subordinates
acted in the way that they did. SAM WILLIS has lectured at Bristol
University and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. He is
also the author of Fighting Ships, 1750-1850(Quercus).
Captain Charles Johnson's celebrated A General History of the
Pirates (1724) is the most famous book about pirates ever written.
Buoyed by the volume's runaway success Johnson followed up with the
equally engrossing The Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous
Highwaymen (1734) which, published here for the first time in two
centuries, provides over 50 accounts of the most notorious British
criminals of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These
include the famous highwayman William Davis, alias The Golden
Farmer, the cross-Channel gentleman highwayman Claude du Vall, the
prolific road adventurer Old Mob and the royalist carriage raider
James Hind. Johnson's volumes, featuring fictional accounts based
on factual sources, are significant as the forerunners of the
real-life criminal biography genre, and for their influence on such
early novels as Defoe's Moll Flanders and Fielding's Jonathan Wild.
Originally published in folio size complete with fine engravings,
this new edition of Highwaymen not only includes the very best of
these original decorative features but also presents a series of
related illustrations, playbills, and portraits from the British
Library collections.
'History as you've never seen it before.' Dan Snow Did you know
that the history of the beard is connected to the Crimean War; that
the history of paperclips is all about the Stasi; and that the
history of bubbles is all about the French Revolution? And who knew
that Heinrich Himmler, Tutankhamun and the history of needlework
are linked to napalm and Victorian orphans? In Histories of the
Unexpected, Sam Willis and James Daybell lead us on a journey of
discovery that tackles some of the greatest historical themes -
from the Tudors to the Second World War, from the Roman Empire to
the Victorians - but via entirely unexpected subjects. By taking
this revolutionary approach, they not only present a new way of
thinking about the past, but also reveal the everyday world around
us as never before.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2013 MARITIME MEDIA AWARDS Between 1794 and
1815 the Royal Navy repeatedly crushed her enemies at sea in a
period of military dominance that equals any in history. When
Napoleon eventually died in exile, the Lords of the Admiralty
ordered that the original dispatches from seven major fleet battles
- The Glorious First of June (1794), St Vincent (1797), Camperdown
(1797), The Nile (1798), Copenhagen (1801), Trafalgar (1805) and
San Domingo (1806) - should be gathered together and presented to
the Nation. These letters, written by Britain's admirals, captains,
surgeons and boatswains and sent back home in the midst of
conflict, were bound in an immense volume, to be admired as a jewel
of British history. Sam Willis, one of Britain's finest naval
historians, stumbled upon this collection by chance in the British
Library in 2010 and soon found out that only a handful of people
knew of its existence. The rediscovery of these first-hand reports,
and the vivid commentary they provide, has enabled Willis to
reassesses the key engagements in extraordinary and revelatory
detail, and to paint an enthralling series of portraits of the
Royal Navy's commanders at the time. In a compelling and dramatic
narrative, In the Hour of Victory tells the story of these naval
triumphs as never before, and allows us to hear once more the
officer's voices as they describe the battles that made Britain
great.
Shipwrecks have captured our imagination for centuries. Here
acclaimed historian Sam Willis traces the astonishing tales of
ships that have met with disastrous ends, along with the ensuing
acts of courage, moments of sacrifice and episodes of villainy that
inevitably occurred in the extreme conditions. Many were freak
accidents, and their circumstances so extraordinary that they
inspired literature: the ramming of the Essex by a sperm whale was
immortalized in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Some symbolize
colossal human tragedy: including the legendary Titanic whose
maiden voyage famously went from pleasure cruise to epic
catastrophe. From the Kyrenia ship of 300 BC to the Mary Rose,
through to the Kursk submarine tragedy of 2000, this is a thrilling
work of narrative history from one of our most talented young
historians.
With a cast of swaggering swashbuckling characters, The Struggle
for Sea Power charts the greatest war in the age of sail. In 1775
thirteen isolated colonies, without a navy or an army, began a war
with Britain to win their independence from the greatest naval and
military power on earth. The American Revolution was a naval war of
immense scope and variety, including no fewer than twenty-two
navies fighting on five oceans - to say nothing of rivers and
lakes. Not until the Second World War would any nation actively
fight in so many different theatres. Using original logs, reports,
diaries and archaeological discoveries, The Struggle for Sea Power
traces every key military event in the path to American
Independence from a naval perspective. This is the gripping tale of
the birth of the New World.
Histories of the Unexpected not only presents a new way of thinking
about the past, but also reveals the world around us as never
before. Traditionally, the Vikings have been understood in a
straightforward way - but the period really comes alive if you take
an unexpected approach to its history. Yes, ships, raiding and
trade have a fascinating history... but so too do hair, break-ins,
toys, teeth, mischief, luck and silk! Each of these subjects is
equally fascinating in its own right, and each sheds new light on
the traditional subjects and themes that we think we know so well.
Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES - Why was the Battle of
the Nile so decisive in the French Revolutionary Wars? - Why did
the French believe they were unassailable? - And why did Nelson and
the British win? TRACK the revolutionary roots and dramatic turning
points of the British Royal Navy's glorious victory over the French
naval expedition to Egypt. From Napoleon's rise to prominence to
Nelson's celebrated tactical leadership, discover how this
significant battle changed the face of the French Revolutionary
Wars. THE BATTLE THAT CHANGED THE BALANCE OF POWER IN EUROPE
Written by historian, archaeologist, and broadcaster Sam Willis,
Nelson: Battle of the Nile is a thrilling and accessible account of
the naval battle that established Nelson's fame.
