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With an Introduction by Paul Wright. 'What the imagination seizes
as Beauty must be truth' So wrote the Romantic poet John Keats
(1795-1821) in 1817. This collection contains all of his poetry:
the early work, which is often undervalued even today, the poems on
which his reputation rests including the 'Odes' and the two
versions of the uncompleted epic 'Hyperion', and work which only
came to light after his death including his attempts at drama and
comic verse. It all demonstrates the extent to which he tested his
own dictum throughout his short creative life. That life spanned
one of the most remarkable periods in English history in the
aftermath of the French Revolution and this collection, with its
detailed introductions and notes, aims to place the poems very much
in their context. The collection is ample proof that Keats
deservedly achieved his wish to 'be among the English Poets after
my death'
A history of the Soviet Navy's cruisers, from the opening shots of
the October Revolution through to the combat they saw during World
War II. The Soviet Navy of World War II boasted a cruiser fleet
that was among the most eclectic to see service. In this book,
noted military historian and Soviet specialist Alexander Hill
explains the role of cruisers in the Soviet Navy from the dramatic
days of the October Revolution of 1917 through to the struggle they
fought with Nazi Germany during World War II. Illustrated
throughout with rare photos and original artwork, including a
cutaway of Aurora, famous for its role in the Bolshevik October
Revolution, and with profiles of the key classes, this book
outlines the Soviets' development of a cruiser force. Having
inherited a number of cruisers from the Imperial Russian Navy, the
new Soviet Navy went on to complete two unfinished Tsarist light
cruisers during the 1920s. In the late 1930s, the Soviets built
their first large warships, the Kirov class, and in 1940 Nazi
Germany sold the unfinished heavy cruiser Lützow to the USSR. The
final cruiser-sized warship to see action was the former Imperial
royal yacht Shtandart, renamed Marti and armed as a minelayer,
which was used in the defence of Leningrad. Researched in the main
from Russian-language sources, this study explores the cruiser
fleet that saw considerable action in World War II, particularly in
support of the Red Army.
Cruisers became Britain's essential vessel for protecting
battleships, carriers, and convoys versus Japanese, Italian, and
Nazi German commerce raiders, submarines, aircraft, and destroyers.
The light cruiser was a natural development of the sailing frigate
- a fast multi-purpose warship that could patrol the sea lanes,
protect convoys and scout for enemy battle fleets. By the inter-war
period the need for this type of ship was even more important,
given the increasing need for protection from aircraft, and the
need to screen the fleet from submarines or destroyers.
During the 1930's a new group of British light cruisers were
commissioned, designed to replace an earlier generation of warships
designed during the Great War. These new ships were sleek, fast,
and relied on the 6-inch gun - a tried and tested weapon that
combined hitting power with a high rate of fire. A second
generation of light cruisers followed during the late 1930's, armed
with twelve 6-inch guns apiece. One of these - HMS Belfast - is
still afloat today.
Finally the threat posed by German aircraft led to the conversion
of some older warships into anti-aircraft cruisers - a stopgap
measure until a new class of these powerful and much-needed
warships entered service. By this time wartime experience had shown
that the British light cruiser was one of the most versatile types
of ship in the Royal Navy, able to protect other warships, bombard
enemy shores, guard life-saving convoys and intercept and destroy
enemy warships. These were truly the workhorses of the wartime
Royal Navy. While the battleships and carriers grabbed the
headlines, these sleek, elegant warships quietly got on with the
job of securing control of the seas.
Explores the history of the US Navy's 11 new steel warships, built
during the late 19th century to advance American naval supremacy.
After the American Civil War, the powerful US Navy was allowed to
decay into utter decrepitude, and was becoming a security
liability. In 1883, Congress approved four new steel-constructed
vessels called the "ABCD" ships. The three protected cruisers
Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago were the first steel warships built
for the US Navy, whose 1880s-1890s technological and cultural
transformation was so total it is now remembered as the "New Navy".
This small fleet was joined by a succession of new and distinctive
protected cruisers, culminating in the famous and powerful Olympia.
These 11 protected cruisers formed the backbone of the early US
steel navy, and were in the frontline of the US victory in the 1898
Spanish-American War. It was these warships that fought and won the
decisive Battle of Manila Bay. These cruisers also served
faithfully as escorts and auxiliaries in World War I before the
last were retired in the 1920s. Written by experienced US naval
researcher Brian Lane Herder, and including rare photographs, this
book explores the development, qualities, and service of these
important warships, and highlights the almost-forgotten
Columbia-class, designed as high-speed commerce raiders, and to
mimic specific passenger liners. All 11 protected cruisers are
depicted in meticulously researched color illustrations with one
depicting the Olympia deploying her full sail rig.
