As the crow flies'', ''chunder'', ''cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'', ''three sheets to the wind'' - many terms like these are used in everyday English language conversation and writing. But how many landlubbers know that they derive from naval slang or know what the phrase originally referred to? The navy has helped to shape modern society. The navy is famous for its traditions, quirks and nuances. It is disinctly different to wider society and nowhere is this more evident than in language. The naval community once had its own language, incomprehensible to anyone who was not a sailor, which described and explained his unique world. But on shore leave these men introduced their language to the populations of bustling ports and harbours and the usage slowly spread inland. Today through the mediums of film, television and music, naval slang has been brought to the wider public and has become fully integrated into the English language to point where many phrases are used by people who have no concept of their meaning. Presenting terminology thematically, this book provides a compilation of naval slang throughout the world, from terms relating to ship-handling and seamanship through to food and drink, discipline and insults. The text is further enhanced with original black line drawings that illustrate certain technical terms, such as ''splice the mainbrace''.
In this fascinating little book, Robert Baden-Powell uses his extensive military experience and memories of service in Africa to distill soldiering down to 'the four C-s': Courage, Common sense, Cunning and Cheerfulness. With observations gleaned from his campaigns against the Zulus, the Ashanti and the Boers during the period 1876–1910 (and even from conversations with the German Kaiser), B-P discusses all aspects of military service from digging trenches and earth-works to 'inculcating cheerfulness in your men'. This period document gives a unique insight into the mindset of the British officer in 1914; advocating a training system that encapsulated Edwardian values, conventional military thinking and centuries of army tradition. Quick Training For War is a perfect example of the type of war the British expected to fight and which they prepared for in 1914, and it became a standard survival guide for many British troops. Personable in tone, this is the well-intentioned, no-nonsense advice of a seasoned campaigner - albeit an officer more accustomed to scouting on the South African veldt than struggling through Somme mud.
The Avro Lancaster was the RAF's most famous and successful heavy bomber of the Second World War. Used predominantly at night, 'Lancs' dropped 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties in the period 1942-1945. Some of these missions were incredibly daring – notably the 'dambusters' raid of 617 squadron on the Ruhr valley dams in May 1943. The success of such operations was testament both to the rugged, reliable qualities of this amazing aircraft and the bravery and skill of the pilots, navigators, bombardiers, flight engineers and gunners that crewed it. They relied on their training and experience, supplemented by various pamphlets and manuals that were produced throughout the war. Supplemented with illustrative plans and diagrams, this fascinating pocket manual provides a unique insight into the wartime operation of this famous aircraft.
In the maelstrom of Napoleonic Europe, Britain remained defiant, resisting French imperial ambitions. This Anglo-French rivalry was, essentially, a politico-economic conflict for pre-eminence fought on a global scale and it reached a zenith in 1806-1808 with France's apparent dominance of Continental Europe. Britain reacted swiftly and decisively to implement maritime-based strategies to limit French military and commercial gains in Europe, while protecting British overseas interests. The policy is particularly evident in relations with Britain's 'Ancient Ally': Portugal. That country and, by association her South American empire, became the front line in the battle between Napoleon's ambitions and British maritime security. Shedding new light on British war aims and maritime strategy, this is an essential work for scholars of the Napoleonic Wars and British political, diplomatic, economic and maritime/military history.
The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was the first global conflict and became the key factor in creating the British Empire. This book looks at Britain's maritime strategic, operational and tactical success (and failures), through a wide-ranging history of the Royal Navy's role in the war. By the end of the war in 1763 Britain was by no means a hegemonic power, but it was the only state capable of sustained global power projection on a global scale. Key to Britain's success was political and strategic direction from London, through the war planning of Pitt the Elder and the successful implementation of his policies by a stellar cast of naval and military leaders at an operational and tactical level. Martin Robson highlights the work of some of the key protagonists in the Royal Navy, such as Admiral Hawke whose appreciation of the wider strategic context at Quiberon Bay in 1759 decided the fate of North America, but he also provides insights into the experience of life in the lower decks at this time. Robson ultimately shows that the creation, containment and expansion of the British Empire was made possible by the exercise of maritime power through the Royal Navy.
