James W. Bancroft's Books

The Titanic Disaster

Omens, Mysteries & Misfortunes of the Doomed Liner

By: James W. Bancroft

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The Titanic Disaster

Omens, Mysteries & Misfortunes of the Doomed Liner

By: James W. Bancroft

It was on Wednesday, 10 April 1912, that the imposing bulk of the RMS Titanic slipped her berth, and, to great fanfare, headed out into the Solent at the start of her maiden voyage. By all accounts, the liner was at the time the largest man-made object ever to move on water. The space her decks created allowed her designers to introduce previously unseen levels of luxury. In first class, for example, there were many new features such as squash courts, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, a barber shop and even the first swimming pool built on board a ship. There was also the bold claim by its builders that Titanic was ‘practically unsinkable’. Sadly, just four days later, this assertion was found wanting. At 23.40 hours on the evening of 14 April, Titanic struck an iceberg. In less than three hours she had slipped beneath the waves. While the liner’s loss has been the subject of numerous films, documentaries and publications in the years that followed, in this book the author James W. Bancroft asks if the RMS Titanic had been doomed to a watery grave even before it sailed? Certainly, many people experienced feelings of foreboding about the ship, and there were many strange omens and unexplained events surrounding its construction and maiden voyage. A novel written many years before Titanic was built mirrored almost exactly the details of the disaster, and the well-known spiritualist, W.T. Stead, wrote a story of a similar nature. As a passenger on the ship, he seemed to have accepted his fate and did not try to save himself. Even animals seem to have sensed danger, such as the dog which tried to stop its owner from traveling to board the vessel, and Titanic’s cat had kittens and was seen taking them all off the liner before it sailed. The voyage was fatefully delayed for three weeks, and at least fifty travelers had forebodings about the ‘Ghost Ship’, some of whom missed the sailing or refused to board. Following years of research, James has uncovered some 100 fascinating stories concerning omens and premonitions of people who sailed – or in fact decided not to – on the ill-fated liner. This is the first time that all of these incidents have been brought together. Together they provide an unusual insight into the Titanic disaster.

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184

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Frontline Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399048996

ISBN 13

9781399048996

Echelon

The Light Brigade Action at Balaclava - A New Perspective

By: James Bancroft

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Echelon

The Light Brigade Action at Balaclava - A New Perspective

By: James Bancroft

Lord Cardigan's cavalry charge on 25 October 1854 at the battle of Balaclava 'into the valley of death' is surely one of the most famous actions in military history. Is there anything new to say about it in print? Yes there is, because most publications have concentrated on commanding officers Lucan, Cardigan and the fatal actions of Nolan. But there were 670 men in the charge and by collating the evidence from the many eyewitnesses James Bancroft offers a new and more accurate appraisal of events. Cardigan's description of the action was quoted at length in the House of Commons: '...with the batteries vomiting forth upon us shells and shot, round and grape, with one battery on our right flank and another on the left... when we came to within a distance of fifty yards from the mouths of the artillery which had been hurling destruction upon us, we were, in fact, surrounded and encircled by a blaze of fire.' One question of course - which the author, who has been studying the subject for many years, addresses - is how anyone survived.

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293

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The History Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0750980613

