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Shipping - Britain: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Explore the best illustrated books on British shipping. Discover the history of ports, shipping companies, types and construction of ships from Great Britain.

Mayflower : The Pilgrim Fathers' historic voyage of 1620 (Haynes Maritime Manual)

Published to mark the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620 and the establishment of the first colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Haynes Mayflower Manual tells the story of how the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth in Devon to America, seeking to establish a fresh life in the New World free from religious persecution.

After a gruelling 66-day journey across the Atlantic the ship and its 102 passengers ended landed at Cape Cod. In the harsh winter that followed roughly half their number died of disease and malnutrition.
The group finally decided on a site in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where they built their colony. From these challenging beginnings Plymouth became the birthplace of modern America.

The Haynes Mayflower Manual looks at the first colonies and the first settlers in America; the story of the 'lost colony' on Roanoke Island, North Carolina; what made the Pilgrim Fathers travel to the New World; the historic voyage of the Mayflower; how seafarers crossed the oceans in the 17th century; early settler life in New England; the inspiring story of the replica Mayflower II in 1957 and its recent renovation for the 400th anniversary celebrations in September 2020.

Product details

Author:Jonathan Falconer
Details:160 pages, 10.8 x 8.25 x 0.55 in (27.5 x 21 x 1.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:extensively illustrated
Language:English (technical dictionaries in 19 languages are available for free download here)
Publisher:Haynes Publishing (GB, 2020)
Series:Haynes Maritime Manual
ISBN:9781785216473
Book cover: Mayflower : The Pilgrim Fathers' historic voyage of 1620 | Haynes Maritime Manual | Haynes (GB)

Mayflower : The Pilgrim Fathers' historic voyage of 1620

Language: English

Britain's Historic Ships : A Complete Guide to the Ships that Shaped the Nation

This fully updated second edition explores 20 of the most celebrated and accessible British ships and offers a comprehensive history of each vessel's design, construction, active service and subsequent restoration and preservation.

Presented in order of each ship's launch date, each entry is written by the acknowledged expert on a particular vessel, gives full specification details and is sumptuously illustrated with contemporary photographs, historical illustrations and a full set of scale plans.

Principal vessels include: Mary Rose, HMS Victory, HMS Trincomalee, SS Great Britain, Cutty Sark, RRS Discovery, HMS Warrior, HMS Belfast, HMY Britannia, HMS Alliance, HMS Cavalier, Gypsy Moth IV and HMS Plymouth.

Product details

Author:Paul Brown
Details:208 pages, 11.8 x 11 x 0.71 in (30 x 28 x 1.8 cm), paperback
Illustrations:many b&w and color photos
Language:English
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (GB, 2016)
ISBN:9781844864096
Book cover: Britain's Historic Ships : A Complete Guide to the Ships that Shaped the Nation | Bloomsbury PLC

Britain's Historic Ships : A Complete Guide to the Ships that Shaped the Nation

Language: English

Coastal Shipping Through Time

Before the development of canals, railways or metalled roads, the quickest and most effective means of transporting goods from one point to another in Britain was by the use of coastal shipping, shallow-draft boats travelling between the ports of the British Isles. With the development and improvement of the canals, railways and especially the road network, however, coastal shipping in the UK has decreased dramatically.

In this book, maritime author Ian Collard takes a look at the history of coastal shipping in the UK, examining in turn the ports of the English Channel, the North East, Scotland and the Irish Sea and the ships used to transport so much cargo and so many passengers.

Product details

Author:Ian Collard
Details:96 pages, 9.25 x 6.5 in (23.5 x 16.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:180 b&w and color photos
Language:English
Publisher:Amberley Publishing (GB, 2016)
ISBN:9781445658810
Book cover: Coastal Shipping Through Time | Amberley

Coastal Shipping Through Time

Language: English

Coasters of South Wales

This volume looks at ports between Swansea in the west and Chepstow in the east. The industrial revolution saw a huge and rapid expansion of ports in this area, thanks largely to the insatiable appetite for coal and metals which could be supplied in abundance from South Wales. The latter half of the twentieth century saw an inexorable decline in the area's coal production and heavy industry with the inevitable result that large sections of port areas have declined in maritime importance.

Product details

Author:Bernard McCall
Details:96 pages, 7.7 x 9.7 x 0.47 in (19.5 x 24.5 x 1.2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:116 color photos
Language:English
Publisher:Bernard McCall (GB, 2011)
ISBN:9781902953564
Book cover: Coasters of South Wales | Bernard McCall

Coasters of South Wales

Language: English

The Lifeboat Service in England- The North East Coast - Station by Station

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was established in 1824 and has a long and proud tradition of saving life at sea. Today, the volunteer lifeboat crews on the coasts of Northumberland, County Durham, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire operate high-tech state-of-the-art lifeboats for the purpose of saving lives at sea.

The RNLI currently operates sixteen lifeboat stations along the north-east coast of England. This comprehensive book has details of every one, and covers their histories and the current operations.
It also includes details of old stations that have been closed, photographs of lifeboat memorials, and contains descriptions of some of the dramatic, courageous and daring rescues undertaken by the lifeboat crews from the region.

Author Nicholas Leach has amassed a wealth of information about the lifeboats and lifeboat stations of the North East, past and present, visiting every one to provide a complete and up-to-date record of lifesaving in the treacherous North Sea between Berwick-upon-Tweed in the north and Skegness.

Product details

Author:Nicholas Leach
Details:160 pages, 9.25 x 7.5 x 0.67 in (23.5 x 19 x 1.7 cm), paperback
Illustrations:300 b&w and color photos
Language:English
Publisher:Amberley Publishing (GB, 2018)
ISBN:9781445668321
Book cover: The Lifeboat Service in England- The North East Coast - Station by Station | Amberley

The Lifeboat Service in England- The North East Coast - Station by Station

Language: English

Related Titles:

Book cover: The Caledonian Steam Packet Company - An Illustrated History

The Caledonian Steam Packet Company - An Illustrated History

Alistair Deayton | English | paperback | 128 p. | 2014

Book cover: British Paddle Steamers- The Twilight Years

British Paddle Steamers- The Twilight Years

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Book cover: Mersey Ferries Through Time

Mersey Ferries Through Time

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Book cover: Steamers and Ferries of the Northern Isles

Steamers and Ferries of the Northern Isles

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Book cover: The Isle of Man Steam Packet Through Time

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Through Time

Ian Collard | English | paperback | 96 p. | 2013

Book cover: Waverley Steam Navigation Company

Waverley Steam Navigation Company

Alistair Deayton | English | hardback | 192 p. | 2014