In mid-September 1943, as the opening move of the Allied campaign to liberate the mainland of Italy, an Anglo-American invasion force landed on the beaches of the Gulf of Salerno, only a few dozen miles to the south of Naples. Italy had just surrendered, and the soldiers in the landing craft prayed [...]
Motor Gun Boats were the Spitfires of the Seas of the Royal Navy. Bristling with small-calibre guns and machine guns, they served in a variety of roles during the War. In the early war period they battled against German E-boats in the English Channel, then went on the offensive, searching the enemy [...]
Savor the story of the ultimate warship in Sovereigns of the Sea: The Quest to Build the Perfect Renaissance Battleship, which chronicles the history of Sovereign of the Seas, an immensely powerful floating fortress. You will enjoy this gripping tale of an arms race that created and ruined empires, [...]
A thorough, exciting examination of 18th-century pirate life, with wonderful details.
--Publishers Weekly
"Interesting and exciting . . . a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of an interesting life and interesting era."
--Booklist
The definitive biography of history'smost fearsome and famo[...]
The Bismarck was probably the most feared Nazi German battleship of the Second World War. Angus Konstam gives readers a detailed insight into her design, combat capability and short-lived fighting career that ended in her destruction by the Royal Navy in 1941. The anatomy of the Bismarck is examined[...]
For four hundred years the Byzantine Empire's naval forces vied with the warships of the Islamic world for mastery of the Mediterranean. At the heart of this confrontation were the fighting vessels of the two powers, the Byzantine dromon and the Arabic shalandi, both oared warships. In those four ce[...]
Since the days of the Ancient Greeks, naval ships of all sizes have revolutionized warfare. From the Viking longship, pirate ships and super dreadnoughts to today's nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, naval warfare has proved to be an essential component of military forces across the world. Th[...]
By combining stunning cartography with engaging and authoritative text, The World Atlas of Pirates presents the story of piracy in a completely new way. Eighty maps plot the routes that pirates followed whether crossing the world s great oceans or pursuing their prey through creeks and bays. Colorfu[...]
The launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 changed the face of naval warfare. The first half-dozen dreadnoughts were all improvements of the basic Dreadnought design, all carrying ten 12-inch guns. It was only in 1911, with the launch of HMS Neptune that the layout of this powerful armament was altered a[...]
In April 1713 the War of the Spanish Succession came to an end. During the conflict hundreds of privateers - licenced pirates - preyed on enemy shipping throughout the Caribbean. These privateers now found themselves out of a job, and many turned to piracy. One of theme was Edward Teach - more popul[...]
Following the pirate scourge of the early 18th century, sea captains took to privateering as a means of making money. A form of nationally sponsored piracy, it reached its peak during the American Revolution, with the fledgling American navy relying on privateers to disrupt British shipping between [...]
Ever a popular subject, the thwarted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada is studied here in detail. How Philip ll's fleet was, in a few short days, stopped from invading England and forced into full retreat is looked at in a new and fascinating way, With the help of battle plans and bird's eye[...]
The creation of a Confederate ironclad fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics. Surrounded by a superior enemy fleet, Confederate designers adapted existing vessels or created new ones from the keel up with the sole purpose of breaking the naval stranglehold on the nascent coun[...]
When the British Lord Cornwallis launched his invasion of North Carolina in early 1781, his objective was to destroy General Nathaniel Greene's army. Greene fell back before him into Virginia, yet the American force grew daily as militia flocked to the colours. At Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 178[...]
Although pirates have a fascination which has resulted in the production of numerous books and documentaries in recent years (including titles by Osprey), no detailed depiction of their ships has ever been produced. Following the success of the Elite Series Pirates title, this book will provide a de[...]
This title covers a key area of World War II history, the small but vicious battles for the control of the Channel and the North Sea. It details one of the most prolific and successful vessels used by the British Navy - the motor torpedo boat.[...]
By 1862 most Americans had realised that the Civil War was failing to be brought to a conclusion. However, General George B. McClellan aimed to avoid this by capturing Richmond, the Confederate capital, and end the war in a single campaign. However, despite catching the Confederates off-guard, McCle[...]
When General Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy was in crisis. Lee changed all that in a brilliant weeklong campaign. On 26 June the Confederates struck, fighting two hard-fought battles in two days; Mechanicsville and Gaine's Mill. Although there were heavy[...]
In September 1943, in the first weeks of the Allied campaign to liberate Italy, an Anglo-American invasion force of over 80,000 men was nearly beaten back into the sea by the German defenders in a ferocious ten-day battle at Salerno, south of Naples. This is the story of the tense, bitter struggle a[...]
With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence. Yet ten of the twelve battleships were already over twenty years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital ser[...]
This concise guide actually covers not just Pictish fortifications, but all those in use in early medieval Scotland, including those of Strathclyde and Rheged and of the Dal Riata. Konstam introduces the reader to the principal types of fort, including the re-use of earlier defences, before offering[...]
For armchair admirals, history buffs, and naval enthusiasts everywhere, "A Naval Miscellany" is an indispensible and entertaining collection of fascinating and little-known facts, anecdotes, lists, curiosities and stories from our naval past. Forgotten heroes, amazing blunders, surprising trivia, an[...]
'Angus Konstam's gripping account tells the story of this crucial but under-studied naval battle, and explains why the hopes of the German Kriegsmarine went down with their last great ship; only 37 of the German battlecruiser's 1700 crew were saved.' - The Nautical Magazine'Angus Konstam's book is a[...]