ISBN 13

9780750980616

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

The Story of the Ill-Fated Liner’s Officers

By: James W Bancroft

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Titanic's Unlucky Seven

The Story of the Ill-Fated Liner’s Officers

By: James W Bancroft

The disaster which befell RMS Titanic has become one of the most investigated and analyzed maritime tragedies of all time. Yet there is much still to be untangled from the web of mystery which still surrounds this confused, catastrophic event. The people on board were proud to be part of the ship’s highly-publicised first voyage, but as the first batch of officers reported for duty in Belfast to prepare her for her trial trip to Southampton and beyond, they could not have imagined the fate which awaited them. Titanic was, after all, ‘unsinkable’. It is exclusively through the eyes of seven unlucky men – the small group of officers onboard for that doomed voyage – that the author reveals the tragedy as it unfolded that night in April 1912. From their assignment to the White Star liner through to their eventual fates. Each one of these seven men behaved with great courage and discipline in a situation beyond anything they had previously experienced and some of the officers left accounts of the horrors they witnessed. Of this small group, four were members of the Royal Naval Reserve; this included Charles Lightoller, who was the Second Officer and in charge of loading passengers into lifeboats on the port side. He was noted for strictly enforcing the ‘women and children only’ principle, allowing only those men needed for manning the boats to join them. Four of the seven officers survived the ordeal. As the author reveals, one of them had only been formally appointed to the crew the day before Titanic sailed on its climatic maiden voyage. This was Henry Tingle Wilde, who was scheduled to sail with Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic, but who was switched to Titanic as the Chief Officer. He reported for duty on the very day the ship departed Southampton. This move meant a reshuffle of the officers and, as only seven officers were deemed necessary, Second Officer David Blair was removed from the crew list and sent ashore. He was certainly the luckiest of all. The unfortunate Wilde went down to the bottom with his ship. Of the many questions asked about that night is that of the fate of Captain Edward Smith. His body was never recovered and it had naturally been assumed that he too had been lost. In Titanic’s Unlucky Seven, James Bancroft questions if this might not actually be the case. There is evidence that Smith may have survived the sinking, and was seen and spoken to months after the event by a man who had sailed with him, and who had known him personally for most of his life. Certainly, Smith had good reason to disappear into obscurity. For the first time, a clear picture of the incidents, actions and events leading up to and during the sinking of Titanic can be seen through the stories of the seven men in charge that night.

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252

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Frontline Books

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ISBN 10

1036102556

ISBN 13

9781036102555

Alamo Defenders

A Fresh Perspective on the Heroes of 1836

By: James W Bancroft

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Alamo Defenders

A Fresh Perspective on the Heroes of 1836

By: James W Bancroft

At a critical stage of the Texas Revolution a large Mexican army surrounded a makeshift fortification known locally as the Alamo. It was there that a small defensive force of mostly Texans had become holed up, and where they vowed to ‘never surrender or retreat’. After a siege lasting thirteen days, the Mexicans assaulted the fortification during the early hours of Sunday, 6 March 1836. Except for a few women and children, and one male slave, everyone inside was killed. All this is well known, and to this day the Alamo Mission is an American national monument sacred to the people of Texas. The Battle of Alamo sits alongside such dramatic last stands as Little Big Horn and Rorke’s Drift as one of the most heroic and sacrificial battles against the odds in military history. But what few realise is that a large number of those who fought and died for Texas at the Alamo were British. For the first time, the stories of these men, their lives and their deaths at the Alamo, are revealed. They include an Englishman named William Blazeby, who led a troop of New Orleans Greys; a Scotsman named John McGregor, who took to his bagpipes and accompanied Davy Crockett on the fiddle to keep up the spirits of the defenders; and an Irishman named Robert Evans, who, as Master of Ordnance was shot down while trying to set light to the gunpowder in the chapel when the battle was lost. Through men such as these, the full story of this iconic encounter in the history of the United States of America is told in detail by the author. The roles of the opposing commanders, the infamous General Santa Anna and Lieutenant Colonel William ‘Buck’ Travis, are also examined. At the same time, James Bancroft also investigates the death of James Bowie, renowned, of course, for his large hunting knife, and Davy Crockett. Exactly how the so called ‘King of the Wild Frontier’ met his end has been the subject of controversial debate ever since Texas fought off its Mexican shackles – thanks in no small measure to those Britons who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their American comrades on the crumbling walls of the Alamo more than 185 years ago.

