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 Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
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3 Commando Brigade
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*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £9.93
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Jack Tar: Life in Nelson's Navy
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Roy AdkinsLesley Adkins;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £16.04
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Another excellent history of Nelson's Navy, 01 Jan 2009
This is the second of Roy & Lesley Adkins excellent popular histories of the Royal Navy in Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that I have read, the first having been "The War for All the Oceans". The Adkins treat their subject - the common sailor - in a thematic approach, covering such areas as recruitment and selection (aka the Press Gang), basic training (learning the ropes), diet (salt junk and grog), the daily routine (bells and whistles) etc. They present letters and memoirs from a surprising number of simple sailors, supplemented by those from junior officers as well, inevitably, as the more senior. The Adkins leave never miss an opportunity to explain the derivation of expressions that have survived to modern times, but the book is none the worse for that.
The book deals with the Navy over the period from 1771, when Horatio Nelson joined as a cabin boy at the age of 12, to 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars. This is an entertaining and very readable book, but the thematic approach does have the disadvantage of hiding developments made during the course of the period. Thus, for example, the term Master & Commander is explained as a temporary rank given to substantive lieutenants when appointed to command ships too small to justify a post captain, overlooking the fact that Commander became a proper rank in its own right in 1794. The requirements for midshipmen to "pass for gentlemen" as well as passing their exams for promotion to lieutenant was one that, as I have read elsewhere, changed over the period, as the Navy's officer corps became more socially exclusive, and men who would have been commissioned at the beginning of the period were denied promotion by the end.
This, however, is a minor criticism and, dealing as it does with officers, is not in any event the main focus of the book. This is an excellent depiction of the life of the common sailor in Nelson's Navy, and is well worth reading.
Jack Tar, 11 Dec 2008
If you read only one book of history this year that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nelson, read Jack Tar.
During the Great War (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was the backbone of the defence of the British Isles and took a major part in the final victory.
Just as the great battles from Valmi to Waterloo were won by the troops in the field, the naval battles were in the end won by the crews - and not by the Nelsons, Hoods or Cochranes.
Roy and Lesley Adkins have worked like the archaeologists they are, unearthing hundreds of sources, extracting hundreds of relevant pieces, then carefully glueing them together until the whole image is reconstructed: the portrait of rough, hard-working men (women and children) living a perilous life on board a primitive, claustrophobic machine in a hostile environment.
Apart from the constant danger from man and nature, ships' companies appear more like small rural communities than the "rum, lash and sodomy" society depicted in "miserabilist" books like Masefield's one.
Jack Tar was no saint but the product of the very harsh 18th-century society. His voice is seldom heard in history books.
When you turn the last page, you'll have envisioned the complete life of Jack Tar from his entry as Johnny Newcome to his later life in Greenwich hospital (if he was lucky), told in his own words.
If you have no previous knowledge of the naval history of the period, don't worry, Roy and Lesley have everything at hand for you: maps, diagrams, explanation of all the nautical terms you'll need.
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Admirals
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £8.69
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Another excellent history of Nelson's Navy, 01 Jan 2009
This is the second of Roy & Lesley Adkins excellent popular histories of the Royal Navy in Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that I have read, the first having been "The War for All the Oceans". The Adkins treat their subject - the common sailor - in a thematic approach, covering such areas as recruitment and selection (aka the Press Gang), basic training (learning the ropes), diet (salt junk and grog), the daily routine (bells and whistles) etc. They present letters and memoirs from a surprising number of simple sailors, supplemented by those from junior officers as well, inevitably, as the more senior. The Adkins leave never miss an opportunity to explain the derivation of expressions that have survived to modern times, but the book is none the worse for that.
The book deals with the Navy over the period from 1771, when Horatio Nelson joined as a cabin boy at the age of 12, to 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars. This is an entertaining and very readable book, but the thematic approach does have the disadvantage of hiding developments made during the course of the period. Thus, for example, the term Master & Commander is explained as a temporary rank given to substantive lieutenants when appointed to command ships too small to justify a post captain, overlooking the fact that Commander became a proper rank in its own right in 1794. The requirements for midshipmen to "pass for gentlemen" as well as passing their exams for promotion to lieutenant was one that, as I have read elsewhere, changed over the period, as the Navy's officer corps became more socially exclusive, and men who would have been commissioned at the beginning of the period were denied promotion by the end.
