Military & naval ships – The Bell Bookshop

The convoy

Emma — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Convoy represents a fresh approach to the story of the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also the first to deal with the more spectacular story of HG-76, a major turning point in the naval war.HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941 and was specially targeted by the Germans. A wolfpack of U-boats was sent against it, and the Luftwaffe was heavily committed too in a rare example of German inter-service cooperation. German intelligence agents in Gibraltar and Spain also knew every detail of HG-76 before it had even sailed, seemingly stacking the odds in favour of the Kriegsmarine. Despite this the convoy fought its way through. Improved radar and sonar gave the convoy’s escorts a slight edge over their opponents, while the escort group was led by Commander Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Previous Gibraltar convoys had been mauled by Luftwaffe bombers operating from French airfields. This time, though, HG-76 would be accompanied by HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy’s first escort carrier – a new type of warship purpose-built to defend convoys from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Following seven days and nights of relentless attack, the horrors of which are brought home through a series of first-hand accounts, the convoy finally reached the safety of a British port for the loss of only two merchant ships. Its arrival was seen as the first real convoy victory of the war. Brought to life by expert naval historian Angus Konstam, The Convoy combines the story of the technical and tactical developments that won the Battle of the Atlantic for the Allies along with a narrative that reveals both the terror and the stubborn determination that defined the experiences of those that served on convoy duties.

The U-Boat War

Emma — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The accepted historical narrative of the Second World War predominantly assigns U-boats to the so-called ‘Battle of the Atlantic’, almost as if the struggle over convoys between the new world and the old can be viewed in isolation from simultaneous events on land and in the air. This has become an almost accepted error. The U-boats war did not exist solely between 1940 and 1943, nor did the Atlantic battle occur in seclusion from other theatres of action. The story of Germany’s second U-boat war began on the first day of hostilities with Britain and France and ended with the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. U-boats were active in nearly every theatre of operation in which the Wehrmacht served, and within all but the Southern Ocean. Moreover, these deployments were not undertaken in isolation from one another; instead they were frequently interconnected in what became an increasingly inefficient German naval strategy. This fascinating new book places each theatre of action in which U-boats were deployed into the broader context of the Second World War in its entirety while also studying the interdependence of the various geographic deployments. It illustrates the U-boats’ often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers, dispels certain accepted mythologies, and reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry.

Pirates

Emma — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Discover all the foul facts about the history of swashbuckling buccaneers with history’s most horrible headlines: Pirates edition.

The master of making history fun, Terry Deary, turns his attention to seafaring pirates. From how to talk the patter of a pirate and the disgusting details of death by a thousand cuts to which potty pirate hacked off his enemy’s own ears and made him eat them. It’s all in Horrible Histories: Pirates:

fully illustrated throughout and packed with hair-raising stories – with all the horribly hilarious bits included
with a fresh take on the classic Horrible Histories style, perfect for fans old and new
the perfect series for anyone looking for a fun and informative read
Horrible Histories has been entertaining children and families for generations with books, TV, stage show, magazines, games and 2019’s brilliantly funny Horrible Histories: the Movie – Rotten Romans.

Get your history right here and collect the whole horrible lot. Read all about it!

All At Sea

Emma — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Discover all the foul facts behind the story of Britain and Ireland’s seafaring heritage with history’s most horrible headlines: cruise edition.

Find your horrible sea legs with Terry Deary, the master of making history fun. From the early explorers to the Pilgrim Fathers, the horrors of the slave trade to the particular appeal of a piratical life, the Royal Navy to the Merchant Navy, ship-building tales, fishing traditions and beyond, it’s all in Horrible Histories: All at Sea:

fully illustrated throughout and packed with hair-raising stories with all the horribly hilarious bits included
with a fresh take on the classic Horrible Histories style, perfect for fans old and new
the perfect series for anyone looking for a fun and informative read
Horrible Histories has been entertaining children and families for generations with books, TV, stage show, magazines, games and 2019’s brilliantly funny Horrible Histories: the Movie – Rotten Romans.