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224

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Frontline Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399009923

ISBN 13

9781399009928

The Rorke's Drift Commanders

Gonville Bromhead and John Chard

By: James W. Bancroft

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The Rorke's Drift Commanders

Gonville Bromhead and John Chard

By: James W. Bancroft

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead and Lieutenant John Chard had fame thrust upon them, as did the place known as Rorke’s Drift, which before 1879 was an unknown homestead situated in the middle of the South African veld. Although both men came from families whose various members were highly distinguished for their military service and for their service to the church, they became reluctant heroes after being awarded Britain’s highest decoration for valor, the Victoria Cross. During the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, a British invasion force was massacred at iSandlwana, after which a wing of the Zulu army about 3,000 strong attacked the outpost at Rorke’s Drift. Lieutenants Bromhead and Chard commanded the post, and after supervising the construction of barricades they led their men in defensive actions throughout the night until the Zulus lost heart and returned to their kraals. For their gallantry ‘under most trying circumstances’, both Bromhead and Chard, along with nine of their comrades, were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross. In 1964 the defence of Rorke’s Drift was brought back to public attention with the producing of the epic motion picture Zulu! In this film, Chard was portrayed by Sir Stanley Baker, while Bromhead provided Sir Michael Caine with his first starring role. Bromhead and Chard epitomised the way of life of Victorian officers, with the exception that fate put them at Rorke’s Drift. They became major players in a battle which continues to excite interest and cause debate, and is unlikely ever to be forgotten.

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293

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Frontline Books

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ISBN 10

1399009974

ISBN 13

9781399009973

The Great Redan at Sebastopol

The Most Victoria Crosses Awarded for a Single Action

By: James W. Bancroft

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The Great Redan at Sebastopol

The Most Victoria Crosses Awarded for a Single Action

By: James W. Bancroft

On 18 June 1855, the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, British assault troops moved out of their trenches before Sebastopol in the Crimea, and attacked the formidable Russian bastion known as the Great Redan. They came under such a murderous fire from the Russian defenders that the attack faltered, and the British were eventually forced to fall back. As they did so, they left over 1,000 comrades dead and dying out in the open and at the mercy of enemy snipers. The Siege of Sebastopol saw the development of trench warfare for the first time. Using eyewitness accounts and unpublished letters, the author tells the story of how the men coped with the terrible conditions as they prepared for the assault – as well as the events during and after the fighting. Among the anecdotes is an officer who had the ingenious idea of warming up cannon balls in the camp fires and taking them into the tents at night to keep warm; and he went on to live for over a hundred years! Well-known for his depth of research, the author questions a number of points regarding the Great Redan that are commonly believed to be historical fact. Quoting the father of Alexander the Great, it was the Russians who, soon after the assault on the Great Redan, first referred to the British as, ‘An army of lions led on by donkeys’. For over 100 years it was stated in many publications that the most Victoria Crosses awarded for a single action was the eleven presented for actions during the defense of Rorke’s Drift during the Zulu War in 1879. However, as the author reveals, twenty of the lions who fought at the Great Redan received Britain’s highest gallantry award, in whole, or in part, for their actions on 18 June 1855. The book includes biographical tributes to many of the men who were killed in action, gives details of the places where they are commemorated, and provides biographies with all the up-to-date information concerning the twenty Victoria Cross recipients.

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207

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Frontline Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399060562

ISBN 13

9781399060561

Zulu War VCs

Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879

By: James W. Bancroft

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Zulu War VCs

Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879

By: James W. Bancroft

The Anglo-Zulu War lasted only six months in 1879, but in that relatively short time twenty-three men were awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry under most trying and dangerous circumstances. Zulu warriors gave no mercy and expected none in return, yet half of the awards were given to men who went back into the midst of fierce fighting to rescue stranded comrades, well-aware that they risked suffering a particularly brutal death.Two men received posthumous awards for their efforts to save the Queens color of their regiment after the disastrous engagement against overwhelming numbers of warriors at Isandlwana, and perhaps the most famous of all awards of the Victoria Cross were the eleven gained for the immortal defence of Rorkes Drift, the battle brought back to the public consciousness by the motion picture _Zulu!_The conflict has never left the publics imagination, and continues to stir hot debate among military historians and enthusiasts.With information compiled over four decades by James W. Bancroft, a well-known and respected historian and author of several publications on the subject, this book brings together more information about the men than has ever before been collected together in one publication.