A study of the design, development and eventual fates of the
uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and
during World War II. At the start of World War II the battleship
was still king, and all the major powers were designing even
mightier battleships to surpass their most modern and powerful
classes. But when World War II broke out, aircraft carriers would
dominate naval warfare, and none of these monster warships were
completed. In this book, naval expert Mark Stille uncovers these
lost battleships as they are reconstructed with superb new
full-colour artwork. The US Navy wanted five Montana-class ships,
based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved
protection, and the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun
Lion-class fast battleships. The German Navy developed its H-class
designs: initially an improved Bismack-class, they became more
fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-ton, 20in-gun H-44. The
Japanese A-150 was based on the Yamato-class but with 20.1in guns,
while the 15 ships planned for the USSR's Sovetsky Soyuz-class
would have rivalled the Montanas in size. Explaining the design,
intended roles and fate of these ships, this is the story of the
last battleship designs in history.
Introduction, Notes and Bibliography by Dr Bruce Woodcock, Senior
Lecturer in English, University of Hull. William Blake was an
engraver, painter and visionary mystic as well as one of the most
revolutionary of the Romantic poets. His writing attracted the
astonished admiration of authors as diverse as Wordsworth, Ruskin,
W.B.Yeats, and more recently beat poet Allen Ginsberg and the
'flower power' generation. He is one of England's most original
artists whose works aim to liberate imaginative energies and
subvert 'the mind-forged manacles' of restriction. This volume
contains many of his writings, including: 'Songs of Innocence',
'Songs of Experience', 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell', and a
generous selection from the Prophetic Books including 'Milton' and
'Jerusalem'.
With an Introduction, Bibliography and Glossary by Dr Paul Wright,
Trinity College, Carmarthen. 'I mean to show things really as they
are, not as they ought to be'. wrote Byron (1788-1824) in his comic
masterpiece Don Juan, which follows the adventures of the hero
across the Europe and near East which Byron knew so well, touching
on the major political, cultural and social concerns of the day.
This selection includes all of that poem, and selections from
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, and the satirical poems 'English Bards
and Scotch Reviewers' and 'A Vision of Judgement'. Paul Wright's
detailed introductions place Byron's colourful life and work within
their broader social and political contexts, and demonstrate that
Byron both fostered and critiqued the notorious 'Byronic myth' of
heroic adventure, political action and sexual scandal.
Prison Nation charts the injustices of prison privatization, race and the justice system, the quixotic drug war and the rarely discussed prison AIDS crisis. With fascinating narratives, shocking tales and small stories of hope, this collection paints a picture of a world many Americans know little or nothing about.
A new history of the large, fast, and long-ranged armored cruisers
of the US Navy, and the roles that these warships played in the
fleet as America developed into a great naval power. At the dawn of
the "Steel Navy" era, the rapidly expanding US Navy's fleet of
capital ships consisted not only of battleships but also armored
cruisers, the forerunner of the battlecruiser. Armored cruisers
sacrificed the battleship's superlative firepower and protection
for superior speed and range but, as this study shows, their role
was not always easy to define. Controversial because they were as
large and expensive as battleships but not able to withstand a
battleship in battle, contemporary strategists pointed out that,
"naval wars are not won by running away from stronger ships."
Despite being produced at great expense, tactically they never
really had a legitimate mission-traditional deployments were
commerce raiding and protection, but despite this, author Brian
Lane Herder illustrates how successful the use of armored cruisers
was for the US Navy. After 1906, some replaced US battleships in
the Pacific, functioning as oversized gunboats, most notably, the
modified armored cruiser Pennsylvania which witnessed the first
landing of an airplane on a ship. On November 5, 1915, North
Carolina became the first cruiser to launch an aircraft from a
catapult while underway. After the war, surviving US armored
cruisers represented the US Navy on their Asiatic station until the
final cruiser was scuttled in 1946. Using detailed, color artwork
and photos, this fascinating book describes the development and
deployment of these controversial but intriguing ships, providing
examples of the key service they played in the US Navy in a variety
of defensive and escorting roles.
