Fighting Ships, 1850 to 1950 by Sam Willis. A valuable collectors' piece

This is a book of enormous popularity: copies fetch up to $300 + on line

It is offered here at a fair price which includes postage.

The title is self-explanatory, the book is largely pictorial with historical text of great significance interspersed. Major sea battles of C19, WWI and WWII described and illustrated.

224 pp. approx 80 fine illustrations; paintings, photos, drawings.

very large format, 35 x 43 cm.  Very Good condition apart from curling of dust cover at top and bottom.

A book to be treasured and read, and read over from time to time.

$95.00

  • 2.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

The Great Admirals by Richard Hough. First edition 1977

see second image for precis 

Drake, Nelson, Medina Sidonia, Togo, Yamamoto, Tirpitz, Jellicoe, Beatty, and more. The exploits of all are described and illustrated fully with many paintings maps photos and drawings.  

A fine book and a very readable historical resource.

270 pp. over 200 illustrations, index

Fine condition with very slight shelf scuffing. 

$25.00

  • 1.2 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

The Great Ship by Ernie Bradford

Another well-researched study by this famous maritime author, of the battleship, its genesis and eventual redundancy.

A rewarding if brief read.

176 pp. Index, Bibliography. approx 20 photos and paintings, all B&W.

$0.00

  • 0.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

The Blocking of Zeebrugge by Capt. Alfred Carpenter V.C. . intro by Admiral Beatty. pub. 1921

see second image for precis.

A fascinating tale by the man on the scene, chronicling the blockade of the port of Zeebrugge whence German submarines attempted to starve Britain of supplies during WWI. Not all the marauding subs. could be sunk, so preventing their access to the Atlantic ocean was a practical option.

295 pp. many photos of great historical interest, maps.

Fair condition, tight binding, some scuffing of spine at top.

a rewarding read

$10.00

  • 0.7 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Perilous Fight by Stephen Budiansky

America's intrepid war with Britain on the high seas, 1812 to 1815

see second image for precis.

A well-written deeply researched account of some rather inglorious conflicts as the newly formed American Navy continued its eventually successful efforts to give America its Independence from Britain.

 

422 pp. hard cover. some illustrations and maps.

Fine condition

$10.00

  • 1 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

No Cause for Alarm. Submarine Attacks on Sydney and Newcastle May-June 1942. pub. by DVA

A fascinating look at the attacks using many unseen photos and very detailed text, in a booklet form.

Cover shows Kuttabul in her very sad state after torpedoing.

42 pp. over 40 photos all B&W. 

soft cover Very Good condition

$10.00

  • 0.3 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Spin me a Dit! by Iris Nesdale

Tales of the Royal Australian Navy, in particular the corvettes.

In naval slang, "dit" typically refers to a story, often a tall tale or anecdote, sometimes even an exaggerated one. (Google)

see other images for precis and Contents.

An enjoyable and absorbing inside look at RAN history in WWII in the words of the men.

258 pp. Index, dictionary of terms, plus some nicknames explained

Fine condition

$15.00

  • 1 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Pearl Harbor A complete illustrated history. by Allan Seiden

"From Fishponds to Warships", a full history of the port from before the Polynesians.

120 pp. over 100 illustrations, photos, maps, many in colour, plus some fine paintings full page

 see image for precis

soft cover Very Good condition

$22.00

  • 1 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Battleships in Action by HW Wilson volume II.

Rare gem

An impressive collector's piece. No date of publication is given but it is clearly a First Edition from about 1920, dealing with First World War actions and vessels in great detail.

A very well-loved book, somewhat tattered around the edges but in firm binding. Tear developing along top of spine, rear.

360 pp. on heavy art paper.

over 100 illustrations, photos maps and drawings. Detailed and very readable

$39.00

  • 1 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

The Naval Memoirs of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes. First edition 1934

The years 1910 to 1915, The Narrow Seas to the Dardanelles

Another rare gem.

The book is not in good condition but the story is enthralling, all-encompassing, historical reading. The failed attempt by the Navy to force the Dardanelles, leading to the worse disaster of the Anzac landing, is described in minute detail.  The reader learns a great deal about Eastern Mediterranean geography!

526 pp. Hard cover in poor condition. Binding still firm and intact.

Index and Appendices 

second image above shows typical Contents headings.

Very well-written, with concise details of the Royal Navy involvement in landing at Gallipoli 1915.

Fascinating stuff, it reads like a novel.leaving the reader in awe of the competence and bravery of the Royal Navy, particularly Keyes himself.  Worth every cent, despite the condition of the hard cover spine, which could be repaired using gum and some care.

 

$35.00

  • 1 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Armada by Peter Padfield

207 pp. hard cover large format approx. 100 illustrations. Fine drawings paintings and maps of the period. Modern maps showing disposition of ships at certain times.

As full a pictorial history of this famous naval event as could be found anywhere. No coffee table book, this.

Fine condition in clear wrapper 

$35.00

  • 1.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Cruiser by Mike Carlton. HMAS Perth

Highly recommended.

