The tragedy of the loss in 1941 of two Royal Navy capital ships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, the core of Churchill's deterrent Force Z, stunned the world. Churchill had hoped that sending a small powerful squadron of ships to Singapore would deter a threatened Japanese invasion of Malaya and Thailand. He was to be proved tragically wrong. Denuded of aircraft cover, Force Z was left disastrously exposed to air attack. Within eight days of their arrival at Singapore both ships were sunk with huge loss of life in a mass attack by 85 Japanese bombers. It was the Royal Navy's greatest loss in a single engagement and the first time a modern battleship had been sunk by air power. With the naval force at the bottom of the sea, and the RAF almost wiped out in Malaya on day one, Singapore was left with no air or sea protection and fell two months later. This is the first book to explore in detail the wrecks of these two vessels and grippingly narrates a summary of the Japanese threat, Fortress Singapore and the subsequent Japanese invasion. Today the wrecks of these two famous British warships lie on the bottom of the South China Sea, 200 miles north of Singapore and 50 miles offshore. The author was invited as a civilian expert on a military expedition to dive and survey these wrecks and now, for the first time, the wrecks are revealed as they are today. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned artist's illustrations of the wrecks, each one is looked at in detail. The story of the loss of these two ships, and of the sacrifice of the men who served in them, is remembered. This has been a personal quest for the author whose grandfather was serving in Singapore when Force Z arrived. His wife and the author's father and two brothers were among the last civilians evacuated from Singapore before the final siege. His grandfather was taken into internment at Changi Gaol by the Japanese and suffered there for three years until Singapore was reoccupied by the British in 1945. Had the Fall of Singapore not happened the way it did the author would not be here to write this truly remarkable book.
This book presents a chronological review of garden design which both simplifies the big picture and supplies a rationale, with examples, of the merits and demerits of each design period while reflecting on the social conditions which generated each one. It gathers together design ideas and their implementation over the last 500 years, presented in historical order and simplified to allow easy digestion by the reader, particularly if meeting the subject for the first time. As such the book demystifies history and identifies the relative importance of new approaches in design, particularly where they are seen to be progressive. Essential examples from each design period or style are included, based upon their contribution to the progress of design and relating to their value, particularly in the teaching of garden and landscape design principles. Thus the reader will be able to quickly grasp the essence of historical design styles, discover where they can go to see them for themselves and to appreciate how relevant they are to present day theories of design. By concentrating on Britain's own heritage the book offers a sound understanding of influences and thereby helps to inform design practice. Since the principles of design are universal, it will be of relevance in many countries throughout the world. The book is illustrated with photographs, diagrams and plans, creating a readily-accessible and informative volume.
For more than 30 years, internationally acclaimed wreck diver and best-selling author, Rod Macdonald, has surveyed and researched shipwrecks around the world. His books such as Dive Scapa Flow and The Darkness Below are household names in the diving world. In Great British Shipwrecks Rod uses his encyclopaedic knowledge and an intimate understanding of shipwrecks, gleaned from a lifetime's diving, to provide a snapshot in time of some of the best known and most revered shipwrecks around the UK. For each of the 37 shipwrecks covered Rod provides a dramatic account of its time afloat and its eventual sinking - with each wreck being beautifully illustrated by renowned marine artist Rob Ward. Rod's journey around the UK starts with the classic recreational diving shipwrecks at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands from giants such as the German WWI battleships, Markgraf, Knig and Kronprinz Wilhelm, to the legendary WWI British cruiser HMS Hampshire on which Lord Kitchener perished on a voyage to Russia in 1916. Rod then travels to the English Channel where he covers such famous ships as the P&O liners Moldavia and Salsette which were lost during WWI with many others such as the SS Kyarra and the British submarine HMS/M M2 - the first submarine to carry a seaplane for reconnaissance. The reader is then taken to the North Channel of the Irish Sea where the famous technical diving wrecks of the White Star liner Justicia, HMS Audacious, the first British battleship lost during WWI, and the SS Empire Heritage, which was lost with its deck cargo of Sherman tanks on a voyage from New York during WWII, are beautifully illustrated. Returning to Scotland, the famous West Coast shipwrecks such as the Thesis, Hispania, Rondo and Shuna in the Sound of Mull grace the pages, in addition to the renowned wrecks of the SS Breda, lost near Oban, and the WWII minelayer HMS Port Napier off Skye. Lastly, Rod covers some major North Sea shipwrecks, revealing for the first time the haunting remains of HMS Pathfinder, the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by U-boat torpedo during WWI. This is a beautifully illustrated and definitive guide to the greatest shipwrecks around the UK and will be an enlightening and unmissable book for many.
