NAVAL BOOKS

(Updated October 12, 2007)

 

 

AFRIDI TO NIZAM British Fleet Destroyers 1937-43 by John English

These 67 vessels represented a new era in British destroyer development.  The TRIBALS, of conventional transverse construction, were developed in response to the large and heavily armed destroyers then being constructed by potential adversaries such  as Japan, Germany and Italy.  The destroyers were able to survive severe damage but nonetheless, three quarters of those in RN service were to be lost.  SC, 152pp, illus., pub.  2001, World Ship Society, mint.  Price:  $45.00

 

AFTER THE MUD Stories of the U.S. Navy and World War II by Bill Shrout

The author tells of memories of boot camp and then into harm’s way in the Pacific with the crew of the small amphibious support ship, LCS.  SC, 280pp, illus., pub. 2000, signed by author, Honeybil, very good.  Price:  $25.00

 

AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL NAVY SINCE 1945 By Lt. Cdr. David Hobbs, RN

This book traces the trauma of Fleet Air Arm history which culminated in the brilliant success of the Falklands Campaign.  SC, 104pp, illus., Maritime, mint.  Price: $10.00

 

ALL MEN BACK - ALL ONE BIG MISTAKE By W. A. (Bill) Bee

This is a true and factual account of the author's own experiences describing the circumstances of the sinking of the H.M.A.S. Perth and the resultant treatment meted out to survivors and other prisoners-of-war held in captivity by the Imperial Japanese Army.  This is a chronicle of events in anecdotal form based largely on his memory and jottings retained since the war.  SC, 143pp, illus., pub. 1998, Hesperian Press, mint, includes a map of Prisoner of War and Internee Camps in the Far East.  Price: $25.00

 

ALL MINE! Memoirs of a Naval Bomb and Mine Disposal Officer by Lt. Noel Cashford, M.B.E., RNVR

This is a touching and humorous account of his dangerous job where, in the early days of the war, you could be lucky to last more than just a few months. During his six years he made safe over 200 devices, 57 in a mere three days.  SC, 136pp, illus., pub. 2002, ALD Design, mint.  Price: $25.00

 

ALL THE DROWNED SAILORS By Raymond B. Lech

The story of the USS Indianapolis and the Court-Martial of Captain Charles B. McVay, III, U.S.N.  HC, 309pp, illus., pub. 1984, Severn House, very good, no dust jacket.  Price:  $25.00

 

ALONE ON A WIDE, WIDE SEA The Story of 835 Naval Air Squadron in WWII By E. E. Barringer

This is the history of 835 Naval Air Squadron told by one of its surviving commanding officers.  HC, illus., 256pp, pub. 1995, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

ARCTIC SNOW TO DUST OF NORMANDY The War Memoirs of the Real James Bond by Patrick Dalzel-Job

In 1940 Patrick Dalzel-Job, using his special knowledge of North Norway’s coast line, landed and moved over 10,000 Allied soldiers in local boats without the loss of a single life.  Acting against specific orders, he evacuated civilians from Narvik just before it was bombed – only the King of Norway’s intervention halted his court martial.  HC, 224pp, illus., pub. 2002, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $37.00

 

ARK ROYAL - A Flagship for the 21st Century

This book was written to mark the rededication of the ship after her extensive refit.  It includes a CD-Rom on the Ark Royal.  SC, 93pp, illus., some in colour, pub. by HMS Ark Royal, mint.  Price:  $25.00

 

ARK ROYAL The Name Lives On By David Hobbs and David Smith

A pictorial history of the Ark Royal.  SC, 96pp, illus., pub. 1986, Maritime, mint. Price: $15.00

 

ARMADA! The Planning, The Battle and After By Robert Milne-Tyte

This book records in detail the Armada's battles, and the fearful aftermath of the enterprise.  SC, 160pp, pub. 1988, Robert Hale, very good condition.  Price: $16.00

 

ARTICLES OF WAR By Dr. Nam Rodger

The statutes which governed our fighting navies 1661, 1749 and 1886.  HC, 61pp, pub. 1982, Kenneth Mason, mint.  Price: $20.00

 

ATTACK & SINK By Bernard Edwards

Captain Bernard Edwards has written another superb story of courage and endurance and has dedicated this book to all those who fought and died in the battle for convoy SC42.  First hand accounts of the participants on both sides adds to the interest and drama.  SC, 199pp, illus., pub. 1995, New Guild, mint.  Price:  $20.00

 

AUSTRALIA'S FIRST NAVAL FIGHT-November 1914

A small booklet of 16 pages which lists a roll of honour of those killed or wounded.  SC, illus., pub. 1978, Military Historical Society of Australia, very good.  Price: $6.00