This, however, is a minor criticism and, dealing as it does with officers, is not in any event the main focus of the book. This is an excellent depiction of the life of the common sailor in Nelson's Navy, and is well worth reading.
Jack Tar, 11 Dec 2008
If you read only one book of history this year that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nelson, read Jack Tar.
During the Great War (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was the backbone of the defence of the British Isles and took a major part in the final victory.
Just as the great battles from Valmi to Waterloo were won by the troops in the field, the naval battles were in the end won by the crews - and not by the Nelsons, Hoods or Cochranes.
Roy and Lesley Adkins have worked like the archaeologists they are, unearthing hundreds of sources, extracting hundreds of relevant pieces, then carefully glueing them together until the whole image is reconstructed: the portrait of rough, hard-working men (women and children) living a perilous life on board a primitive, claustrophobic machine in a hostile environment.
Apart from the constant danger from man and nature, ships' companies appear more like small rural communities than the "rum, lash and sodomy" society depicted in "miserabilist" books like Masefield's one.
Jack Tar was no saint but the product of the very harsh 18th-century society. His voice is seldom heard in history books.
When you turn the last page, you'll have envisioned the complete life of Jack Tar from his entry as Johnny Newcome to his later life in Greenwich hospital (if he was lucky), told in his own words.
If you have no previous knowledge of the naval history of the period, don't worry, Roy and Lesley have everything at hand for you: maps, diagrams, explanation of all the nautical terms you'll need.
In a word, superb!, 02 Dec 2008
With even a larger format than the standard Conway nautical reference volume, the pages of "The Frigate Surprise" are filled with large reproductions of glorious Geoff Hunt paintings of the ship made famous by the novels of Patrick O'Brian, along with Royal Navy plans of Surprise herself upon her capture from the French (and of her sister ship, La Tourterelle), exquisite plans and drawings by Karl Marquardt (providing sail plans both per historical records and, as described in the O'Brian novels, with the mainmast of a 36-gun frigate), and photographs of the 20th century-built HMS Rose in her guise as the Surprise for the film "Master and Commander" and of other tall ships and models, plus narrative text from Brian Lavery on the Surprise's historical and fictional careers and by Geoff Hunt upon the challenges of painting the ship. There are also lists of spar dimensions as equipped the Surprise in 1802 and of the actual crew as of Oct. 1, 1799, a copy of an 1801 evaluation of the ship's sailing qualities by her captain, and even a little pen sketch by Patrick O'Brian himself of the deck plan as he envisioned it. There is also a wonderfully vivid "tour" through the Surprise detailed by Lavery.
The Surprise for any fan of the Aubrey-Maturin Canon must occupy a spot in our hearts rather like 221B Baker Street in the Sherlock Holmes Canon: both a paradigmatic locale for the heroes and a nexus between the real world and their fictional universe.
I cannot imagine how any fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels could fail to be captivated by this superb volume. For Aubrey-Maturin readers, "The Frigate Surprise" deserves the highest recommendation.
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Another excellent history of Nelson's Navy, 01 Jan 2009
This is the second of Roy & Lesley Adkins excellent popular histories of the Royal Navy in Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that I have read, the first having been "The War for All the Oceans". The Adkins treat their subject - the common sailor - in a thematic approach, covering such areas as recruitment and selection (aka the Press Gang), basic training (learning the ropes), diet (salt junk and grog), the daily routine (bells and whistles) etc. They present letters and memoirs from a surprising number of simple sailors, supplemented by those from junior officers as well, inevitably, as the more senior. The Adkins leave never miss an opportunity to explain the derivation of expressions that have survived to modern times, but the book is none the worse for that.
The book deals with the Navy over the period from 1771, when Horatio Nelson joined as a cabin boy at the age of 12, to 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars. This is an entertaining and very readable book, but the thematic approach does have the disadvantage of hiding developments made during the course of the period. Thus, for example, the term Master & Commander is explained as a temporary rank given to substantive lieutenants when appointed to command ships too small to justify a post captain, overlooking the fact that Commander became a proper rank in its own right in 1794. The requirements for midshipmen to "pass for gentlemen" as well as passing their exams for promotion to lieutenant was one that, as I have read elsewhere, changed over the period, as the Navy's officer corps became more socially exclusive, and men who would have been commissioned at the beginning of the period were denied promotion by the end.
This, however, is a minor criticism and, dealing as it does with officers, is not in any event the main focus of the book. This is an excellent depiction of the life of the common sailor in Nelson's Navy, and is well worth reading.