A unique collection of photographs covering 80% of the world's species and illustrating the many and varied aspects of shorebirds' behaviour. Feeding, roosting, breeding, their spectacular migrations, their plumages and moult strategies are all covered.
Compelling true-life stories about mariners' dreadful experiences at sea during the heyday of deep-sea commercial sail. Recounted mainly as original narratives compiled from the Casualties columns and pages of Lloyd's List. A wealth of fascinating topics including strandings, mutiny, murder, messages in a bottle and seaquakes.
A reflective look at how Scotland was depicted in photographs and postcards 100-170 years ago
Now that lighthouse automation has been completed, what of the service and dedication to duty that was unfailingly provided by keepers, their associates and their families?Last of the Line is an account of four generations of lightkeepers, the first being John Hall, the author's great-great-grandfather, who was born in 1810. The memories of Harold Hall, the author's father, are recounted in great detail, including his childhood at Coquet Lighthouse during the First World War. Harold's records have allowed the author to provide a fascinating account of life in the service of Trinity House. It can be read how, in the post of Supernumerary Assistant Keeper for six years, Harold rarely spent more than four weeks at any lighthouse. However, once promoted to Assistant Keeper at South Bishop Lighthouse, he found some permanence, including a wife!Patricia also relates her own rich experiences of life as a lightkeeper's daughter, including her very early childhood at St. Mary's Lighthouse during the Second World War before Harold's transfer to the rock lighthouse of Beachy Head. The end result is a captivating story of the Hall, Knott and Darling families and their connections by marriage - the well-known Grace Darling being the author's great-great-great-aunt!
Paperback edition of classic story of modern adventuring
A guide intended for the petroleum and mining industries and geotechnical engineers for use at the wellsite, in the laboratory or office. It covers the various aspects of cores including cutting and recovery; wellsite handling and logging; recognition of coring damage; laboratory analysis; logging and sampling; and, preservation and storage.
Captain Mervyn Wingfield was one of the last of his generation of submariners who made their reputation in the Second World War. Pre-war he had served on the China station and lived the riotous life of a young officer; in the war he commanded three submarines, Umpire, Sturgeon and Taurus, survived a collision in the North Sea, spent a winter in the Arctic, penetrated the Norwegian fjords submerged through a minefield, surfaced off St Nazaire in view of German guns to act as a navigation marker for the raiding force, fought cavalry in the northern Aegean, and later, off Penang, was the first British submariner to sink a Japanese submarine - and barely survived the subsequent, vicious counterattack after Taurus was severely damaged and became stuck in the mud at the bottom. Any one of these incidents would have merited a place for Wingfield in the history of naval warfare and the pantheon of submarine heroes. The Royal Navy's most senior submariner, Admiral Lord Boyce, notes in his Foreword that the diesel-powered submarines in which both men served were not so different, but the risks which Wingfield took in wartime were greater and Lord Boyce admired the way in which Wingfield led his crew and was loved by them. Many men were burned-out by the war, but in the postwar years Wingfield enjoyed a successful peacetime career in the Royal Navy where, finally, his personal qualities and his diplomacy were put to the test as a naval attach In retirement Wingfield was well-known for hosting lively beef and Stilton lunches at the London Boat Show! He was also one of the last of the generations of Anglo-Irish families who served the Crown and provided officers and men for the Army and the Navy, and his story additionally gives some insights into his early days, especially with regard to being a young officer in the Royal Navy in the 1930s.
Back from the Brink is an antidote to a world that seems full of stories of wildlife doom and gloom. Amongst all the loss of habitat and the animals and plants that are in spiralling decline, it's easy to forget that there are a huge number of positive stories too; animals threatened with extinction, such as the gigantic European Bison - extinct in the wild - having their fortunes reversed and their futures secured. This is the story of some of these successes. How the Humpback Whale, in seemingly terminal decline because of commercial whaling, is today recovering naturally, getting back to the numbers that swam in our oceans before they were viciously harpooned. Others have needed considerable help such as the enigmatic Arabian Oryx, the origin of the unicorn myth, that was reintroduced to the fabled Empty Quarter deserts of Arabia where over a thousand again roam. These are stories of enormous personal courage, dedication and patience by those protecting animals like the Black Rhino; of reinstating damaged or destroyed habitats for predators such as the enchanting Iberian Lynx; and of reintroducing birds such as America's tallest, the Whooping Crane, to places where they once thrived but had long gone. Back from the Brink recounts the struggle to win the support of local communities to accept and bolster the populations of some of our largest animals such as the Mountain Gorilla - one of our closest relatives - and the magnificent Siberian Tiger, both of which once seemed destined for extinction. The re-introduction of the Wild Turkey, extirpated from most American states by early white settlers, was successful because of biologists' ability to learn from early mistakes. The gorgeous Large Blue butterfly - extinct in England by the 1970s - would not be thriving today without the incredible investigation that unravelled its complex living requirements, a lesson in detection that would have challenged Scotland Yard's finest. And others, like the gentle, lumbering Florida Manatee, its numbers recovering very slowly in part due to enormous public support. It's the kind of care and consideration that Man needs to share to make our planet a richer place for us all.