 

HMAS Perth saw more action than most other RAN ships of WWII. Built in Britain as one of the modified Leander class and later purchased by the RAN, she had heavy armament but no radar and primitive Asdic.

Every detail of the ship is described in full, from her building, her voyages in the Atlantic and the Med., and then transfer to the Far East and eventual loss by Japanese attack in the Battle of Sunda Strait. Many crew survived only to be brutally murdered in Japanese captivity.  Full attention is paid to the lives of the men who crewed her, almost every man from stoker to commander, the stories make good reading.

Well written in a flowing journalistic style. A story once begun, hard to leave aside.

706 pp. text references, bibliography and comprehensive index.

approx 40 photos mostly B&W

Good condition. Some shelf rubbing and small tears in jacket corners.

 

$25.00

  • 1.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

An Awkward Truth by Peter Grose

see image for precis

An event which shocked Australia:  a vivid account thoroughly researched.

It is a rewarding read.

250 pp. 20 photos B&W in centre section.

Soft cover good tight condition

$19.00

  • 0.3 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Battleship Bismarck by Burkhard, Baron von Mullenheim-Rechberg translated by Jack Sweetman

see image for precis

462 pp. approx 20 photos and maps

soft cover Very Fine Condition

$20.00

  • 0.7 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

White Ensign 1939 - 1945 The Navy goes to War

A slim publication showcasing photos and illustrations which were later used on postage stamps.

Full descriptive text.

39 pp. over 50 illustrations, photos paintings,  Hard cover in Fine condition.

 

$5.00

  • 0.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Australian and New Zealand Warships, 1914 - 1945 by Ross Gillett

An impressive compilation of the detail of the vessels themselves, their building their war experiences and a photo of each type of ship and each ship where possible. Everything is here from battleships to tenders, tugs to dinghies.

An absorbing read to dip into many times.

345 pp. over 300 photos all B&W

Very good condition apart from some 'stickiness' on some pages due to their glossiness.

$10.00

  • 1.6 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Cruisers Australian Seapower magazine profile no. 4. free shipping

A pictorial study of this class of Australian Navy vessels, 

80 pp. over 100 illustrations B&W . Fleet lists Aust and NZ

Soft cover Good condition

$7.00

  • Fewer than three in stock

Shattered Sword. The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway by J Parshall and A Tully

612 pp. Many diagrams, maps and some photos. see second image for reviews

A weighty tome, giving telling almost every shot fired in this monumental battle in which Admiral Yamamoto stood to lose so much. A finely told narrative, to make for a fascinating if lengthy read. Much new detail emerges, as seen from the Japanese perspective.   A very rewarding read.

Very Fine condition, as new. 

$30.00

  • 1.55 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

Battles of the Nineteenth Century

Military Land Battles.

A collection of all 3 volumes of this very unusual series.         Each book approx 750 pages in length

Each includes approx 100 illustrations mostly etchings and drawings all B&W,  with full page frontispiece   A military historian's  delight.

Hard cover beautifully patterned and gold=embossed. All are in Fair to Good condition with some scuffing and occasional loosening of binding. No damage.            Weighty tomes each about 1.5 kg.

Offered as a full set at this special price

 

$45.00

  • 4.5 kg
  • Fewer than three in stock
  • Ships within 7 days1

King George V Class Battleships by V E Tarrant

286 pp. over 100 photos and maps. Index, sources and history of the name.

Very Fine condition

 

$25.00

  • 0.75 kg
  • Sold Out

Iowa Class Battleships Their Design, Weapons and Equipment by Robert F Sumrall

192 pp. over 200 photos and drawings. Many tables of statistics. Glossary Appendices. Large format 

Very Fine condition

 

$25.00

  • 1.35 kg
  • Sold Out

The Battlecruiser Hood by John Roberts

The Anatomy of the Ship

126 pp. Very elegantly printed and bound volume. Large fold-out 1/500 scale plan view. see image above for features.

A very technical study with many hundred plans. sections and diagrams of every element of the ship's structure.

Some photos, chronology of the vessel's magnificent career and sad end.

As new condition

$20.00

  • 0.75 kg
  • Sold Out

The Battlecruiser HMS Hood by Bruce Taylor

An illustrated biography 1916 - 1941

256 pp. over 200 photos all B&W, some fine colour drawings

Very Fine Condition

$25.00

  • 1.4 kg
  • Sold Out

The Battleship Bismarck by Jack Brower

The Anatomy of the Ship

160 pp. Very elegantly printed and bound volume. Large fold-out 1/500 scale plan view. see image above for features.

A very technical study with many hundred plans. sections and diagrams of every element of the ship's structure.

Some photos, chronology of the vessel's sad career.

As new condition

$20.00

  • 0.92 kg
  • Sold Out

Forgotten Fleet 2 by Bill and Ruth Lunney

A rare and valuable book in Fine condition. See the second image for a synopsis.

This is elegantly written, deeply researched, very readable and a valuable source of historical detail.

366 pp. Hard cover over 200 photos all B&W

Fine condition

$90.00

  • 1.6 kg
  • Sold Out