AOS Naval Non-Fiction - Ships Design

Built as a floating siege engine able to withstand the recoil of shell-firing mortars, the Granado was one of twelve bomb vessels supplementing the depleted British fleet at the outbreak of the War of Jenkins' Ear in 1739. This book begins with a brief description of the development of bomb vessels, from the early galiote a bombe built in 1682 to the World War II monitors used for coastal bombardment, and continues with an in-depth description of the Granado, a summary of the ship's career, and more than 250 detailed illustrations. The book also provides insights into fictional hero Jack Aubrey's first command, the Sophie, a 14-gun brig-sloop with a quarterdeck and stern windows.

This exciting new volume presents every ship in which Nelson served, in full detail, for the first time. Following a comprehensive background of each vessel, including the actions in which it participated, each ship's construction details and costs will be explored alongside any modifications that were made. The incidents that occurred while Nelson was on board each ship reveal an abridged version of his career and offer both the enthusiast and general reader an insight into the man himself.Fully researched and developed by one of the most well-known and respected Nelson historians, and heavily illustrated in part by Geoff Hunt, jacket artist for the popular Patrick O'Brien series, this will be an invaluable work for both the academic and enthusiast alike

The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805, remains one of the defining moments in naval history. The decisive nature of the engagement, the death of Nelson and the outpouring of national grief in the aftermath have inspired a wealth of literature on the battle and many narratives have retold this famous action. However, until now no work has attempted to provide an in depth history of each of the British, French and Spanish vessels that were at the engagement. Dividing the fleets into the relevant classes by their rating, the work then proceeds to provide a service history of each individual vessel, including specifications tables, list of commanders, casualty lists and refit histories. Each class of vessel is illustrated by original plans drawn specially by the author alongside contemporary and modern images of the ships.

With the approach of the 200th anniversary of the Royal Navy's greatest battle off Cape Trafalgar on October 21st 1805, much attention will be given to our most tangible symbol of that most ferocious engagement, Nelson's fully preserved flagship HMS Victory.

Much has been written about HMS Victory but it is often simplistic and romanticised or clearly aimed at the technical requirements of the naval historian. In Nelson's Victory, Peter Goodwin adopts a fresh approach to explain the workings of the only surviving 'line of battle' ship of the Napoleonic Wars. As Victory was engaged in battle during only two per cent of her active service, Peter Goodwin also provides a glimpse into life and work at sea during the other ninety-eight per cent of the time. As technical and historical advisor to the ship in Portsmouth, he is in a unique position to investigate an interpret not only the ship's structure but also the essential aspects of shipboard life: victualling, organisation, discipline, domestic arrangements and medical care.

In his role as Keeper and Curator of the ship, the author has been asked thousands of questions by visitors and historians alike. In this volume he has selected 101 of the most important and telling questions and provides full and detailed responses to each: 'What types of wood were used in building Victory?'; 'What was Victory's longest voyage?'; 'How much shot was fired from her guns at Trafalgar?'; 'How many boats did Victory carry?'; 'What was prize money?'; 'What was grog?'; 'When did her career as a fighting ship end?', and 'How many people visit Victory each year?'.

The Galleons were the largest warships of the era which saw the Spanish Armada launced against England.