Follows the astonishing trail from prison administrators to
politicians working in collusion to maximise profits from the
prison system. From investment banks, taser gun manufacturers,
telephone companies, health care providers and the US military,
this network of perversely motivated interests has turned
imprisonment into a lucrative business. An essential read for those
interested in the criminal justice system, this incisive and deftly
researched volume shows how billions of dollars of public money
line the pockets of private enterprises.
Packed with illustrations, this is a study of the Polish warships
such as the Grom-class destroyers that were developed and built in
the interwar years. Newly independent Poland's naval force was
created in 1920, initially with six ex-German torpedo boats.
However, after German-Soviet exercises off the Polish coast in
1924, funding for warships was hastily allocated. Two destroyers
and three submarines were built in France but, disappointed with
their quality, Poland ordered new ships, mostly from British and
Dutch shipyards. By summer 1939, the Polish Navy comprised four
destroyers, five submarines, one minelayer, six minesweepers and a
handful of lesser ships. Although the Grom-class destroyers were
two of the fastest and best-armed destroyers of the war, the tiny
Polish fleet would stand little chance against the Kriegsmarine,
and on 30 August three destroyers were dispatched to Britain,
followed by two submarines that escaped internment. The remaining
Polish surface fleet was sunk by 3 September. In exile, the Polish
Navy operated not only their own ships, but also Royal Navy
warships, including a cruiser, destroyers, submarines and motor
torpedo boats which fought alongside the Allies in the Battle of
the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys, and at the Normandy landings.
This detailed account not only describes the Polish Navy's
contribution to the Allied war effort but also the episode of the
Polish destroyer Piorun which took on the Bismarck in a lone gun
duel leading to the sinking of the great German battleship.
Written by US Navy expert Mark Stille, this book offers a unique
insight into the Standard-type classes of US battleships. It
provides a detailed investigation into the histories of each of the
warships in the Standard-type battleship classes, the first three
of which, the Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, formed the US
Navy's main force in the inter-war period. The Standard-types
reflected a new design philosophy: by designing each class to meet
common standards of maneuvrability and handling, vessels of
different classes could operate as a single tactical unit without
being limited by the performance of the slowest and least
maneuvrable ship. At the time of their construction, these ships
incorporated the latest design features such as triple gun turrets.
Although they were rendered increasingly obsolete by evolving naval
doctrines and the ascendance of the fast battleship, they served
with distinction throughout World War II. This study combines
analysis of design features and an absorbing narrative of
operational histories to offer a comprehensive picture of the
Standard-type battleships, from the brutal destruction of the USS
Arizona to the triumphant occupation of Japan.
An illustration-packed new account of the powerful Royal Navy fleet
that fought alongside the US Navy throughout the last year of the
Pacific War. The British Pacific Fleet was the Royal Navy's primary
contribution to the direct defeat of Japan in 1945, and is among
the most powerful fleets Britain has ever sent into action. With
naval supremacy in home waters achieved by 1944, many of the best
and most modern ships in the Royal Navy could be sent to the
Pacific, including battleships, submarines, light forces,
replenishment groups, and shore establishment. However, the main
striking force was the fast carrier force. Illustrated throughout
with dramatic new artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos,
this book explains how the Royal Navy joined the Pacific carrier
war, and how the fleet adopted the US Navy's ruthlessly effective
fast carrier doctrine. With ships optimized for short-range
operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the BPF had to
rapidly adapt to the long-range, high-tempo warfare of the Pacific,
and the story is often one of inspired improvisation. The BPF
shared the US Navy's terrifying experience of kamikaze strikes, and
famously its armoured carriers proved tougher than the US
counterparts. With discussion of the ships, their technology, how
the fleet was organized and commanded, and how it fought the
campaign, this book is a fascinating exploration of the Royal
Navy's part in the victory over Japan.
This detailed study of the naval Spanish Civil War describes how
the Spanish Navy, torn in two and comprising a Republican and
Nationalist part, fought a civil war at sea involving both Hitler's
and Mussolini's navies. In July 1936, a pro-fascist coup
orchestrated by General Franco tore Spain apart and plunged the
country into a bitter civil war. Like Spain itself, the Spanish
Navy was torn in two: crews and most ships remained loyal to the
Republican government but many of the Navy's officers joined
Franco's rebels, and warships under repair or 'mothballed' in
southern ports soon fell to the rebel advance. These formed the
basis of Franco's 'Nationalist fleet,' and with both Italian and
German help, the rebels were able to contest the Republic's control
of Spanish waters. Overall the Republican Navy held its own,
despite mounting losses, until the collapse of the Republican Army
led to the fleet seeking internment in French North Africa. Packed
with contemporary photographs and full colour illustrations, this
study examines the composition and organization of the two rival
fleets, the capabilities of their ships and submarines, and the
performance of their crews. It also covers the warships of the
Basque Auxiliary Navy - an offshoot of the Republican Fleet - and
other navies who played a part in the conflict, most notably the
Italian Regia Marina.
