Seaforth World Naval Review 2011

 

Seaforth World Naval Review 2011

Conrad Waters

Hardback Seaforth Books 9781848320758 £25.00

We were very excited to receive the latest book in the new Seaforth annual on naval affairs and were most definitely not disappointed. Articles by several noted experts such as Norman Friedman and Devrim Yaylali are included on topical subjects. An extensive review of world naval developments is the main focus of the first part of the book is very well done. Combined with first rate illustrations and reasonable price, this book is rapidly becoming an indispensible resource. We look forward to the next edition!

Assault Landing Craft: Design, Construction and Operations

 

Assault Landing Craft: Design, Construction and Operations

Brian Lavery

Hardback Seaforth Books 9781848320505 £19.95

Author Brian Lavery is Curator Emeritus of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich so the read is comfortable in the knowledge they are reading a history from and expert. This book covers the wartime development and operation of the LCA landing craft used with great effect to the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy at D-Day. Fully illustrated, this important new work provides and important place in the history of naval amphibious operations.

Profiles of Flight: Vought F4 Corsair Carrier and Land-based Fighter

Profiles of Flight: Vought F4 Corsair Carrier and Land-based Fighter 

Dave Windle

9781848844087 Pen & Sword Books $39.95

Beautifully illustrated with color profile artwork and black and white photos with the photos of deck landing training on training carrier USS Charger which spend most of the Second World War undertaking this duty off the Virginia Capes. This book would be an excellent addition to the collection of aviation fans and modelers. Well done to Mr Windle on what was obviously a labor of love. 

Vought F8 Crusader 1955-1999

Vought F8 Crusader 1955-1999

Gérard Paloque

Paper 9782352501855 Histoire & Collections $24.95

This book is very well researched and illustrated by French author Gérard Paloque. Profusely illustrated with photographs and first rate artwork. The Vought Crusader was the last jet fighter able to deploy on any US Navy carrier of the period and was used extensively in the Vietnam War. In addition the aircraft was used by the French Navy for many years. One small beef with this book was the awkwardness of some of the translations from the original French, something that should have been caught in editing. However the overall book is superb and must for any fan of naval aviation.

Nimrod: Rise and Fall

Nimrod: Rise and Fall

Tony Blackman

Hardback 978-1-908117-79-3 Grub Street £20.00

The history of Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) has for the at least the past 70 years has been a blending of high technology sensors and weapons fitted to aircraft capable of staying aloft for several hours. The best examples of this were the cat and mouse games between aircraft and submarines in both the Second World War and the Cold War. Based on the Comet civil airliner, the long service Nimrod in Royal Air Force service is very well documented. This profusely illustrated work follows development from prototype stage to the recent scrapping of the final version, Nimrod MRA4. Well done to Mr Blackman on this comprehensive work which will make a welcome addition to any fan of military aviation’s bookshelf.

Ready for Anything: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary 1905-1950

 

Ready for Anything: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary 1905-1950

Geoff Puddefoot

Hardback Seaforth Books 9781848320741 £25.00

Having previously read the companion volume, albeit out of sequence, it was good to catch up with this book. Kudos to Mr Puddefoot for his zeal and passion for compiling these first rate unofficial histories of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. A few minor errors were noted such as Royal New Zealand Navy cited in 1914 when this service was not formed until 1942. A description of the ships being refueled in the illustrations would have been nice such as the page that features a Battle Class destroyer and a Swiftsure Class cruiser.  This book fills an important service in filling in gaps in the historical record of the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Pacific Fleet of 1945. 

British Warships and Auxiliaries 1952

British Warships and Auxiliaries 1952

Steve Bush

375 pages illustrated 9781904459453 £25 hardback Maritime Books 2012

Author Steve Bush, who authors the annual British Warships and Auxiliaries, has undertaken the daunting task of compiling what this book would have looked like in 1952, the year of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne by including the Royal Navy and their Commonwealth cousins.

Fully illustrated, all ships from that era are included with in tabular format along with a representative photo of each ship class.

Congratulations of Mr Bush and Maritime Books for another fine product.