Jack Tar, 11 Dec 2008
If you read only one book of history this year that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nelson, read Jack Tar.
During the Great War (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was the backbone of the defence of the British Isles and took a major part in the final victory.
Just as the great battles from Valmi to Waterloo were won by the troops in the field, the naval battles were in the end won by the crews - and not by the Nelsons, Hoods or Cochranes.
Roy and Lesley Adkins have worked like the archaeologists they are, unearthing hundreds of sources, extracting hundreds of relevant pieces, then carefully glueing them together until the whole image is reconstructed: the portrait of rough, hard-working men (women and children) living a perilous life on board a primitive, claustrophobic machine in a hostile environment.
Apart from the constant danger from man and nature, ships' companies appear more like small rural communities than the "rum, lash and sodomy" society depicted in "miserabilist" books like Masefield's one.
Jack Tar was no saint but the product of the very harsh 18th-century society. His voice is seldom heard in history books.
When you turn the last page, you'll have envisioned the complete life of Jack Tar from his entry as Johnny Newcome to his later life in Greenwich hospital (if he was lucky), told in his own words.
If you have no previous knowledge of the naval history of the period, don't worry, Roy and Lesley have everything at hand for you: maps, diagrams, explanation of all the nautical terms you'll need.
In a word, superb!, 02 Dec 2008
With even a larger format than the standard Conway nautical reference volume, the pages of "The Frigate Surprise" are filled with large reproductions of glorious Geoff Hunt paintings of the ship made famous by the novels of Patrick O'Brian, along with Royal Navy plans of Surprise herself upon her capture from the French (and of her sister ship, La Tourterelle), exquisite plans and drawings by Karl Marquardt (providing sail plans both per historical records and, as described in the O'Brian novels, with the mainmast of a 36-gun frigate), and photographs of the 20th century-built HMS Rose in her guise as the Surprise for the film "Master and Commander" and of other tall ships and models, plus narrative text from Brian Lavery on the Surprise's historical and fictional careers and by Geoff Hunt upon the challenges of painting the ship. There are also lists of spar dimensions as equipped the Surprise in 1802 and of the actual crew as of Oct. 1, 1799, a copy of an 1801 evaluation of the ship's sailing qualities by her captain, and even a little pen sketch by Patrick O'Brian himself of the deck plan as he envisioned it. There is also a wonderfully vivid "tour" through the Surprise detailed by Lavery.
The Surprise for any fan of the Aubrey-Maturin Canon must occupy a spot in our hearts rather like 221B Baker Street in the Sherlock Holmes Canon: both a paradigmatic locale for the heroes and a nexus between the real world and their fictional universe.
I cannot imagine how any fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels could fail to be captivated by this superb volume. For Aubrey-Maturin readers, "The Frigate Surprise" deserves the highest recommendation.
Graybeard, 16 Dec 2008
This not a book of reference and I don't think it ever claimed to be one. It is a beautiful tour through the history of ships of war under sail. The size adds to the drama of what the reader is looking at. How could we ever have imagined owning a book displaying such beautiful scenes on this scale and at this ludicrous price?
As someone who picked up their first book with naval pictures in it 50 years ago this year, I feel priviledged to have this book and its companion volume in my library.
It is sheer indulgence and both are to be highly recommended as far as I am concerned.
magnificent, 19 Sep 2008
This is a book of pictures of naval ships from 1750 to 1850.
The format is alternating pages of text and pictures. The text supporting the following picture. The text is informative and splendidly readable but forget about that, thats not really important.
This book weighs a freaking shedload. Its massive. Its awesomely gigantically massive. About 16" tall and its cover is made out of depleted uranium or something. It nearly breaks my coffee table.
The Pictures are mostly contempory to the period and sketches or paintings.Each one is pourable over for hours, turn the page and theres another one. Only better.
If you love fighting sale, then grab this book for a bargin price. There simply is no reason for you not to own it. Each minuite you lack it,will dull your life.
beautifully done work!, 13 Sep 2008
This is a massive and elegant work that is part art history, part naval history. Before you buy it--look at the dimensions (I had not done that). 90% of the 225 pages consists of art (the rest is narrative). You expect to see old paintings of naval battles, and you certainly get lots of those, all in full color. You also get lots of portraits of admirals, captains, etc, paintings and drawings of life below decks, contemporary maps of battles and harbors, architectural drawings of ship plans, paintings of navy yards and ships under construction.