One of the best accounts ever written of deep-water diving and its staggering, haunting dangers' Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers Deep underwater lurks a mysterious man-made illness. It has gone by many names over the years – Satan’s disease, diver’s palsy, the chokes – but today, medics call it decompression sickness. You know it as the bends. That’s the devil British diver Martin Robson faces each time he plunges beneath the surface. In the winter of 2012, Robson was part of an expedition to Blue Lake, southern Russia, which sought to find a submerged cave system never seen by the human eye. On the final day of the expedition, as Robson returned from diving deeper into the lake than anyone had before, disaster struck: just seventy-five feet down, he was ambushed by the bends. Robson knew that if he continued up to the surface he would probably die before help arrived. Instead, he sank back into the water, gambling on an underwater practice most doctors believe is a suicidal act. Soon the only hope he had of saving his life would rest in the hands of a dramatic mercy mission organised at the highest levels of the Russian government. Between the Devil and the Deep is the first book to tell the terrifying true story of what it feels like to get the bends, taking you inside the body and mind of a man who suffered the unthinkable. Writer Mark Cowan also explores the grimly fascinating history of decompression sickness, the science behind what causes the disease, and the stories of the forgotten divers who pushed the limits of physical endurance to help find a solution.
The Mosquito Pocket Manual collates authentic period sources including pilot's notes and other Air Ministry publications to provide a unique guide to this iconic aircraft. The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew that served during and after the Second World War. It was one of few operational front-line aircraft of the era constructed almost entirely of wood and was nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder". The Mosquito was also known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber the Mosquito was adapted to a wide range of bombing roles. It was also used by BOAC as a fast transport to carry small high-value cargoes to, and from neutral countries through enemy controlled airspace. The book collates a variety of pamphlets and manuals on the plane that were produced throughout the war for the benefit of pilots and others associated with the aircraft.
Conway's Compass Series integrates an original narrative with quotations from documents and eyewitnesses, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations or photographs to provide an authoritative account of an historical event or topic. This eclectic approach offers both the perspective of hindsight, placing actions in context, and the immediacy of being present as the events unfold. These are not only described, but also explained, in the words of historians and participants. In addition to the narrative and the documentary excerpts, sidebars and boxed-out sections deal with specific themes, such as the biographies of important individuals and comparisons with similar events in history. The list of subjects planned for inclusion in this series range across the whole spectrum of maritime history. They include nautical tragedies, voyages of exploration, single actions or whole naval campaigns, and themes of naval science. The first 10 planned titles are: The Spanish Armada; The Voyages of Cook; The Titanic Tragedy; The Mutiny on the Bounty; The Bismarck Chase; Iwo Jima; Polar Exploration; Naval Battles of the Civil War; Pirates; and The Campaign and Battle of Trafalgar. REVIEWS "Overall, Robson has crafted an exceptional book on the battle, with about everything you'd want from a Trafalgar book."8-07, Paper Wars Magazine
The Hurricane Pocket Manual collates authentic period sources including pilot's notes and other Air Ministry publications to provide a unique guide to this iconic aircraft. The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the RAF. Although overshadowed by the Spitfire, during the Battle of Britain the Hurricane accounted for 60% of the RAF's air victories in the battle, and served in all the major theatres of the Second World War. The 1930s design evolved through several versions and adaptations, resulting in a series of aircraft that acted as interceptor-fighters, fighter-bombers (also called 'Hurribombers'), and ground support aircraft. Further versions known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications that enabled operation from ships. Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts, known as 'Hurricats'. More than 14,583 Hurricanes were built by the end of 1944 (including at least 800 converted to Sea Hurricanes and some 1,400 built in Canada. The book collates a variety of pamphlets and manuals on the plane that were produced throughout the war for the benefit of pilots and others associated with the aircraft.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were the first truly global conflicts. The Royal Navy was a key player in the wider wars and, for Britain, the key factor in her eventual emergence as the only naval power capable of sustained global hegemony. The most iconic battles of any era were fought at sea during these years - from the Battle of the Nile in 1798 to Nelson's momentous victory at Trafalgar in October 1805. In this period, the Navy had reached a peak of efficiency and was unrivalled in manpower and technological strength. The eradication of scurvy in the 1790s had a significant impact on the health of sailors and, along with regular supplies of food and water, gave the British an advantage over their rivals in battle. As well as naval battles, the Navy also undertook amphibious operations, capturing many of France's Caribbean colonies and Dutch colonies in the East Indies and Ceylon; this Imperial dimension was integral to British strength and counteracting French success on continental Europe. This book looks at the history of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815, from a broad perspective, examining the strategy, operations and tactics of British seapower. While it delves into the details of Royal Navy operations such as battle, blockade, commerce protection and exploration, it also covers a myriad of other aspects often overlooked in narrative histories such as the importance of naval logistics, transport, relations with the army and manning. An assessment of key naval figures and combined eyewitness accounts situate the reader firmly in Nelson's navy. Through an exploration of the relationship between the Navy, trade and empire, Martin Robson highlights the contribution Royal Navy made to Britain's rise to global hegemony through the nineteenth century Pax Britannica.