 

BAND OF BROTHERS Boy Seamen in the Royal Navy 1800-1956 By David Phillipson

The author describes in detail such aspects of service life as recruitment, feeding and clothing, training, discipline and punishment, and daily life ashore and afloat in peace and war.  The author concludes his history with a personal account of his own life at HMS Ganges as a boy entrant after the 2nd World War.  HC, 150pp, illus., pub. 1996, Alan Sutton, mint.  Price: $30.00

 

BATTLE BENEATH THE WAVES The U-Boat War by Robert C. Stern

The full history of U-boat development, including strategy, tactics and armaments - Pursuit and dispatch of unarmed merchantmen: the daily horrors of war - Life and death aboard : the hunters hunted - Extraordinary stories of escape and survival against impossible odds - Fully documented from German sources.  HC, 224pp, illus., pub. 1999, Arms and Armour, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

SC, 224pp, pub. 2002, Cassell, mint.  Price: $10.00

 

BATTLES LOST & WON Great Campaigns of World War II by Hanson W. Baldwin

In addition to the Polish campaign and Okinawa, Mr. Baldwin re-creates the Battle of Britain; the airborne invasion of Crete; the American defense of Corregidor; the Battle of Stalingrad; the struggle for Sicily; the hell of Tarawa; the greatest seaborne invasion of all time – D-Day at Normandy; the last massive sea battle – Leyte Gulf; and the final, desperate Battle of the Bulge.  HC, 532pp, illus. with maps, pub. 2000, Robson, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $30.00

 

BATTLESHIP COUNTRY The Battle Fleet at San Pedro, Long Beach, CA, 1919-1940 by Harvey M. Beigel

A pictorial look at the battleships of the Pacific Fleet.  SC, 72pp, illus., pub. 1987, Pictorial Histories, very good.  Price: $10.00

 

BATTLESHIP SAILORS The Fighting Career of HMS Warspite recalled by her Men by Harry Plevy

This is a vivid inside story of an action-packed career, told in the words of those who served aboard Warspite, civilians who refitted the ship and entertained her crew, and even the enemies who fought against her.  She played a pivotal role in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and in the Second World War she fought a Narvik against the Germans, against the Italians in the Mediterranean, and against the Japanese in the Indian Ocean.  HC, 204pp, illus., pub. 2001, Chatham, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

BEACHHEAD ASSAULT The Story of the Royal Naval Commanders in World War II by David Lee

The Royal Naval Commandos were the first onto the invasion beaches and they were the last to leave.  Formed in 1941, many lost their lives during Operation Jubilee at Dieppe in 1942.  This book covers their beginnings early in the war and their training.  The personal accounts of the Commandos tell the story of a remarkable but little-known group of men ensuring that their legacy will not be forgotten.  HC, 272pp, illus., pub. 2004, Greenhill, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $35.00

 

THE BEACHHEAD COMMANDOS by A. Cecil Hampshire

Royal Navy Commandos took part in combined operations in Madagascar, at Dieppe, in North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, northern Italy and the Adriatic, and finally in Normady itself and beyond up to the time of the collapse of the Third Reich.  This is their untold story.  HC, 208pp, illus., pub. 1983, William Kimber, very good in dust jacket.  Price:  $36.00

 

BEYOND ENDURANCE An Epic of Whitehall and the South Atlantic Conflict By Nick Barker

This is Nick Barker's vivid account of his fight to save his ship, of life in the South Atlantic and of the part that Endurance played in the Falklands.  HC, 254pp, illus., pub. 1997, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

BLACK WATER A Life in the Special Boat Service by Don Camsell

A true life story of one man's life in the SBS.  Don Camsell served in the SBS for 20 years and rose to become operational commander on hundreds of missions, both overt and covert.  The SBS role demanded that Don fought in just about every known theatre of war and in others that, until now, no one has written about or discussed.  HC, 204pp, illus., pub. 2000, Virgin, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

BLESS OUR SHIP Mountbatten and the Kelly By Richard Hough

The saga of the Kelly, a destroyer which grew into a legend even before the war was over when she was commemorated by Noel Coward in his wartime film "In Which We Serve".  HC, 194pp, illus., pub. 1991, Hodder and Stoughton, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

BLOOD IN THE SEA HMS Dunedin and the Enigma Code by Stuart Gill

The cruiser Dunedin sailed for the South Atlantic.  She fell victim to the a lone U-boat far away from the shipping lanes.  An old warship dating from the First World war, she was torn open by the two torpedoes and sank in a matter of minutes.  Only half the crew managed to escape and over 200 sailors were trapped below decks as she went down.  These were shark infested waters and there had not been time to report their position.  No-one knew she was lost.  No-one was coming to the rescue.  This is a gripping account of one of Britain’s greatest naval tragedies and is drawn from the author’s father’s experience and interviews with other survivors.  HC, 239pp, illus., pub. 2003, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $32.00

