Bøker av Angus Konstam

From the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, from the Balkans to Mesopotamia, gunboats played an influential part in the story of World War I. This is a detailed technical guide to the gunboats of all the major navies of the war.

Drake's daring raids had finally resulted in the outbreak of the long-expected war and it would be the last action of its kind for some years as England sought to protect herself against invasion and the Spanish invasion.

The swashbuckling English sea captains of the Elizabethan era were a particular breed of adventurer, combining maritime and military skill with a seemingly insatiable appetite for Spanish treasure. Angus Konstam describes these characters, including such sea dogs as Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher.

"Yangtze River Gunboats, 1900-47".

With war against Germany looming, Britain pushed forward its carrier program in the late 1930s. In 1938, the Royal Navy launched the HMS Ark Royal, its first-ever purpose-built aircraft carrier. This book tells the story of the small, but resilient, carriers and the crucial role they played in the British war effort.

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, is one of the great commanders of history. This book looks at the many highs and lows in the career of the most successful British general of his era.

Motor Gun Boats were the Spitfires of the Seas of the Royal Navy. Bristling with small-calibre guns and machine guns, they served during the War. This book tells the story of these destructive boats, beginning with their design and development and carrying through to their operational use in the European and Mediterranean theatres of World War-II.

When the Romans left Britain around AD 410, the unconquered native peoples of modern Scotland, Ireland and Wales were presented with the opportunity to pillage what remained of Roman Britain. The Post-Roman Britons did their best to defend themselves by using fortifications.

This volume details the uniforms and insignia of Peter the Great's cavalry during the period when he transformed Russia's army into a modern fighting force.

Covers the transformation of the Tudor fleet during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Detailing warfare during the age of Sea Dogs such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, and the landmark event of the Spanish Armada, this title explains the technological innovations that allowed this small but efficient navy to defeat the larger Spanish fleet.

A strategically important natural harbor in the Orkney Islands, Scapa Flow served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II. In 1914 and again in 1939, the British began building a comprehensive defensive network by fortifying the entrances to Scapa Flow, and then extended these defenses to cover most of Orkney.

In this book, maritime expert Angus Konstam explores the fledging Tudor Navy, tracing its history from its origins as a merchant fleet under Henry VII through to its emergence as a powerful force under Henry VIII. Examining the operational use of Henry VIII's warships the author analyses the battle of the Solent in 1545, in which Henry's fleet took on a French fleet of 200 ships - much larger than the Spanish Armada decades later. Despite the well-documented loss of his flagship, the Mary Rose, Henry's smaller force succeeded in preventing a French victory. Although many people will have heard of the mighty Mary Rose, this book will tell the story of more than just the tragic sinking of Henry's flagship, describing how one of history's most dynamic kings grew the navy from the five warships that were his father's legacy to 53 deadly gunships at the forefront of his empire-building strategy. Through contemporary illustrations and intricate artwork, the author traces the changing face of warship design during the Renaissance as Henry paved the way for English dominance of the sea.

In order to defend their lands from outside invaders, the Celts established powerful fortified sites. This book examines these fascinating forts, which varied considerably from the mysterious brochs and duns found in northern Britain, to the hill-top forts ranging in size, to the promontory forts that formed powerful coastal strongholds.

At the start of the American Civil War, neither North nor South had warships on either side of the Mississippi River. Gradually, both sides converted existing riverboats into powerful naval weapons. This title describes their design, development and operation throughout the American Civil War.

The first seagoing ironclad was the USS Monitor, first introduced during the American Civil War. Its profile has made it one of the most easily recognized warships of all time. This title covers the design, development and operational history of the Union's Monitor fleet.

The primary Union strategy during the American Civil War was a massive naval blockade of the entire Southern coastline of the Confederacy, and it was in the effort to counter this blockade that the Confederates developed their first submarines and torpedo boats.

During 1861-62, Confederate engineers transformed a steam frigate into an ironclad warship. It was in Hampton Roads that the first clash between two ironclads took place. This text details why the battle was important in naval history, ushering in a new age of naval warfare and warship design.

An exploration of the Confederate ironclad fleet of the American Civil War. It includes a cutaway of one of the most famous ships of the period, the CSS Virginia, and eight pages of artwork depicting the variety of different ironclads.

An exploration of the British Napoleonic Ship-of-the-Line. It covers some of the most famous individuals and ships of the day, such as Nelson, Cochrane, HMS Victory and HMS Indefatigable. There is also a catalogue of all British Ships-of-the-Line from 1792 to 1815.

The Pictish warrior was part of an identifiable and close-knit unit. This volume shows how, despite this, group cohesion does not seem to have been a military strong point and the emphasis for the warrior was on individual skill in single combat.

The light cruiser was a natural development of the sailing frigate - a fast multi-purpose warship that could patrol the sea lanes, protect convoys and scout for enemy battle fleets. While the battleships and carriers grabbed the headlines, these warships quietly got on with the job of securing control of the seas. This book deals with these ships.

The thwarted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada is studied here in detail. How Philip II's fleet was stopped from invading England and forced into full retreat is looked into with the help of battle plans and bird's eye views of the action.

The Confederate states adopted radical solutions to counter the naval superiority of their opponents. One solution was the adoption of commerce raiders. This work describes the reasons which forced the confederates to resort to commerce raiding.

This title examines the stone forts that played a crucial part in the course of the American Civil War, showing a wide range of fortifications from the Gulf of Mexico through to New England. It covers their design, construction and the way that they were armed and manned.

During the 16th century a new type of sailing vessel emerged, designed to carry the wealth of the Americas to Spain. This book traces the development of the Spanish galleon, and outlines the constructional methods, the ordnance and the crewing needed to produce and maintain these stately vessels.

Details the privateer captains of the golden age of "state-sponsored piracy" - men such as John Paul Jones, Jean Lafitte, and Benito de Soto. It includes episodes such as Bonhomme Richard's epic battle with HMS Serapis.

This volume portrays an accurate picture of the pirates who sailed of the Caribbean and American coastlines during the "golden age" of piracy between 1660 and 1730. It examines their lifestyle and codes of conduct, what ships and weapons they used and the main characters of the period.

An account of the battle at Pavia in 1525 between France and the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburg emperor Charles V defeated and captured Francis I of France; the battle marked the onset of Habsburg dominance in Italy.

In the 17th century, English, French and Dutch buccaneers launched a series of attacks on Spanish towns, ports and shipping. This volume details the buccaneer captains, such as Henry Morgan, the crews of their ships, how they recruited, and how they fought their battles on land and at sea.