The book illustrates a wide variety of naval activities--from the loss of the Royal George to shipwrecks to recovery efforts. The title is a bit of a misnomer--not everything here involves fighting ships. There is, for example, a painting of the Terror (a former bomb vessel) trapped in the ice of Hudson's bay in 1837. A delightful book indeed!
A real deep-sea treasure of a book, 03 Nov 2007
Immensely readable,lively,interesting and beautifully produced. A magnificent book to keep for the sheer pleasure of turning the pages to see one superb illustration after another, with text that is equally accessible for the novice and the expert. Historically well researched and full of intriguing details, this is a book that will appeal to anyone interested in ships or warfare at sea. Fantastically good value.
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Another excellent history of Nelson's Navy, 01 Jan 2009
This is the second of Roy & Lesley Adkins excellent popular histories of the Royal Navy in Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that I have read, the first having been "The War for All the Oceans". The Adkins treat their subject - the common sailor - in a thematic approach, covering such areas as recruitment and selection (aka the Press Gang), basic training (learning the ropes), diet (salt junk and grog), the daily routine (bells and whistles) etc. They present letters and memoirs from a surprising number of simple sailors, supplemented by those from junior officers as well, inevitably, as the more senior. The Adkins leave never miss an opportunity to explain the derivation of expressions that have survived to modern times, but the book is none the worse for that.
The book deals with the Navy over the period from 1771, when Horatio Nelson joined as a cabin boy at the age of 12, to 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars. This is an entertaining and very readable book, but the thematic approach does have the disadvantage of hiding developments made during the course of the period. Thus, for example, the term Master & Commander is explained as a temporary rank given to substantive lieutenants when appointed to command ships too small to justify a post captain, overlooking the fact that Commander became a proper rank in its own right in 1794. The requirements for midshipmen to "pass for gentlemen" as well as passing their exams for promotion to lieutenant was one that, as I have read elsewhere, changed over the period, as the Navy's officer corps became more socially exclusive, and men who would have been commissioned at the beginning of the period were denied promotion by the end.
This, however, is a minor criticism and, dealing as it does with officers, is not in any event the main focus of the book. This is an excellent depiction of the life of the common sailor in Nelson's Navy, and is well worth reading.
Jack Tar, 11 Dec 2008
If you read only one book of history this year that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nelson, read Jack Tar.
During the Great War (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was the backbone of the defence of the British Isles and took a major part in the final victory.
Just as the great battles from Valmi to Waterloo were won by the troops in the field, the naval battles were in the end won by the crews - and not by the Nelsons, Hoods or Cochranes.
Roy and Lesley Adkins have worked like the archaeologists they are, unearthing hundreds of sources, extracting hundreds of relevant pieces, then carefully glueing them together until the whole image is reconstructed: the portrait of rough, hard-working men (women and children) living a perilous life on board a primitive, claustrophobic machine in a hostile environment.
Apart from the constant danger from man and nature, ships' companies appear more like small rural communities than the "rum, lash and sodomy" society depicted in "miserabilist" books like Masefield's one.
Jack Tar was no saint but the product of the very harsh 18th-century society. His voice is seldom heard in history books.
When you turn the last page, you'll have envisioned the complete life of Jack Tar from his entry as Johnny Newcome to his later life in Greenwich hospital (if he was lucky), told in his own words.
If you have no previous knowledge of the naval history of the period, don't worry, Roy and Lesley have everything at hand for you: maps, diagrams, explanation of all the nautical terms you'll need.
In a word, superb!, 02 Dec 2008
With even a larger format than the standard Conway nautical reference volume, the pages of "The Frigate Surprise" are filled with large reproductions of glorious Geoff Hunt paintings of the ship made famous by the novels of Patrick O'Brian, along with Royal Navy plans of Surprise herself upon her capture from the French (and of her sister ship, La Tourterelle), exquisite plans and drawings by Karl Marquardt (providing sail plans both per historical records and, as described in the O'Brian novels, with the mainmast of a 36-gun frigate), and photographs of the 20th century-built HMS Rose in her guise as the Surprise for the film "Master and Commander" and of other tall ships and models, plus narrative text from Brian Lavery on the Surprise's historical and fictional careers and by Geoff Hunt upon the challenges of painting the ship. There are also lists of spar dimensions as equipped the Surprise in 1802 and of the actual crew as of Oct. 1, 1799, a copy of an 1801 evaluation of the ship's sailing qualities by her captain, and even a little pen sketch by Patrick O'Brian himself of the deck plan as he envisioned it. There is also a wonderfully vivid "tour" through the Surprise detailed by Lavery.