 

BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH MERCHANT SHIP LOSSES To Axis Submarines 1939-1945 by Alan J. Tennent

In this unique and comprehensive reference volume, the author has consulted a variety of primary sources to provide full details for each of the ships (more than 1,400 ships were sunk) - including the sinking of the vessel, the U-boat and commander responsible, and survivors, if any.  Operation "Deadlight", the disposal of submarines by the Royal Navy at the end of the war is also covered.  HC, 326pp, illus., pub. 2001, Sutton, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $40.00

 

BRITISH WARSHIPS AND AUXILIARIES By Mike Critchley

SC, 112pp, illus., Maritime, mint.  Price: $12.00 each - We have the following years:

1983/84

1984/85

1985/86

1986/87

1987/88

1989/90

1990/91

1991/92

1999/00 

2000/01 ($14.00)

2002/03 ($20.00) - 96pp

2003/04 ($20.00) – 96pp

2004/05 ($22.00) – 112pp

                                               

BRITISH WARSHIPS SINCE 1945 Part 1 - Major Ships By Mike Critchley

A pictorial look at the major ships of the Royal Navy.  SC, 103pp, illus., pub. c. 1986, Maritime, mint.  Price: $10.00

 

BRITISH WARSHIPS SINCE 1945 Part 5 - Frigates by Mike Critchley

SC, illus., 144pp, Maritime, mint.  Price: $10.00

 

BUCKLER'S HARD  A Rural Shipbuilding Centre By A. J. Holland

A detailed story of the Adams family who created the shipyard that built sailing vessels and warships that survived the battle of Trafalgar.  HC, 233pp, illus., pub. 1985, Kenneth Mason, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $25.00

 

BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS: The U-Boat Wars 1916-1945 By John Terraine

Business in Great Waters is the first book to describe in detail and to analyze in depth the entire history of submarine warfare in both world wars. HC, illus., 841pp, pub. 1989, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

BY SEA BY LAND The Authorised History of Royal Marines Commandos by James D. Ladd

This book is a comprehensive account of the Corps' actions since the First World War.  It reveals the changing nature of warfare between 1919 and the present day and the way in which the Marines' involvement in sea serve and naval gunnery between the wars was replaced by amphibious and commando operations.  Today's Marines are trained to fight in mountains, jungle or Arctic terrain and to operate as part of NATO against terrorism.  HC, 606pp, illus., includes uniforms and badges, unit history summaries, etc., pub. 1998, Harper Collins, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $35.00

 

CANBERRA-THE GREAT WHITE WHALE

This facsimile reprint includes gatefold plans and details of the ship's design, construction, décor and equipment, with an epilogue detailing the ship's service from maiden voyage to her use as a troop ship in the Falklands War of 1982.  HC, 122pp, illus., fold out map of ship, pub. 1983, Patrick Stephens, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

THE CAPTAIN CLASS FRIGATES In the Second World War by Donald Collingwood

The Captain Class Frigates, 78 sturdy, modern destroyer escorts began to come into commission in January 1943 to fill a desperate long felt need.  This is their story, told by a man who served with them from their first arrival to their return to the States in 1946.  It is a story of vigilance, determination and dogged fortitude combined with high skill and unfailing courage.  HC, 208pp, illus., pub. 1998, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $40.00

 

CARRIER COMBAT By David Wragg

Aircraft carriers were used in many of the crucial naval engagements of the Second World War, ranging from the Royal Navy’s hunt for the Bismarck and the protection of Convoy PQ18 in the Arctic, to the US Navy’s victories against the Japanese in the Coral Sea and at Midway.  Combining the author’s own narrative with vivid first-hand accounts by those who served aboard the ships, this book is the dramatic story of the aircraft carrier at war.  It is fully illustrated with archive photographs in colour and black and white.  HC, 291pp, 8” x 10 ½”, illus., pub. 1997, Sutton, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

CARRIER WARS Naval Aviation from World War II to the Persian Gulf War by Edwin P. Hoyt

How carrier warfare has evolved in recent decades, contributing to engagements in Korea, Indochina, the Falklands and the Middle East.  HC, 274pp, illus., pub. 1990, Robert Hale, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