A remarkable and exciting true story including escape and evasion behind enemy lines in Italy, Yugoslavia and Germany; life in a PoW camp and adventure in the Indian Ocean
Simon Hall's second book is set in the mid-1970s during the closing years of the golden age of British shipping. It captures an age now vanished and is written in a style too rarely encountered.
This is a much-needed and authoritative account of Common Buzzards gained from extensive studies by the author over 60 years and also from enthusiasts in this country and across northern Europe. The accounts describe the life history and ecology of Buzzards mainly inhabiting the British uplands where historically they have always been most numerous. For the first time, population activities are followed through successive seasonal stages of their life cycle. These include the vital and inter-related aspects of Buzzard territories and social behaviour, diets and hunting methods, food requirements, prey abundance and breeding success, survival and life spans and how Buzzard numbers and distribution have changed, particularly in relation to the influence of Man. The book also demonstrates how well Buzzards have adapted to living in our modern and rapidly-changing landscapes, constantly adapting their habits in response to prey resources and environmental conditions. In the book's first section, The Year of the Buzzard, the sequential changes in the composition and behaviour of a Buzzard community, their seasonal patterns of food habits and hunting methods, their breeding season from courtship until fledging of broods and their subsequent dispersal are outlined. The second section, Special Topics, provides greater detail of six key aspects of their ecology which are explored within the following chapter topics: Territory; Energy and Food Needs; Predation; Food Supply and Breeding Success; Demography and Population Dynamics; and Changes in Buzzard Abundance.
Practical examples of the application of life cycle cost analysis. International authors and case studies.
Built in the years AD122-30 by order of the Emperor Hadrian 'to separate Romans from Barbarians', Hadrian's Wall was 73 miles long, running from Wallsend-on-Tyne to Bowness on the Solway Firth. It was originally almost 5 metres high with 16 large forts along its length and is the largest Ancient Monument in northern Europe. Following the author's previous successful book, Hadrian's Wildlife has been enriched and expanded with additional information on wildlife and Roman history. When standing on the WHO site of Hadrian's Wall, many visitors may wonder what the area would have looked like during Roman times. Bringing the bird remains from Roman digs into view reveals which species were living then as well as what the landscape looked like. Although some species such as White-tailed Eagle and Common Crane are no longer found here, others including Nuthatch, Hobby and Little Egret have colonized the area. Living close to Hadrian's Wall, the author has explored its many habitats from the Solway Firth across to the east coast. Many of these wildlife sites have a Roman influence from old forts to the gathering of pearls from the oysters that are found on the North Tyne. Hadrian's Wildlife will encourage visitors to the area to enjoy and appreciate the wide selection of these habitats on a year-round basis. This invaluable guide to the many and varied attractions of the area will take the reader on a voyage of discovery and will be an essential companion for visitors.
The landscape, nature and day-to-day life of people on Spitsbergen - the Svalbard archipelago
An extensive survey of the specialist literature of reinforced concrete covering international development and practice
To celebrate 60 years of sailing Scottish waters, the author single-handedly sailed Halcyon, a 32ft wooden yawl, from Fairlie on the Clyde, round the Mull of Kintyre by way of numerous inner islands to Barra in the Outer Hebrides and to the Atlantic side of the islands, not often visited by cruising yachts. Bad weather forced a diversion to explore the sea lochs of the west coast of Harris and Lewis, the islands of Taransay (of the BBC's Castaway series) and Scarp, famed for its ingenious 'Rocket Post' experiment. While visiting these numerous islands, he met local people and experienced the sometimes violent extremes of weather such as when he was storm-bound in Stornoway for several days. There are stories galore about the island people, snippets of interesting history, legends and folklore, tales of the sea and island life, the Hebridean fishermen and lighthouses - thus uncovering another dimension of island life. Bob recounts his travels and tales, some previously unpublished, in a relaxed and highly-readable style. As well as being a unique travel book, it is an insight into the rapidly-changing ways of island life and a useful sailing guide to the Western Isles and anchorages in the Hebrides. It would be of immeasurable help to sailors keen to venture into some of the lesser-known sailing areas of Western Scotland. This vivid and entertaining story of adventurous sailing among Scotland's beautiful but challenging Western Isles will be enjoyed by keen sailors and armchair travellers alike - a truly memorable journey of over 1000 miles!
