Henry Carter Hull

Drawn from new sources, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian presents a gripping narrative that recreates the events that inspired hundreds of slaves to pressure British admirals into becoming liberators by using their intimate knowledge of the countryside to transform the war.

"The fighting in the Gallipoli or Dardanelles campaign began in 1915 as a purely naval affair undertaken partly at the instigation of Winston Churchill, who, as First Lord of the Admiralty, had entertained plans of capturing the Dardanelles as early as September 1914. It was the Royal Navy that bore the brunt of the initial action, supported by the French and with minor contributions from, the Russian and Australian fleets.On 3 November 1914, Churchill...

Here is a complete record of almost fifty men who won the Victoria Cross while serving in the Royal Navy during World War I. They include the conflict's youngest and oldest winners, in operations ranging from the Atlantic to the coast of Africa, from the Straits of Otranto to the rivers of Mesopotamia. These awards were won in all manner of fighting ships, from disguised schooner to light cruiser, motor launch to submarine, and river steamer to battle...

"The hunting down and sinking of the magnificent German battle cruiser Scharnhorst was one of the epic actions of World War II . . stirring" ( Work Boat ). On December 25, 1943, the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst slipped out of Altenfjord in Norway to attack Arctic convoy JW55B which was carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet Union. But British naval intelligence knew of the Scharnhorst 's mission before she sailed, and the vulnerable convoy...

Operation Rubble, the long forgotten secret mission to steal back ball bearings from the Nazis and keep the war effort aliveIn 1940, the Nazis hoped to cripple the British war effort by blockading Swedish cargo ships containing ball bearings, steel, and tools vital for making arms and equipment. Out of desperation, the newly formed SOE was asked to rescue these badly needed supplies and a daring escapade was conjured up to sneak in under German noses...

Although the Merchant Navy suffered a higher percentage loss than any of the Armed Forces in the Second World War, few people today are aware of this or have even heard of them. Thirty-three thousand merchant seamen died, while others were severely injured both physically and mentally. This book is an attempt to dispel the ignorance and brings together a wealth of information concerning ship losses, including ships' names, captains, route lost on,...

"The Second World War saw a host of heroic raids enacted across the various theatres, all delivered valiantly in a variety of ways by British combatants; on land, by sea and from the air. Daring exploits such as the raid on Rommel, the endeavours of the Cockleshell Heroes and the Dam Busters have become legendary in the annals of warfare. All feature here, alongside details of fascinating lesser-known operations.It goes without saying that not all...

"The author of The First Day on the Somme recounts the sinking of two British Royal Navy ships by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. On the third day of the war with Japan, two Royal Navy capital ships were sunk off Malaya by air torpedo attack. They had not requested the air support that could have saved them and 840 men died in the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse. The authors re-create for the reader...