CHANNEL SWEEP Compiled by Lt. Cdr. B. Warlow, RN

Photographs from the 1950s and 1960s Skyfotos collection of RN ships in the English Channel.  SC, 143pp, illus., pub. c.1990, Maritime, mint.  Price: $15.00

 

CHATHAM BUILT WARSHIPS SINCE 1860 By Philip MacDougall

SC, 112pp, illus., Maritime, mint.  Price: $9.00

 

COASTAL FORCES Vol. Ten by Barry Clarke, Jurgen Fielitz and Malcolm Touchin

An authoritative study, and part of Brassey's prestigious Sea Power series, this book explains the nature of contemporary offshore operations in both war and peacetime.  This book offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary maritime developments.  SC, 162pp, illus., pub. 1994, Brassey's, mint.  Price: $20.00

 

COCKLESHELL HEROES By C. E. Lucas Phillips

The authentic account of a legendary war-time exploit.  SC, (paperback), 256pp, illus., pub. 1970, Pan Books, good.  Price: $10.00

 

COMMANDO-The Illustrated History of Britain’s Green Berets By David Reynolds

Foreword by Countess Mountbatten of Burma – This book tells the story of the development of the Commandos from the courage and tragedy of Dieppe in 1942 to the biggest amphibious landings in history at Normandy on 6 June 1944 as well as the post-war conflicts in Palestine, Suez, Malaya, Cyprus, Borneo, the Falklands, Northern Iraq and Ulster.  Since 1942 the commando units have been engaged on active operations across the globe every year except 1968.  HC, 269pp, illus., 7 ¾” x 10 ½”, pub. 2001, Sutton, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $36.00

 

COMMANDO DESPATCH RIDER From D-Day to Deutschland 1944-45 by Raymond Mitchell

This book is both an accurate and atmospheric record of one man’s war seen from an unusual perspective.  The reader travels ‘pillion’ from the assault on the Normandy beaches through to occupation duties in the chaos of defeated Germany.  HC, 234pp, illus., pub. 2001, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $37.00

 

COMMANDO SUBALTERN AT WAR Royal Marine Operations in Yugoslavia and Italy, 1944-45 By W. G. Jenkins, DSO

The author tells the gripping story of what World War II commando fighting was really like, by one who was there.  William Jenkins joined the 43 Royal Marine Commandos when they were carrying out raids against the German and Italian garrisons on the other Dalmatian Islands.  HC, 184pp, illus., pub. 1996, Greenhill, mint in dust jacket.  Price $35.00

 

COURSE FOR DISASTER From Scapa Flow to the River Kwai By Richard Pool

The author's story as a Naval Officer in the North Atlantic, Dunkirk and the Malayan campaign and more.  Captured by the Japanese, he worked on the Burma railway.  HC, 196pp, illus., pub. 1987, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $10.00

 

CRASH DIVE In Action with HMS Safari 1942-43 By Arthur P. Dickison

The full range of the submariner’s experience – and of human emotion – is here in this vivid eyewitness account.  The author was the Safari’s leading telegraphist and kept a personal diary (strictly against the rules) of life aboard Safari.  HC, 212pp, illus., pub. 1999, Sutton, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $30.00

 

CRUISERS IN CAMERA By Roger Hayward

The author has brought together a fascinating and varied selection of photographs from archives around the world to review the development of British and Commonwealth cruisers.  Particular emphasis has been placed on those classes which served in the two world wars.  Illustrated with more than 200 photographs supported by detailed and fully researched captions.  HC, 180pp, illus., pub. 2000, Sutton, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $36.00

 

D-DAY SHIPS The Allied Invasion Fleet June 1944 by Yves Buffetaut

This is a superb appraisal of the Normandy landings of June 1944, history’s largest amphibious undertaking, and a unique account of the naval contribution to the Allied effort as well as a detailed analysis of all the ships involved.  With its detailed listings of ships, its clear narrative, and extensive maps, photographs and line drawings, it is the best available account of the landings for the naval historian and enthusiast.  HC, 11” x 8 ½”, 162pp, illus., pub. 2004, Conway, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $50.00

 

DARK SEAS ABOVE HM Submarine Taurus (Fortunes of War) by John Frederick Gibson

This is the story of the war at sea as seen by a young submarine officer.  The author draws a vivid picture of the 'daily round and commons tasks' of life in submarines, illuminated from time to time by the highlights of quick and decisive action, attack and counter-attack.  SC, 160pp, illus., pub. 2000, Tempus, mint but right hand corner knocked a bit.  Price: $13.00

 

DEATH OF A PHANTOM RAIDER The Gamble That Triumphed and Failed, Atlantic, 1942-43 By Charles Gibson