Get your history right here and collect the whole horrible lot

Read all about it!

Hunt the Bismarck

Emma — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Hunt the Bismarck, now available in paperback, tells the story of Operation RheinÃ¼bung, the Atlantic sortie of Nazi Germany’s largest battleship, Bismarck, in May 1941 and her subsequent pursuit by the Royal Navy.

Bismarck entered naval service in the summer of 1940. She was well-armed, with eight 15in guns as well as a powerful array of lighter weapons, while her armoured protection earned her the reputation of being unsinkable. This claim was put to the test in May 1941 when she sortied into the Atlantic and fought the legendary battle of the Denmark Strait, destroying HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy. Bismarck was now loose in the North Atlantic. However, damage sustained in the battle limited her ability to roam at will, and the Royal Navy deployed the Home Fleet to avenge the sinking of the Hood. The stage was set for the greatest chase story in the history of naval warfare.

Drawing on a wealth of first-hand accounts and intertwining extensive research into a fast-paced narrative, this is the most readable and accurate account of Bismarck‘s epic pursuit ever produced.

For the Love of the Navy: A Celebration of the British Armed Forces

Emma — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered…

How the Navy and the Marines came to be ‘royal’?
How Samuel Pepys helped professionalise the Navy while at the same time penning his famous diary.
What the origins of everyday expressions like ‘toeing the line’, ‘showing
your true colours’ and ‘piping-hot food’ are?

Marvel at the magnificent vessels that have always been the backbone of the force, from the Tudor warship Mary Rose to the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy. Pay homage to the acclaimed naval heroes and the impressive battles that make up its illustrious history, from the Battle of Gravelines which saw off the Spanish Armada to the two world wars of the twentieth century and beyond, via the sea battles of the Napoleonic Wars. And learn about the remarkable people who serve in the Navy’s ranks today as its beating heart, in roles as widespread as conflict-prevention, counternarcotics, counter-piracy and humanitarian and disaster relief, ensuring that the Senior Service will retain its reputation for excellence for generations to come.

Rise & Fall Of British Naval Mastery

Emma — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Paul Kennedy’s classic naval history, now updated with a new introduction by the author

This acclaimed book traces Britain’s rise and fall as a sea power from the Tudors to the present day. Challenging the traditional view that the British are natural ‘sons of the waves’, he suggests instead that the country’s fortunes as a significant maritime force have always been bound up with its economic growth. In doing so, he contributes significantly to the centuries-long debate between ‘continental’ and ‘maritime’ schools of strategy over Britain’s policy in times of war. Setting British naval history within a framework of national, international, economic, political and strategic considerations, he offers a fresh approach to one of the central questions in British history. A new introduction extends his analysis into the twenty-first century and reflects on current American and Chinese ambitions for naval mastery.

‘Excellent and stimulating’ Correlli Barnett

‘The first scholar to have set the sweep of British Naval history against the background of economic history’ Michael Howard, Sunday Times

‘By far the best study that has ever been done on the subject … a sparkling and apt quotation on practically every page’ Daniel A. Baugh, International History Review

‘The best single-volume study of Britain and her naval past now available to us’ Jon Sumida, Journal of Modern History

Kamikaze Hunters

Emma — Thu, 19 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller.

In May 1945, with victory in Europe established, the war was all but over. But on the other side of the world, the Allies were still engaged in a bitter struggle to control the Pacific. And it was then that the Japanese unleashed a terrible new form of warfare: the suicide pilots, or Kamikaze.

Drawing on meticulous research and unique personal access to the remaining survivors, Will Iredale follows a group of young men from the moment they joined up through their initial training to the terrifying reality of fighting against pilots who, in the cruel last summer of the war, chose death rather than risk their country’s dishonourable defeat and deliberately flew their planes into Allied aircraft carriers. A story of courage, valour and dogged determination, The Kamikaze Hunters is a gripping account of how a few brave young men helped to ensure lasting peace.