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In their heyday, the sight of a pirate ship on the horizon would strike terror into the hearts of their intended victims. The colorful yet fearsome reputation of the pirate still resonates today and t

For armchair admirals, history buffs, and naval enthusiasts everywhere, A Naval Miscellany is an indispensable and entertaining collection of fascinating and often little-known facts, anecdotes, lists

Ships have been part of military campaigns since the Ancient world, and this expertly illustrated and detailed Spotter's Guide offers a look at the 40 most iconic and recognizable ships throughout his

A fascinating look at the British naval intervention in the Baltic in 1918–20, and at the British, Soviet and Baltic nationalist fleets that fought it.Following the Russian Revolution of October 1917, the Baltic states became a battleground between Russian Reds and Whites, German troops, and emerging Baltic independence forces. In November 1918 the British government decided to intervene, to protect British interests and to support the emerging Baltic states.This initial small force of cruisers and destroyers was eventually augmented by other British warships, including aircraft carriers, a monitor, as well as a handful of submarines and torpedo boats. Opposing them was the far more powerful Russian Baltic Fleet, now controlled by the Bolsheviks. The campaign that followed involved naval clashes between the two sides, the most spectacular of which was an attack on the Soviet naval base of Kronstadt in June 1919 by a force of small British torpedo boats. They torpedoed and sunk the Russ

A gripping study of the Battle of the Barents Sea, fought in the darkness and cold of the northern winter, in which the Kriegsmarine sought to sever the crucial Allied Arctic Convoy route.The Arctic convoys that passed through the cold, dangerous waters of the Barents Sea formed a vital lifeline – a strategic link in tanks, supplies and above all goodwill between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. In December 1942, under Operation Regenbogen (Rainbow), the German Kriegsmarine sought to strike a crippling blow on the Arctic convoys and finally sever this all-important sea route. In this fascinating work, renowned naval expert Angus Konstam documents the fate of the Allied Convoy JW 51B as it came under attack from some of the Kriegsmarine’s most powerful surface warships – a pocket battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers. Illustrated with stunning battlescene artworks, maps, 3D diagrams and photographs, it explores the David and Goliath struggle between the Allied ships def

Specially commissioned photographs of more than 700 key artifacts and military equipment bring to life the experiences of Union and Confederate soldiers of all ranks, by exploring the uniforms, weapon

When we think of pirates we conjure up images of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, or even fictional pirates such as Long John Silver, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow. These historical characters all

During the long and costly conflict known as the Great Northern War (1700-1721), Peter the Great and his newly formed Russian army, which was modelled on western European lines, defeated their Swedish

This title tells the dramatic story of how the Royal Navy transformed ordinary citizens into first-rate and fearless sailors and navy personnel during World War II. It covers how they were recruited a

This book gives an accurate picture of the pirates who sailed in the waters of the Caribbean and off the American coastline during the 'golden age' of piracy between 1660 and 1730. It traces the origi

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 Royal Navy.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 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.”First created during the Crimean War, these gunboats first saw action in China. However, these small ships were also used to hunt down pirates in the coasts and ri

At the outbreak of World War II, the four key Capital German ships comprised the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Their primary threats where the Royal Navy’s King George V­class battlesh

Ever since the first appearance of large-caliber guns in the Middle Ages, gunpowder artillery has had an enormous impact on military strategy and warfare. Cannons were initially developed to tackle fo

Angus Konstam sets sail through the brutal history of piracy, separating myth from legend and fact from fiction. Pirates takes us into the depths of the pirate’s dark world, examining the many colorfu

Often romanticized in print and on the silver screen, real-life pirates were a brutal menace that plagued the high seas. In this book, Angus Konstam separates myth from reality, tracing the history of

The term 'pre-dreadnought' was applied in retrospect, to describe the capital ships built during the decade and a half before the launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906. At that moment these once great war

The Battle of Bannockburn on the 24th June 1314 is arguably the most seminal event in Scottish history, and one of the least understood. Bannockburn is a battle that helped define the Britain we know

Osprey's examination of the Battle of Poltava (1709), which marked the demise of Sweden as a European great power and the rise of Russia. In 1707, the seemingly invincible Charles XII led his army dee

For armchair admirals, history buffs, and naval enthusiasts everywhere, A Naval Miscellany is an indispensable and entertaining collection of fascinating and often little-known facts, anecdotes, lists

The German battleship Scharnhorst had a reputation for being a lucky ship. Early in the war she fought off a British battlecruiser and sunk a carrier, before carrying out two successful forays into th