A riveting story of naval warfare and a bluff that went wrong with macabre consequences about the British trampship, Doggerbank.  HC, 240pp, illus., pub. 1987, Robert Hale, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

DEFEAT OF THE WOLF PACKS By Geoffrey Jones

This book deals with the loss of 35 U-boats during the winter of 1943/44.  HC, illus., 223pp, pub. 1986, William Kimber, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

DESTROYERS By Antony Preston

In this book the noted Naval historian, Antony Preston, relates the highlights of the destroyer's fighting career.  HC, 64pp, illus., pub. 1982, Bison, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $20.00

 

DESTROYERS, FRIGATES AND CORVETTES By Robert Jackson

300 of the world's greatest destroyers and escorts, each one illustrated by a full-colour network - full displacement, performance and dimensions provided for each vessel, all measurements in imperial and metric - each ship's development history and career described in full.  HC, 5" x 7", 320pp, illus., pub. 2001, Grange, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $20.00

 

DEVONPORT BUILT WARSHIPS SINCE 1860 By Lt. Cdr. K. V. Burns, DSM, RN

A pictorial view of all the warships built by the Royal Dockyard Plymouth.  SC, 112pp, illus., Maritime, very good.  Price: $8.00

 

THE DEVONPORT DOCKYARD STORY By Lt. Cdr. K. V. Burns, DSM, RN

The history of the Royal Dockyard from its inception to the present day.  SC, 128pp, illus., pub. 1984, Maritime, mint.  Price: $10.00

 

DIE DEUTSCHE KRIEGSMARINE 1935-1945 Band 3 By Siegfried Breyer and Gerhard Koop

Die U-Boot Waffe, Kleinkampfmittel, Marine-Infanterie-Divisionen Seeflieger, etc.  HC, 188pp, illus., pub. 1987, Podzun-Pallas, German language book, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $38.00

 

DISASTER AT SEA By John Marriott

In this fascinating volume, the author relates a selection of peacetime tragedies, including the capsizing of the British battleship Captain.  HC, 176pp, illus., pub. 1987, 1st Edition, Ian Allan, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

DON'T BUNCH UP One Marine's Story By William Van Zanten

The author's own story of his service in the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines in Vietnam in 1965.  HC, 208pp, pub. 1993, Archon Books, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $25.00

 

THE DRAMA OF THE SCHARNHORST A Factual Account from the German Viewpoint by Fritz-Otto Busch

This classic account, written by a German officer serving on the Scharnhorst, makes use of top secret details hidden from the public view during World War II.  SC, 186pp, illus., Robert Hale, mint.  Price: $20.00

 

DREADNOUGHTS IN CAMERA 1905-1920 by Roger D. Thomas and Brian Patterson

A selection of more than 130 rare and carefully research illustrations have been drawn from the archives Beardmore, John Brown and Vickers, and support the authoritative text.  They depict the various stages of Dreadnought construction and are complemented by images of the gun and turbine shops and rolling mills of the major armament manufacturers employed.  HC, 180pp, illus., pub. 2000, Budding, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

E-BOAT ALERT Defending the Normandy Invasion Fleet by James Foster Tent

Combining the newly released top-secret Admiralty reports, rare photographic materials, and extensive interviews with eyewitnesses from three nations, James Tent has produced a comprehensive study of a little-known episode of World War II - the campaign to defend the Normandy invasion fleet from Germany's high-performance motor-torpedo boats or Schnellboote, known to the Allies as 'E-Boats'.  HC, 286pp, illus., pub. 1996, Airlife, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

EAGLE'S WAR The War Diary of an Aircraft Carrier By Peter C. Smith

This gripping and moving story of a famous aircraft carrier at war is seen through the eyes of its former crew members.  HC, 200pp, illus., pub. 1995, Crecy, very good in dust jacket.  Price: $45.00

 

EAST OF MALTA, WEST OF SUEZ

The Admiralty account of the Naval War in the Eastern Mediterranean: Sept. 1939 to March 1941.  SC, 64pp, illus., prepared for the Admiralty by the Ministry of Information, London, HMSO, pub. 1943, good, small tear on front cover.  Price: $26.00

 

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE FLEET AIR ARM SINCE 1945 By Paul Beaver

All the squadrons, carriers, aircraft and weapon systems, full specifications and performance data; command structure and organisation. HC, illus., 267pp, pub. 1987, Patrick Stephens, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $40.00

 

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE 20TH CENTURY CONFLICT - SEA WARFARE  by Paul Kemp