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261

Publisher

Casemate Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1526722658

ISBN 13

9781526722652

The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

The Men Behind the Medals

By: James W. Bancroft

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The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

The Men Behind the Medals

By: James W. Bancroft

The Crimean War saw the introduction of the Victoria Cross, which was awarded to 111 men. Whilst the history of the Crimean War has been related many times, never before have the stories of those individuals who were awarded the VC been told. In this, the result of four decades of accumulated research, renowned historian James Bancroft describes who the men were, how they gained the Victoria Cross, and what happened to them afterwards. Great attention has been given to checking the correct spelling of the names of people and locations, burial places and new memorials, and dates of awards and promotions. The author has made every effort to contact museums and other establishments to get up-to-date information on the whereabouts of medals and their accessibility. The men recorded here displayed valor and determination resulting in many deeds of exceptional courage which became a regular occurrence in the illustrious annals of the British Army. Among them are heroes who had the guts to put themselves in mortal danger by picking up live shells that could have exploded and blown them apart at any moment, gallant troopers who took part in a cavalry charge that they knew was doomed before it began and they were about to be cut to pieces, and valiant individuals who had the audacity to sneak into unknown territory to take the conflict into the enemys back yard and risk capture and ill-treatment. This account of the fascinating lives of these heroes is accompanied with forty-five portraits.

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309

Publisher

Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1526710633

ISBN 13

9781526710635

The Rorke's Drift Men

Heroes of the Zulu War

By: James W Bancroft

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The Rorke's Drift Men

Heroes of the Zulu War

By: James W Bancroft

Through the night of 22/23 January 1879, a small garrison of British soldiers behind a makeshift barricade of bags and boxes successfully defended the storehouse and field hospital at Rorke's Drift, against an army of Zulu warriors who outnumbered them by about twenty to one. This heroic stand became on of the most famous actions in the history of the British Army, and inspired the epic film 'Zulu!' But who were these men who made such a stubborn resistance when all seemed lost, and what legacy have they left us? For the first time, details of the lives of all these men have been collected into one reference work, categorised in the counties to which they were associated, in the form of biographical tributes. The Rorke's Drift Men is a valuable addition to any military library.

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365

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The History Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0750980605

ISBN 13

9780750980609

The Early Years of the FA Cup

How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament

By: James W Bancroft

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The Early Years of the FA Cup

How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament

By: James W Bancroft

The 150th anniversary of the first FA Cup competition, the earliest knockout tournament in the history of football, will be celebrated during the 2021-2022 season. The first set of matches was played on 11 November 1871, with the Engineers reaching the final played at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872. During the first decade of the competition three teams associated with the military, Royal Engineers, 1st Surrey Rifles and 105th Regiment, were involved in 74 matches. They won more than half of them and scored 154 goals. The Army also produced one of the most respected administrators in the history of football, in the form of Major Francis Marindin, who was involved in the founding of the FA Cup, played in two finals, and refereed a further nine. Military men and units provided a number of ‘firsts’ in the early years of football. The Royal Engineers played in the first ever FA Cup final; Lieutenant James Prinsep of the Essex Regiment was the youngest footballer to appear in an FA Cup final until 2004, although he remains the youngest to complete a full match; Lieutenant William Maynard of the 1st Surrey Rifles played for England in the first ever official international match against Scotland; Captain William Kenyon-Slaney of the Grenadier Guards scored the first ever goal in an official international match, while playing for England; and Lieutenant Henry Renny-Tailyour of the Royal Engineers scored the first ever goal for Scotland in the same match. At a time when there has been talk of a financially-motivated breakaway European Super League, James gives the reader the opportunity to look back at a time when football was played for the game itself. Using his vast knowledge concerning Victorian football and military history, The Early Years of the FA Cup explores the fascinating history of the Army’s involvement in the early years of the world’s most popular sport. With detailed descriptions of the finals and other matches involving the military teams during football’s heyday, this book, for the first time, then follows the men as they went on campaigns to build roads and bridges in hostile territory, provide maps for commanders in famous conflicts such as The Zulu War, Afghanistan, the Sudan, and the Boer Wars, and saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War. In some cases they never returned. Often great footballers are referred to as ‘heroes’ – in the case of the men who played for the Army teams in the early FA Cup competitions, such an epithet is genuinely true.