The Surprise for any fan of the Aubrey-Maturin Canon must occupy a spot in our hearts rather like 221B Baker Street in the Sherlock Holmes Canon: both a paradigmatic locale for the heroes and a nexus between the real world and their fictional universe.
I cannot imagine how any fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels could fail to be captivated by this superb volume. For Aubrey-Maturin readers, "The Frigate Surprise" deserves the highest recommendation.
Graybeard, 16 Dec 2008
This not a book of reference and I don't think it ever claimed to be one. It is a beautiful tour through the history of ships of war under sail. The size adds to the drama of what the reader is looking at. How could we ever have imagined owning a book displaying such beautiful scenes on this scale and at this ludicrous price?
As someone who picked up their first book with naval pictures in it 50 years ago this year, I feel priviledged to have this book and its companion volume in my library.
It is sheer indulgence and both are to be highly recommended as far as I am concerned.
magnificent, 19 Sep 2008
This is a book of pictures of naval ships from 1750 to 1850.
The format is alternating pages of text and pictures. The text supporting the following picture. The text is informative and splendidly readable but forget about that, thats not really important.
This book weighs a freaking shedload. Its massive. Its awesomely gigantically massive. About 16" tall and its cover is made out of depleted uranium or something. It nearly breaks my coffee table.
The Pictures are mostly contempory to the period and sketches or paintings.Each one is pourable over for hours, turn the page and theres another one. Only better.
If you love fighting sale, then grab this book for a bargin price. There simply is no reason for you not to own it. Each minuite you lack it,will dull your life.
beautifully done work!, 13 Sep 2008
This is a massive and elegant work that is part art history, part naval history. Before you buy it--look at the dimensions (I had not done that). 90% of the 225 pages consists of art (the rest is narrative). You expect to see old paintings of naval battles, and you certainly get lots of those, all in full color. You also get lots of portraits of admirals, captains, etc, paintings and drawings of life below decks, contemporary maps of battles and harbors, architectural drawings of ship plans, paintings of navy yards and ships under construction.
The book illustrates a wide variety of naval activities--from the loss of the Royal George to shipwrecks to recovery efforts. The title is a bit of a misnomer--not everything here involves fighting ships. There is, for example, a painting of the Terror (a former bomb vessel) trapped in the ice of Hudson's bay in 1837. A delightful book indeed!
A real deep-sea treasure of a book, 03 Nov 2007
Immensely readable,lively,interesting and beautifully produced. A magnificent book to keep for the sheer pleasure of turning the pages to see one superb illustration after another, with text that is equally accessible for the novice and the expert. Historically well researched and full of intriguing details, this is a book that will appeal to anyone interested in ships or warfare at sea. Fantastically good value.
Great book, 22 Nov 2008
Very good book, well written and more in depth and interesting than a lot of other 'stocking filler' books that are about this time of year. Recommended.
The cat's whiskers, 14 Sep 2008
Hilarious book, well written. A great size too, and a good price for a stocking filler for dads, grandads, uncles etc.
Some of the cartoons could have been a bit modernised, but this doesn't detract too much from the writing. I hope there is a sequel.
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Customer Reviews
A gripping story, 26 Dec 2008
Though this is history it reads like a novel, taking you through the events on a thread drawn through the ambitions of Suleiman the Magnificent and Charles of Spain. The doughty Crusader knights, Christian analogues of today's jihadists, pillage innocent trade, kill and enslave quiet pilgrims. They are encouraged by the Pope and weakly supported by the Crowned Heads of Europe. Barbarossa, the north african Corsair does the same with even greater cruelty to Christian shipping. The Sultan arms and encourages him and exploits his skills. War is mostly fought by proxy and coastal civilians lead a perilous life, half way between vineyard and a galley slave's bench where their life is on a short chain.
Great story, 21 Oct 2008
Crowley does an extraordinary job putting together three extraordinary stories that marked the 16th Century in the Mediterranean: The siege of Rhodes, the siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto. These stories, especially that of the siege of Malta, makes the book read like a novel, most enthralling and nail biting.