More than 150 illustrations complement the authoritative and comprehensive text.  A chronology of events enables the reader to chart the century in each theatre of war, and an alphabetical section provides instant explanation of all aspects of war at sea, including types of warships, terminology, significant ships, battles, tactics, weapons and much more.  The last section includes short biographies of the leading figures in the evolution of sea warfare.  HC, 320pp, illus., pub. 1998, Arms and Armour, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

ENDLESS STORY By Captain Taprell Dorling, D.S.O., RN

Being an account of the work of the destroyers, flotilla-leaders, torpedo boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War.  HC, 451pp, illus., pub. 1935, Houghton and Stoughton, poor condition, no dust jacket, first 3 pages loose, worn cover. (reading copy) Price:  $15.00

 

THE ESCORT CARRIER IN WORLD WAR II Combustible – Vulnerable – Expendable by David Wragg

To the U.S. Navy they were CVEs or carrier vessel escorts.  The Royal Navy called them auxiliary carriers to crews of endangered merchantmen in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.  They were heaven sent protection.  The author reveals the full story of these ships’ crucial role and contribution for the first time.  HC, 232pp, illus., 6 appendices, pub. 2005, Pen & Sword, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $40.00

 

FALKLANDS TASK FORCE PORTFOLIO

A pictorial record of the Falklands War.  SC, 112pp, illus., Maritime, mint.  Price: $22.00

 

FALKLANDS TASK FORCE PORTFOLIO Part 2

A pictorial record of the Falklands War.  SC, 120pp, illus., Maritime, mint.  Price: $22.00

 

FEW SURVIVED A History of Submarine Disasters By Edwyn Gray

This is the first comprehensive account of every peacetime submarine disaster from 1774 to the present day.  Packed with drama from beginning to end.  HC, 274pp, illus., pub. 1996, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $35.00

 

FIGHTING DESTROYER The Story of HMS Petard by G. G. Connell

In Petard's  first commission from 1942 to 1944, she sank three submarines, one German, one Italian, and one Japanese.  The author was gunnery control officer of the ship and describes her working up, her periods of relaxation, and the men who served aboard her.  HC, 271pp, illus., pub. 1994, Crecy, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $32.00

 

FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD Over 600 Carriers, Submarines & Destroyers by Robert Jackson and Steve Crawford

This book features over 600 warships, each illustrated with a full-colour artwork, contains detailed specifications for each vessel, with all measurements given in imperial and metric and examines such famous fighting ships such as the Bismarck, Enterprise, Yamato and many more.  Includes a detailed index for easy reference use.  HC, 608pp, illus., pub. 2004, Grange, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $36.00

 

FLAGS Observers by William G. Crampton

A pocket guide to the flags of all nations, international flags, and many more.  SC, 190pp, illus., pub. 1991, Frederick Warne, mint.  Price:  $10.00

 

FLASHING BLADES OVER THE SEA By Lt. Cdr. J. M. Milne RN

The development and history of helicopters in the Royal Navy.  SC, 104pp, illus., pub. c.1980, Maritime, mint.  Price: $7.00

 

THE FLEET AIR ARM IN FOCUS Part 1 By Cdr. D. A. Hobbs, RN

This book attempts to capture something of the spirit of the Fleet Air Arm through photographs.  SC, illus., pub. c.1990, Maritime, mint.  Price: $25.00

Part II: pub. c.1991.  Price: $28.00

 

FLIGHT FROM DAKAR By Eiliv Odde Hauge and Vera Hartman

The story of the Norwegian merchant ship M/S Lidvard at the outbreak of World War Two interned in the French African port of Dakar when France fell.  It is the story of the escape at the port and the arrival at the Royal Naval base of Freetown.  HC, 200pp, illus., pub. 1954, E. P. Dutton, good, faded spine, no dust jacket.  Price:  $10.00

 

FLUGZEUGTRAGER GRAF ZEPPELIN By Siegfried Breyer

German language book, SC, 48pp, illus., pub. 1988, Podzun-Pallas, mint.  Price: $17.00

 

FOR GOD'S SAKE SHOOT STRAIGHT The Story of Court Marshall and Execution of Sub. Lt. Edwin Dyett By Leonard Sellers

Sub Lt. Dyett of the Nelson Battalion, 63rd (Royal Navy) Division on Jan. 5, 1917 was executed for desertion in the face of the enemy.  As the author makes very clear, a totally unnecessary cloud of secrecy has for years enveloped all the documents relating to WWI courts martial.  HC, illus., 179pp, pub. 1995, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $27.00

 

FOR THOSE IN PERIL 50 Years of Royal Naval Search and Rescue By John Winton

This book is the definitive account of the Royal Navy's search and rescue; from the air-sea rescue launches of WWII to the highly trained and dedicated helicopter crews of today.  HC, illus., 317pp, pub. 1992, Robert Hale, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