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223

Publisher

Frontline Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399099949

ISBN 13

9781399099943

The Devil's Trap

The Victims of the Cawnpore Massacre During the Indian Mutiny

By: James W. Bancroft

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The Devil's Trap

The Victims of the Cawnpore Massacre During the Indian Mutiny

By: James W. Bancroft

This history of the Siege of Cawnpore and the massacre of British noncombatants in Colonial India reveals the human side of the struggle. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the strategic garrison at Cawnpore was surprised by an extended siege. Many British noncombatants were holed up in a makeshift entrenchment, suffering from thirst, starvation and disease, all while being bombarded with cannon balls and bullets. After nearly two months, the company surrendered to the rebel leader Nana Sahib in exchange for safe passage out of the city. But when the survivors reached Sati Chaura Ghat, a landing on the River Ganges, they were massacred. Much has been written about the siege of Cawnpore and the political events which caused it, but there less known about the people who suffered the ordeal. In The Devil’s Trap, historian James Bancroft studies official documentation and primary sources from both sides to offer a more human understanding of events and shed light on the lives of the victims.

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237

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Pen and Sword

Published Date

ISBN 10

1526718030

ISBN 13

9781526718037

Titanic

'Iceberg Ahead'

By: James W. Bancroft

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Titanic

'Iceberg Ahead'

By: James W. Bancroft

Using a unique approach, the author explores the disaster through the lives of fifty people linked to the sinking, from all walks of life and geographical regions. To have sailed on ‘the voyage of the century’ aboard White Star Line’s RMS Titanic – described at the time as ‘a floating palace’ – was like being one of the first passengers to fly on Concorde. On 10 April 1912, people from all walks of life began embarking on Titanic, then the largest ship afloat, for what was to be the trip of a lifetime on the ship’s maiden voyage across the north Atlantic. Many were looking forward to starting new lives in the United States. However, just before midnight on Sunday, 14 April 1912, Titanic’s crew began to send out distress signals stating, ‘We have struck an iceberg.' The liner had been steaming at speed when it collided with an enormous iceberg which stripped off her bilge under the waterline for more than 100 yards, opened up five of the front compartments and flooded the coal bunker servicing one of the boilers. The damage was fatal, and some three hours after the disaster began to unfold the last visible part of Titanic slipped beneath the waves. There were only sixteen lifeboats and four collapsible dinghies – which was completely insufficient for the number of passengers making the crossing. As a consequence, more than 1,500 passengers and crew died: two out of every three people onboard perished. Much has been written about the Titanic disaster, and it has been the subject matter for several films. The author is well-known for his depth of research and his attention to detail, and in a new style of format, he has selected fifty people involved in the disaster, and by using their specific eyewitness accounts he has managed to make the confusing situation much clearer, making it possible for the reader to experience the dreadful events as they unfolded. The book also includes biographical tributes to the fifty people, who came from all walks of life and geographical regions, telling who they were, their experiences during the disaster, and what happened to those who were fortunate enough to survive.

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260

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Frontline Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1526772078

ISBN 13

9781526772077

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

The Story of the Ill-Fated Liner’s Officers

By: James W Bancroft

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Titanic's Unlucky Seven

The Story of the Ill-Fated Liner’s Officers

By: James W Bancroft

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252

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Frontline Books

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1036102556

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9781036102555

Book's by James W. Bancroft

The Titanic Disaster

The Titanic Disaster

Echelon

Echelon

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

Alamo Defenders

Alamo Defenders

The Rorke's Drift Commanders

The Rorke's Drift Commanders

The Great Redan at Sebastopol

The Great Redan at Sebastopol

Zulu War VCs

Zulu War VCs

The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

The Rorke's Drift Men

The Rorke's Drift Men

The Early Years of the FA Cup

The Early Years of the FA Cup

The Devil's Trap

The Devil's Trap

Titanic

Titanic

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

Titanic's Unlucky Seven

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