A fully illustrated study of the Soviet Navy's biggest and most
powerful surface combatants of the Cold War. Heavily armed and
formidable, guided missile cruisers formed the core of the Soviet
Navy during the Cold War. From the last class of conventional
Sverdlov-class cruisers through to increasingly complex and
formidable missile cruisers, these ships ensured that NATO took the
Soviet naval threat seriously. Soviet Cold War Guided Missile
Cruisers covers all classes of these impressive warships, from the
early Sverdlov through the Kynda, Kresta, Kara and Slava to the
enormous Kirov classes. Together, these vessels marked the apogee
of Soviet naval technology and capability and they remain today the
largest non-aircraft carrier warships built since 1945. Containing
material previously only available in Russian and fully researched
from specialist defence journals, this comprehensive volume
examines the design, development, and intended role of these
impressive, hi-tech warships, and recounts their dramatic
operational history as NATO and Soviet warships faced off against
each other during the long Cold War at sea.
This fully illustrated study details Germany and Italy's failed
development of World War II aircraft carriers, and the naval
aviation ships that the two Axis powers sent into action in their
place. The quest for a modern aircraft carrier was the ultimate
symbol of the Axis powers' challenge to Allied naval might, but
fully-fledged carriers proved either too difficult, expensive or
politically unpopular for either to make operational. After the
Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935, Hitler publicly stated his
intention to build an aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, which
was launched in 1938. A year later, the ambitious fleet-expansion
Z-Plan, was unveiled with two additional aircraft carriers
earmarked for production . However, by the beginning of World War
II, Graf Zeppelin was not yet completed and work was halted.
Further aircraft carrier designs and conversion projects such as
the ocean liner Europa and heavy cruiser Seydlitz were considered
but, in January 1943, all construction work on surface vessels
ceased and naval resources were diverted to the U-boat Campaign.
This book explains not only the history of Germany's famous Graf
Zeppelin fleet carrier and German carrier conversion projects but
also Italy's belated attempt to convert two of her ocean liners
into carriers. It considers the role of naval aviation in the two
countries' rearmament programmes and describes how ultimately it
was only Italian seaplane carriers and German ocean-going,
catapult-equipped flying boat carriers that both Axis powers did
eventually send into combat.
This book examines the major warships of the Imperial Russian Navy
which participated in the Russo-Japanese War. The focus is on the
battleships, coastal defence warships, and cruisers of the Pacific
Squadron and Baltic Squadron that fought during the war. It
discusses in detail their design and development between the years
of 1885 and 1905, concentrating particularly on battleships and
cruisers. The book explores, in depth, the mutually influential
relationship between Russian and foreign warship design, as Russia
progressed from a reliance on foreign designs and shipyards towards
an ability to produce its own influential ships, such as the Novik.
The title also outlines the gripping operational history of the
Russian warships which participated in the Russo-Japanese war,
tracing their activity before and during the combat, as well as the
post-war fate of those ships which were bombarded, scuttled,
captured, or salvaged. Packed with contemporary photography and
full-colour illustrations, this title offers a detailed and
definitive guide to the design, development, and destiny of the
Russian warships which battled the Japanese in the Eastern seas.
Though they were never the most glamorous of warships, found US
Navy frigates were frequently found on the frontlines of the Cold
War at sea. These warships were the descendants of World War II's
destroyer escorts, designed primarily to escort convoys. They
specialized in anti-submarine warfare, but were intended to be
numerous, tough, versatile, and well-armed enough to show US naval
power around the world, performing roles that varied from
intercepting drug-smugglers to defending aircraft carriers. When
the Cold War turned hot, frigates were often there. It was a US
Navy frigate, Harold E. Holt, that conducted the US Navy's first
hostile boarding action since 1826 during the SS Mayaguez incident.