J.M.W. Turner's The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her Last Berth to
be Broken Up (1838) was his masterpiece. Sam Willis tells the
real-life story behind this remarkable painting. The 98-gun
Temeraire warship broke through the French and Spanish line
directly astern of Nelson's flagship Victory during the Battle of
Trafalgar (1805), saving Nelson at a crucial moment in the battle,
and, in the words of John Ruskin, fought until her sides ran 'wet
with the long runlets of English blood...those pale masts that
stayed themselves up against the war-ruin, shaking out their
ensigns through the thunder, till sail and ensign dropped.' It is a
story that unites the art of war as practised by Nelson with the
art of war as depicted by Turner and, as such, it ranges across an
extensive period of Britain's cultural and military history in ways
that other stories do not. The result is a detailed picture of
British maritime power at two of its most significant peaks in the
age of sail: the climaxes of both the Seven Years' War (1756-63)
and the Napoleonic Wars (1798-1815). It covers every aspect of life
in the sailing navy, with particular emphasis on amphibious
warfare, disease, victualling, blockade, mutiny and, of course,
fleet battle, for it was at Trafalgar that the Temeraire really won
her fame. An evocative and magnificent narrative history by a
master historian.
The H.M.S. Temeraire, one of Britain s most illustrious fighting
ships, is known to millions through J. M. W. Turner s masterpiece,
The Fighting Temeraire (1839), which portrays the battle-scarred
veteran of Britain s wars with Napoleonic France. In this evocative
new volume, Sam Willis tells the extraordinary story of the vessel
behind the painting.
This tale of two ships spans the heyday of the age of sail: the
climaxes of both the Seven Years War (1756 63) and the Napoleonic
Wars (1798 1815). Filled with richly evocative detail, and narrated
with the pace and gusto of a master storyteller, The Fighting
Temeraire is an enthralling and deeply satisfying work of narrative
history.
The first book of the Midnight series. Creaking Swooshing Barking
Whooshing Mysterious sounds fill the house at midnight Visit
RSWBooks.com for updates on future Midnight adventures
Histories of the Unexpected not only presents a new way of thinking
about the past, but also reveals the world around us as never
before. Traditionally, the Tudors have been understood in a
straightforward way but the period really comes alive if you take
an unexpected approach to its history. Yes, Tudor monarchs,
exploration and religion have a fascinating history... but so too
does cannibalism, shrinking, bells, hats, mirrors, monsters, faces,
letter-writing and accidents! Each of these subjects is equally
fascinating in its own right, and each sheds new light on the
traditional subjects and themes that we think we know so well.
Admiral John Benbow was an English naval hero, a fighting sailor of
ruthless methods but indomitable courage. Benbow was a man to be
reckoned with. In 1702, however, when Benbow engaged a French
squadron off the Spanish main, other ships in his squadron failed
to support him. His leg shattered by a cannon-ball, Benbow fought
on - but to no avail: the French escaped and the stricken Benbow
succumbed to his wounds. When the story of his 'Last Fight' reached
England, there was an outcry. Two of the captains who had abandoned
him were court-martialled and shot; 'Brave Benbow' was elevated
from national hero to national legend, his valour immortalized in
broadsheet and folksong: ships were named after him; Tennyson later
feted him in verse; in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island,
the tavern where Jim Hawkins and his mother live is called 'The
Admiral Benbow'. For the very first time, Sam Willis tells the
extraordinary story of Admiral Benbow through an age of dramatic
change, from his birth under Cromwell's Commonwealth; to service
under the restored Stuart monarchy; to the Glorious Revolution of
1688; to the French wars of Louis XIV; and finally to the bitter
betrayal of 1702. The Admiral Benbow covers all aspects of
seventeenth century naval life in richly vivid detail, from
strategy and tactics to health and discipline. But Benbow also
worked in the Royal Dockyards, lived in Samuel Evelyn's House, knew
Peter the Great, helped to found the first naval hospital, and
helped to build the first offshore lighthouse. The second volume in
the Hearts of Oak trilogy, from one of Britain's most exciting
young historians, The Admiral Benbow is a gripping and detailed
account of the making of a naval legend.
Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES. ____________ Why did
the Spanish launch their Armada on England? How did Francis Drake
counter the Spanish threat? And why were so many ships lost at sea?
In 1585 Spain was the most POWERFUL Empire in the known world. As
tensions between PROTESTANT England and CATHOLIC Spain rose . . .
SPAIN decided to INVADE ENGLAND. And launched the SPANISH ARMADA
This raises the question: how did England manage to overthrow the
Spanish invasion? Was it luck or judgement? Discover the answers
and more inside Sam Willis's Ladybird Expert - The Spanish Armada,
the thrilling and accessible account that explains what happened,
who the key figures were and the tactics, triumphs and failures on
both sides . . .
France, early summer 1794. The French Revolution has been hijacked
by the extreme Jacobins and is in the grip of The Terror. While the
guillotine relentlessly takes the heads of innocents, two vast
French and British fleets meet in the mid-Atlantic following a week
of skirmishing. After fierce fighting, both sides claim victory. In
The Glorious First of June Sam Willis not only tells, with
thrilling immediacy and masterly clarity, the story of an epic and
complex battle, he also places it within the context of The Terror,
the survival of the French Revolution and the growth of British
sea-power.
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