D-Day, or OVERLORD (to give the Allied invasion of Normandy its codename) was the largest amphibious invasion in history. The plan called for an assault upon Hitler's Atlantic Wall to be conducted by 160,000 men, convoyed and landed by an invasion flotilla of over 5,000 ships to land several waves of troops upon five Normandy beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. 'The battle belonged that morning to the thin, wet line of khaki that dragged itself ashore on the channel coast of France', General Omar M. Bradley would later state. On D-Day itself 175,000 men, 3,000 guns, 15,000 tanks and 15,000 other vehicles were landed in Normandy by parachute, glider or across the beaches. Once established and with beachheads linked up, allied forces were faced with fighting in the dense, claustrophobic Normandy bocage, and it took six weeks of brutal additional fighting for the allies to break out of Normandy. In the 70th anniversary year of the D-Day landings, this book tells this fascinating story not only through stunning documentary photography but also through over 200 key objects, selected for their importance to the outcome and experience of Operation OVERLORD and often arranged as the complete D-Day kit of many of the participants. Key artefacts include uniforms and personal mementoes of Generals Eisenhower, Montgomery, Patton, Bradley and Cota; the blueprints of the Mulberry harbours; personal mementoes of the US Rangers on Omaha Beach and British Airborne troops at Pegasus Bridge; and uniforms and equipment of every major combatant army, including rare German Army and Waffen SS material from the Normandy battlefields. The scope is international, covering USA, UK, Canadian, Polish, Free French and the French resistance along with other nations who took part including the Axis side. The book covers objects that had an influence at political, strategic, operational and tactical levels along with key objects which humanise such a vast undertaking such as K-rations and cigarettes.
Students, residents, researchers, and surgeons will discover that this book is a compendium of knowledge regarding quantitative bacteriology. Beginning with the concept of the equilibrium between bacteria and the factors of host resistance as recognized historically, this book finishes with discussions regarding the practicality of tissue bacterial quantification in 1990. Various techniques for quantifying bacteria in tissue are discussed and critically evaluated. The role for qualitative species identification is emphasized. Specialists will find the place for quantitative bacteriology in general wound healing, general surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and the management of burns. Also included is a section on statistics and validity of tissue sampling to help develop confidence levels. All of the chapters are interwoven to allow readers to determine the role of quantitative bacteriology in the armamentarium of a surgeon.
WESTERN FICTIONEERS- the only professional writers' organization devoted exclusively to traditional western fiction -was founded in 2010 by Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Frank Roderus, Bill Crider, Larry Sweazy, and many other western authors. WF established an award for excellence in the genre, The Peacemaker Award, that has quickly gained prestige in the western publishing field. This volume includes works by everyone who has been nominated for the Best Short Story Peacemaker Award in the first three years of its existence, including the winners. You will be hard pressed to find such a collection of new classics in one book. These stories represent the finest in Old West fiction being written today.
Revised second edition providing comprehensive and up-to-date information for all those involved in housing students and advising students as to their housing rights, whether in traditional halls of residence, private halls, the private sector or housing association properties. With handy checklists on what to look for in a contract and case studies which highlight common problems and pitfalls, Student Housing and the Law is essential reading for all those involved in the student housing market.
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