Frigates were at the forefront of operations in the Persian Gulf
during the Tanker War, with the frigate USS Stark suffering a
notorious Exocet attack by Iraqi warplanes, and proving the Oliver
Hazard Perry-class's legendary toughness. This book explains how
the technology and design of frigates changed during the Cold War,
how the classes were modified to keep up to date, and explores the
many varied missions they performed during the Cold War and since.
With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy was at the
forefront of her defence with her fleet of battleships as her main
striking force. However, ten battleships of this fleet were already
over 20 years old, venerable veterans of the first world conflict.
As such, in the 1930s two new classes were commissioned - modern
battleships which were designed to replace the ageing battle fleet
although only one would see active service. Together with the older
battleships, which were increasingly modified in the decade
preceding the war and during the conflict itself, these vessels
held their own against their German and Italian counterparts.
This title offers a comprehensive review of the seven battleships
of the Nelson and King George V classes from their initial
commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service.
Detailed descriptions of the main armament of each ship will offer
further analysis of individual battleship's effectiveness,
discussing how the guns were manned when engaging with the enemy.
Moreover, with specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic
re-telling of key battleship battles, this book will highlight what
it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the
high seas. Describing HMS Rodney battling against the Bismarck, the
might of the Kriegsmarine, the author details how the British
battleship closed in on her German adversary at such close range
that the spotters could follow the shells onto the target, arguing
that although the aircraft carrier would eventually dominate later
naval conflicts, it was the battleship that performed an invaluable
service throughout countless engagements.
The last predreadnought battleships of the US Navy were critical to
the technological development of US battleships, and they were the
first tool of international hard power wielded by the United
States, a nation which would eventually become the world's dominant
political and military power of the 20th century. These battleships
were the stars of the 1907-09 Great White Fleet circumnavigation,
in which the emerging power and reach of the US Navy was displayed
around the world. They also took part in the bombardment and
landings at Veracruz, some served as convoy escorts in World War I,
and the last two were transferred to the Hellenic Navy and were
sunk during World War II. This book examines the design, history,
and technical qualities of the final six classes of US
predreadnought battleships, all of which were involved in the
circumnavigation of the Great White Fleet. These classes
progressively closed the quality gap with European navies - the
Connecticuts were the finest predreadnought battleships ever built
- and this book also compares and contrasts US predreadnought
battleships to their foreign contemporaries. Packed with
illustrations and specially commissioned artwork, this is an
essential guide to the development of US Navy Battleships at the
turn of the twentieth century.
During World War II, the United States built 72 light cruisers of
various classes. In response to the severe air threat that surface
ships faced, new cruisers were designed with increasingly heavy
antiaircraft weaponry as well as the traditional 6in guns. With the
speed and range to keep up with aircraft carriers, and their
considerable antiaircraft capability, they were a mainstay of the
carrier escorts. This book examines every US light cruiser
produced, including those of the Fargo and Worcester classes, which
were actually complete after World War II had ended, tracing their
design, development and evolution throughout the war and beyond.
A beautifully illustrated history of the iconic ocean-going
gunboats of British 'gunboat diplomacy', the hundreds of little
warships that for 50 years demonstrated the power of the Royal Navy
worldwide, and which maintained and enforced the rule of the
British Empire at its peak. In recent years the phrase 'gunboat
diplomacy' has been used to describe the crude use of naval power
to bully or coerce a weaker nation. During the reign of Queen
Victoria, 'gunboat diplomacy' was viewed very differently. It was
the use of a very limited naval force to encourage global stability
and to protect British overseas trade. This very subtle use of
naval power was a vital cornerstone of the Pax Britannica. Between
the Crimean War (1854-56) and 1904, when the gunboat era came to an
abrupt end, the Royal Navy's ocean-going gunboats underpinned
Britain's position as a global power and fulfilled the country's
role as a 'global policeman'. Created during the Crimean War, these
gunboats first saw action in China. However, they were also used to
hunt down pirates in the coasts and rivers of Borneo and Malaya, to
quell insurrections and revolts in the Caribbean or hunt slavers
off the African coast. The first gunboats were designed for service
in the Crimean War, but during the 1860s a new generation of ships
began entering service - vessels designed specifically to fulfill
this global policing role. Better-designed gunboats followed, but
by the 1880s, the need for them was waning . The axe finally fell
in 1904 when Admiral 'Jackie' Fisher brought the gunboat era to an
end in order to help fund the new age of the dreadnought. This
exciting New Vanguard title describes the rise and fall of the
gunboat, the appearance and capability of these vital warships, and
what life was like on board. It also examines key actions they were
involved in.
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