A selection of some of the most influential advisers from 400BC to the present day. Provides an insight into some of the most important and yet often unnoticed men and women in history from around the world. Explores the characteristics that make these the best fixers and manipulators
Demystifies the extreme complexity and confusion which currently surrounds the visualisation of wind energy developments. Brings together all the disciplines and scientific elements which provide the basis for understanding how we see and interpret visual representations.
*Thorough analysis of whole structures and structural elements *Fully compliant with EC8 and EC3 *Simple, clear approach to calculations
With a small population, it is remarkable that so many people from the county of Caithness have had such a huge impact, not only in Scotland but worldwide. The sheer hard work and determination of people from the county, both past and present, has guaranteed their place in history. From scientists, explorers, ministers and politicians to engineers, artists and writers, this area in the far north of Scotland has a rich tapestry of folk who have made their lasting mark on the world and each chapter deals with their lives, loves and labours. These include Arthur St Clair, 9th President of the Continental Congress in the United States; Robert Dick, geologist and botanist; Andrew Geddes Bain, road builder and engineer in South Africa; the British Empire's first-ever Lady Mayor, Elizabeth Oman Yates; James Bremner, famed for his wreck -raising skills and harbour design; Donald Sutherland Swanson, a high profile detective with the Metropolitan Police during the Whitechapel Murders in 1888; Robert Brown, explorer and Alexander Henry Rhind, one of the world's greatest Egyptologists. The life of Sir John Sinclair, father of the Statistical Accounts for Scotland, is recounted, as is the life of the man best known simply as Ross of Cowcaddens. The modern era is not forgotten with Ian Charles Scott, the New York-based artist and David Graham Scott, a documentary film maker. All of these Caithness people are among the most notable Scots in the world and this book celebrates their achievements.
In 1863 there was only one method of travelling from Britain to the other side of the world by sailing ship, on a journey that could take up to four months, and when the vagaries of wind and weather could put travellers in peril during long voyages. The offer of grants of land in New Zealand was a means of enticing emigrants to the fledgling colony, particularly people who had a skill to offer. One such emigrant was David Buchanan, a journalist and editor of several prominent Scottish newspapers, who opted for a new life in the hope that the health and fortunes of his family would improve. He travelled with his surviving son and three daughters, having lost his wife giving birth to their ninth child. Using his journalistic skills, Buchanan maintained a daily journal of the voyage which was published twice-weekly in his former newspaper, the Glasgow Herald. His account blended accurate details of the vessel and its handling with anecdotal tales and experiences providing interesting snapshots of mid-nineteenth century life. His devotion to detail suggests a passenger's keen eye upon the operation and progress of the vessel by the ship's crew. Of especial interest is the description of daily life aboard a mid-19th century sailing ship, and the interaction between passengers and crew. The clear class distinction between cabin and steerage class passengers, as well as the many pitfalls and potential injuries to passengers and crew that are described make illuminating reading. Upon reaching New Zealand Buchanan and his fellow passengers had stepped into the unrest of the Maori Wars, which were closely reported in British newspapers such as the Glasgow Herald. David Buchanan and his family may have settled and led a prosperous life but whatever befell him, he is due our gratification for providing an interesting and valued account of experiences on a voyage during the dominant era of sailing ships.
An authoritative guide and the first comprehensive modern text on this subject in English; awarded the acclaimed Karl Kraus Medal by ISPRS
A comprehensive guide to the characteristics and use of high resolution optical images from satellite-borne sensors Addresses the problems and issues surrounding the generation of high quality information Provides a review of planned sensors
Through the professional life of Dave Dick, the RSPB's Senior Scottish Investigation Officer between 1984 and 2006, the often murky world of wildlife crime is revealed. This is the first book that faces up to the realities of the often unsuccessful efforts by the justice system in its attempt to stop these crimes. Unflinching accounts of the shocking levels of killing and the cruel and callous nature of the killers are related. However black comedy and lighter moments prevent this being just another catalogue of man's inhumanity to nature with personal accounts of the thrill and joy of watching some of our most beautiful birds and animals in their equally beautiful landscapes. The author examines the motives of both criminals and their pursuers in an attempt to show the truth of what has become a highly-charged and politicised topic. He reveals the truth of what is happening in some corners of our countryside, where the public may be discouraged to tread and hopes to inform a more reasoned debate on the topic. This timely and inevitably controversial book lifts the lid on the pressures faced by some of our most iconic wildlife species which are being shot, trapped and poisoned.
A tale of two tugboats brimming with adventure, mishap and intrigue. A rare and true-life seafaring adventure story with a difference!
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