The Kaiser’s Pirates is a dramatic and little-known story of World War I, when the actions of a few men shaped the fate of nations. By1914 Germany had ships and sailors scattered across the globe, protecting its overseas colonies and showing the flag” of its new Imperial Navy. After war broke out on August 4 there was no hope that they could reach home. Instead, they were ordered to attack Britain’s vital trade routes for as long as possible. Under the leadership of a few brillia...

Using official records from the National Archives personal accounts from the Imperial War Museum and other sources, Coastal Convoys 1939 1945: The Indestructible Highway describes Britains dependence on coastal shipping and the introduction of the convoy system in coastal waters at the outset of the war. It beings to life the hazards of the German mining offensive of 1939, the desperate battles fought in coastal waters during 1940 and 1941, and the long struggle against German air and nava...

The first account of the Allied navies' vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaignThe Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognized events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campai...

On 6 June 1944, HMS Belfast supported troops in action on the beaches of Normandy in the campaign to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.This audiobook recounts this extraordinary story, focusing on the dramatic events of 6 June but setting the context of the ship's history in the Arctic Convoy Service and Battle of North Cape. It describes the build-up to D-Day as seen and experienced by Belfast's people, and explains her role in the longer Battle for Normandy....

The first account of the Allied navies’ vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaignThe Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campai...

This illustrated study explores the detail of the Royal Navy's huge operation on D-Day and in the weeks after, as the fleet went into action to support history's biggest amphibious landings.Although D-Day is perhaps the most written-about event in military history, little has been published on the detail of the sea power that Overlord relied upon. In this book, critically acclaimed historian Nick Hewitt examines the fleet that secured the British Assault A...

Enlightens readers on the realities of global atmospheric change, including global warming and poor air qualityClimate change and air pollution are two of the most pressing issues facing Mankind. This book gives undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and professionals working in the science and policy of pollution, climate change and air quality a broad and up-to-date account of the processes that occur in the atmosphere, how these are changing as Man’s r...

Stranded on the beach with the Nazis closing in, the British army managed one of the most unlikely maneuvers in modern military historyIn May of 1940, the remnants of the French and British armies, broken by Hitler’s blitzkrieg, retreated to Dunkirk. Hemmed in by overwhelming Nazi strength, the 338,000 men who gathered on that beach were all that stood between Hitler and Western Europe. Crush them, and the path to Paris and London was clear. And so, unable to retre...

A fascinating and lively account of the lives of British warships named London, looking at history from the perspective of the men who were there.There is no current warship in the Royal Navy called HMS London, but vessels carrying the name have featured in some of the most controversial episodes of British naval history.For example, the wooden wall battleship HMS London of the late 18th century could be called "the ship that lost A...

"An excellent account . . . A suspenseful narrative that will keep readers on the edge of their seats." — WWII History MagazineIn May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck, accompanied by heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, broke out into the Atlantic to attack Allied shipping. The Royal Navy's pursuit and subsequent destruction of Bismarck was an epic of naval warfare.In this new account of those dramatic events at the height of t...

It is not widely remembered that mines were by far the most effective weapon deployed against the British Royal Navy in WW1, costing them 5 battleships, 3 cruisers, 22 destroyers, 4 submarines and a host of other vessels. They were in the main combated by a civilian force using fishing boats and paddle steamers recruited from holiday resorts. This unlikely armada saved the day for Britain and her allies. After 1916, submarine attacks on merchant ships became an even more serious threat to ...

During WW1 the North Sea became the principal battleground for the navies of Britain and Germany. This book explains in chronological order the major encounters between Kaiser Wilhelm IIs High Seas Fleet and the Royal Navy. It also includes other important operations such as mine-laying and sweeping, the Zeppelin Offensive, the bomber offensive against the UK and complete background operational information within the area.Engagements of special note include The Battle of Heligoland Bight, ...