Conway Maritime Press

There is little documented mapping of conflict prior to the Renaissance period, but, from the 17th century onwards, military commanders and strategists began to document the wars in which they were involved and later, to use mapping to actually plan the progress of a conflict.

The British Isles have a long, rich and celebrated seafaring history stretching from the earliest times through the victories of Drake and Nelson, the voyages of discovery of Cabot and Cook and the defence of the realm by vessels of all types in the present century. Much of this history is recorded in literature and in museums but reaches its most tangible form in the large number of historical ships that h...

During much of his early career, from 1944 through to the early 1960s, Richard Hardy took hundreds of pictures of life on the railways and the men he knew and worked with on a daily basis, using his trusty Brownie 620 box camera. These unique behind the scenes images form a fascinating and hugely evocative portrayal of Britain at the height of the era of steam, during the time of the 'Big Four', and after 1...

The United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, most commonly known as MI5, was founded in 1909 by Sir Vernon Kell KBE. Kell ('K' within the agency) not only founded MI5 but was also its Director for 31 years, the longest tenure of any head of a British government department during the twentieth century. Kell was also fluent in six foreign languages, making him arguably the most gift...

This fascinating pocket book draws on numerous primary sources from the early days of the rail network through to the Big Four, British Railways and beyond to present a unique guide to the knowledge and skills required for locomotive drivers, engineers and firemen. Beginning with an introduction to steam from about 1890, the book outlines the rules of the rail network, locomotive management from driving to ...

In The Routemaster Pocket-Book Matthew Jones offers the readers a compilation of instructions and articles, facts and figures, press releases, etc, about London’s double-decker Routemaster buses which for nearly half a century were as much a symbol of the city as its red telephone boxes or the black cabs.

To sail the oceans needed skill as well as courage and experience, and the sea chart with, where appropriate, the coastal view, was the tool by which ships of trade, transport or conquest navigated their course. This book looks at the history and development of the chart and the related nautical map, in both scientific and aesthetic terms, as a means of safe and accurate seaborne navigation. The Italian mer...

This guide is a timely addition to Conway's best-selling pocket book series that examines this famous ship from a refreshingly different angle. Launched in May 1911, the triple-screw steamer Titanic was the pride of the White Star Line and at that time the largest passenger ship in the world. Built to carry passengers in comfort and luxury on the lucrative transatlantic route, her design, fittings and on bo...

The Sea Charts of the British Isles takes the reader on a circumnavigation of 'these sceptred isles', as Shakespeare referred to them, to explore through various charts this multitude of sea ports, fishing and commercial harbours, naval bases and dockyards, and sea-side havens, that have supported local life, and defended and imported for the populace at large.

This new addition to the best-selling Conway pocket-book range features Admiral Nelson's fully preserved flagship HMS Victory, the most tangible symbol of the Royal Navy's greatest battle off Cape Trafalgar on October 21st 1805. In the HMS Victory Pocket Manual, Peter Goodwin adopts a fresh approach to explain the workings of the only surviving 'line of battle' ship of the Napoleonic Wars. And, as Victory ...

The Beagle has become synonymous with Charles Darwin and his groundbreaking title On the Origin of Species. But how did Darwin come to be on board? Now reissued in paperback, in a single volume all the various strands of the Beagle story have been woven together to reveal the circumstances that set the expedition in motion and the characters who circumnavigated the world together. Enriched with first-hand c...

At the height of the Second World War this small pocket-book was issued to all ratings on board ships of the Royal Navy. In straight period prose it outlines all the basic expressions and tasks a seaman needed to know to perform his duties efficiently. Chapters are broken down into: Sea Terms; Navigation; Steering the Ship; Rigging; Anchors and Cables; Boatwork; Miscellaneous (which includes details on unif...

The seaways were the first global network and they were irrevocably linked the destinies of geographically and culturally distant people. “The History of Seafaring” is the definitive volume on navigation and exploration and recounts the motives that drove Europeans to seek routes to the far corners of the globe and in particular the seamanship that made their voyages possible.

With the character of the Arctic in a dramatic state of flux, and arguments over sovereignty once again rising to the surface, it is timely that a history of the exploration of this remote region be published. Wide-reaching in its scope and beautifully presented with artworks, maps and charts from the Nurminen Foundation and numerous European museums, private collections and archives, this is a full account...

Ship brings together 360 of the most celebrated ships in history and fiction in one stylishly produced volume. Each has its unique tale to tell, the dramatic stories immortalised in evocative artworks or captured in startling photography. Themes include exploration and scientific discovery; mutiny and piracy; shipwreck, cannibalism and survival. Ships that excelled in battle or that were lost in devastating...

The Special Air Service was the brainchild of Scots Guards' officer Lieutenant David Stirling, serving with No 8 Commando. He advocated a specially organised, specially equipped and specially trained unit dedicated to the 'unrelenting pursuit of excellence' that could act covertly and operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft and attack their supply and reinforcement routes. Th...

Charts of War: the Map and Charts That Have Informed and Illustrated War at Sea written by John Blake and published by Conway presents a fascinating selection of maps, charts and maritime plans taken from a wide range of international archives.

This collection of 17 remarkable maritime stories stretches from 1752 to 2005 across several countries, including warships and merchantmen, steam and sail, the humble and the prestigious. Encompassing the major causes of maritime disaster - war, weather, navigation, human failings and technology - it highlights the themes and qualities that make the maritime drama so compelling: and it dares to challenge th...

As an instrument of science and navigation the telescope was at the forefront of discovery. Even today it is vital to modern understanding of space and the origins of matter. The story of its development is a fascinating narrative of scientific endeavour, exploration and ingenuity, encompassing the lives of scientists and astronomers such as Galileo, Newton, William Herschel and Edmund Halley as well a...

This lavish new volume explores Britain's extensive railway heritage, offering a comprehensive history of their construction, use and subsequent preservation. The book outlines the development of Britain's railways from the coming of steam through to the first age of the train, the 'big four', wartime service, the nationalisation of the network and the advent of diesels and electrification. It incorporates ...