 

FOR THOSE IN PERIL By Vic Cassells

This is a comprehensive listing of the ships and men of the Royal Australian Navy who have paid the supreme sacrifice in the wars of the twentieth century.  As well as being the first complete reference book of its kind, this book describes vividly the action in which ships of the RAN were involved, not only the ships that died, but also the ones that got away.  Full description of each ship, her casualties, battle honours, a photo of each ship, etc. SC, 269pp,illus., pub. 1995, Kangaroo, mint. Price:  $30.00

 

THE FORTH AT WAR By William F. Hendrie

During the First World War Rosyth was the headquarters of Admiral Beatty’s famous battlecruiser squadron and the Forth saw the greatest concentration of naval might ever seen when the German fleet steamed to surrender in 1918.  This book contains a large number of magnificent pictures – many never published before – which illustrate and amplify the Forth’s enormous significance over a century in the logistics and materiel of naval warfare.  It also includes photographs of the British battlefleet setting sail from Rosyth, of naval manoeuvres in the Forth estuary.  HC, 7 ¾” x 10 ½”, 192pp, 152 illus., pub. 2002, Birlinn, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $38.00

 

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BRAVE By Bruce F. Meyers

This book chronicles many force recon firsts: HALO jumps from jets; operational parachute jumps from navy carrier aircraft; lock out and underway recovery of recon patrols from navy fleet submarines; live pickup of downed personnel by Fulton Skyhook.  Meyer’s account makes it clear how the company earned the reputation it enjoys today.  HC, 211pp, illus., pub. 2000, Naval Institute Press, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $28.00

 

THE FOUR ARK ROYALS By Michael Apps

Michael Apps, formerly of the Fleet Air Arm, traces the history and development of the four Ark Royals, with an emphasis on the outstanding actions they have fought in.  HC, 256pp, illus., pub. 1976, Book Club, very good in dust jacket.  Price: $32.00

 

FRIEND OR FOE Friendly Fire at Sea 1939-1945 By Paul Kemp

The author has uncovered over a hundred incidents of engagements between ships, submarines and aircraft on the same side in World War Two.  HC, illus., 198pp, pub. 1995, Leo Cooper, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $32.00

 

FRIGATES OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY 1943-1974 By Ken Macpherson

This book presents Canada's frigates in an abridged form.  Its particular purpose is to reproduce more than one illustration of each ship.  HC, 108pp, illus., pub. 1989, Vanwell, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $25.00

 

THE FROGMEN By T. J. Waldron and James Gleeson

The story of the wartime underwater operators.  This book is a magnificent tribute to the almost fantastic courage and skill of officers and men of the Royal Navy and to our scientists.  HC, 191pp, illus., pub. 1952, Evans Bros., good, no dust jacket.  Price: $28.00

 

THE FROGMEN OF BURMA The Story of Sea Reconnaissance Unit by Bruce S. Wright

This is the history of the first frogman unit formed by the Allies in World War II, told by the Canadian Naval Officer who raised and commanded the Sea Reconnaissance Unit from its training period in California through its successful action in Burma.  HC, 168pp, illus., pub. 1970, William Kimber, very good in dust jacket.  Price:  $36.00

 

FROM ARCHANGEL TO NEW ZEALAND By Gregor McShane

A biographical social history of the family of Robert Henry Harding, RN, DSM, with particular regard to his time in the Royal Navy, 1919, at Archangel, North Russia, the least known war of the 20th century.  SC, 106pp, illus., pub. 1985, Rimu Pub., mint.  Price: $15.00

 

FROM THE BRIDGE-HMS INVINCIBLE By Leo Marriott

A short account of operations aboard HMS Invincible from the bridge, the control center of the ship.  SC, 80pp, illus., pub. 1990, Ian Allan, very good.  Price: $25.00

 

GEOFFREY BROOM’S WAR Letters and P.O.W. Diaries – Compiled by Barbara Broom

This moving autobiography covers a young man’s life from the time he joined the Navy at the age of twenty, to his release from a German prisoner of war camp at the end of the war.  The book is comprised of letters and diaries edited by Barbara Broom as a tribute to her husband.  HC, 238pp, pub. 1993, Pentland Press, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $30.00

 

GRAND FLEET DAYS

Chapters I to XIV of this book originally appeared in The Saturday Westminster under the title of "A Grand Fleet Chaplain's Note-Book", the "Wardroom Dialogues" in The Western Independent; the "Grand Fleet Interludes" in The Western Evening Herald; and the remainder in The Church Family Newspaper.  HC, 244pp, Hodder and Stoughton, good, no dust jacket, pages age marked.  Price:  $20.00

 

THE GRAND SCUTTLE The Sinking of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919 By Dan Van Der Vat

This remarkable story of scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow contains previously unused German archive material, eye-witness accounts and the recollections of survivors as well as photos which capture the awesome spectacle of the finest ships of the time being deliberately sunk by their own crew.  SC, 240pp, illus., pub. 2000, Birlinn, very good.  Price:  $20.00

 

GREAT BATTLES OF THE ROYAL NAVY As Commemorated in the Gunroom, Britannia Royal Navy College, Dartmouth - Editor In Chief Eric Grove

Naval historian, Eric Grove, has created a detailed summary of each battle.  Each chapter is illustrated with strategic and tactical battle maps, engravings and prints and some of the finest colour paintings available on the subject.  25 battles are selected, discussed and assessed by an international author team.  HC, 256pp, illus., pub. 1994, Arms and Armour, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $36.00

 

THE GREAT MUTINY By James Dugan

The story of the mutiny of the Royal Navy at the Nore and the blockade in 1797.  HC, 511pp, illus., pub. 1965, G. P. Putnam, NY, ex-library, good, no dust jacket.  Price: $10.00

 

GREY FUNNEL LINES Traditional Song and Verse of the Royal Navy 1900-1970 By Cyril Tawney

In this book we find songs reflecting every aspect of life in the 20th century Royal Navy, both upper and lower decks.  HC, 177pp, illus., pub. 1987, Routledge and Kegan Paul, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

GREY GLADIATOR H.M.A.S. Sydney with the British Mediterranean Fleet By George H. Johnston

The story of HMAS Sydney, one of Australia's fleet of five cruisers, and of the adventures with which she was associated, directly or indirectly, during seven months of war service with the British Mediterranean Fleet.  HC, 183pp, illus., pub. 1941, 1st Edition, Angus and Robertson, good, no dust jacket.  Price: $35.00

Also, HC, ex-library, good in worn and torn dust jacket.  Price: $32.00

 

THE GREY WIDOW-MAKER Twenty-Four Disasters at Sea By Bernard Edwards

This book spans two centuries of maritime history from the near disastrous race across the Atlantic between paddle steamers in 1838 to the Caribbean Breeze under Iranian attack in  1985.  HC, 192pp, illus., pub. 1990, Robert Hale, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

HANDS TO FLYING STATIONS A Recollective History of Canadian Naval Aviation - Volume One: 1945 to 1954; Volume Two: 1955 to 1969 By Stuart E. Soward

The first volume describes the early days of the Canadian Naval Air Branch and is the story as told by those who were there.  In the first ten years, 58 young men of all ranks died, serving in the cause of Canadian Naval Aviation.  Volume two continues the story.  HC, Vol 1: 340pp, illus., pub. 1993: Vol 2: 497pp, illus., pub. 1995, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $60.00 for the set

 

HEARTS OF OAK A Collection of Royal Naval Anecdotes - Edited by P. McLaren

Professionalism and humour are the keynotes of this book, which has been compiled for everyone with an interest in the sea.  SC, 128pp, pub. 1994, Fernhurst, mint.  Price:  $22.00

 

HEAVO HEAVO LASH UP AND STOW A Memoir of an East Ender’s War by Ken Kimberly

The author relates his experiences in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.  He joined the escort carrier HMS Arbiter in Vancouver. He served on that ship on numerous convoys across the North Atlantic, and subsequently with the powerful British Pacific Fleet in the final campaign against the Japanese.  The book is illustrated in full colour throughout by Ken’s own admirable paintings and sketches.  HC, 10 ½” x 8 ½”, 96pp, illus., pub. 1999, Silver Link, mint in dust jacket.  Price:  $28.00

 

THE HELICOPTER STORY OF THE FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN By John Hamilton

A compelling visual documentary of the crucial role played by British helicopters in the Falklands War from the brush of the historian-painter, John Hamilton.  HC, 96pp, pub. 1990, David and Charles, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $50.00

 

HIPPOCRATES RN Memoirs of a Naval Flying Doctor By Herbert Ellis

This is a fascinating personal and professional autobiography, written by a doctor who served with the best aviators in the world, the Fleet Air Arm pilots.  HC, 206pp, illus., pub. 1990, Robert Hale, mint in dust jacket.  Price: $30.00

 

HISTORY OF SHIPS By Bernard Ireland

This is a comprehensive history and reference work in one volume, chronicling the development of world shipping.  As well as describing advancements in shipping, the author has included a number of sea battles.  Beautifully illustrated with over 200 photographs and informat