Although Crowley has written a very accurate and detailed account of these clashes between the Christian and Muslim worlds, one gets the impression, that he tends to minimize the role of Christian leaders, their armies and the importance of their victories, and maximizes that of the Ottoman side. For example, he doesn't give much importance to the conquest of Tunis by Emperor Charles V, while he gets to the detail with other minor Turkish exploits.
The author is notably pro Turkish throughout most of the book, presenting the Christians as more religious fanatics than the Muslims, when probably both were exactly the same. The fact that Crowley lived for a long period of his life in Istanbul may explain this and that he recreates himself longer when detailing the fascinating ottoman world. This is perfectly clear, when at the end of the book he goes through the list of mausoleums and great internments of all the ottoman main characters, while he ignores the final resting place of the Christian kings and admirals.
However, the book is fully recommendable, and anybody interesting in this period of history, and in the last of the crusades, will surely enjoy it.
Superbly well written, 07 Oct 2008
This is the best history book I have read in a very long time.
It tells the story of a 60 years old battle fought in the Mediterraneum by the Ottoman Turks against the Christian nations in southern Europe.
It is very hard to put down and the narrative is very engaging. The maps , pictures and drawings are excellent , a rarity in this type of books. although there are some minor issues with some historical aspects ( the muslims lived peacefully in Spain for 800 years ) the book is a very compelling read.
More please
Gripping tales, 15 Sep 2008
An edge-of-the-seat gripping account of the long conflict between the Ottoman empire and the Christian Mediterranean powers in the fifteen hundreds. Crowley has also some original research, relying on not only the Christian writers of the time, but also Turkish sources that have usually been overlooked by previous historians. The characters are impressive, the acts of courage and desperation on both sides are astounding, and Crowley tells it masterfully, eking every last ounce of suspense out of what for any writer would be a stirring tale.
Crowley covers the standard military, diplomatic and political history in an even-handed way, and describes the brilliant Renaissance innovation each side progressively introduced to try to gain an advantage, including flamethrowers, spiral flues to protect walls from subterranean bomb blasts, frogmen fighting underwater with daggers, and top-secret new ship designs. He also sensitively brings out the human courage, cruelty, and sacrifice involved. History is rarely this well told.
Truth is stranger than fiction , 03 Sep 2008
If this was a work of fiction you would have a hard time suspending disbelief to enjoy the amazing cast of characters, the strange alliances,the actions and inactions that decorate the plot. You would also be dismayed at the contrived outcome of the Siege of Malta.
BUT
This is an amazing true story told using a page - turning cracking narrative. I regret that I have only read half of the book but am glad I have half left to read.
Read this book and get swept away on the raging tide of history.
A good read but picky, 25 Nov 2008
I can only echo the good reviews of this book and demonstrates yet again the heroism and professionalism of our armed forces.I've read "apache","3 para" and "into the killing zone" recently and never fail to be awe struck by the people in our armed services.The book itself covers 3 Commando Brigades tour of Helmand in great detail and is well written capturing very well the heat and danger of battle, aswell as the difficult conditions our forces have to work in.
However, there are several comments in the book that seem to have a bit of "a pop" at the Paras. The inside cover accuses them of "a tactical retreat". The book does not really go on to say why this is the case. There is the odd inference but no real criticism from the actual Marines themselves often saying the Paras went in under resourced and it's Commanders had no freedom to move or plan. If you read "3 para" or Sean Rayments book the decision that the Paras were tied into guarding the District Centres in Helmand was a political, one made by the Governor of Helmand and huge pressure being placed on the British forces at the time to comply. Given the large number of honours won by 3 Para in their tour and the casualties they took I find some of the authors comments a bit ungracious to say the least. I know there is a big rivalry between both units, but as a nation we should be proud of them both.I am not denying the author his right to crticise another unit but surely he should make greater effort to qualify them. A shame, as it for me, it takes the edge of a very good book.
3 Commando Brigade , 14 Nov 2008
If you want the real story of some pretty formidable heroics then this is the book to read about the Marines' tour in Helmand. It gives the true strength of character required and what the troops are having to go through during their tour of duty.
A gripping read.
Herrick 5, 01 Nov 2008
This is a well written account of 3 Commando Brigade's tour of duty in Helmand; one that we've already seen on Chris Terril's COMMANDO. The author (an old Falklands hand) balances some ripping tales of valour with an account of what the Brigade was trying to do on a more operational and strategic level. You see how the individual actions fitted in to the overall picture. At a chapter a month you see the operation unfold with lots of planning and lots of action. Kit-heads will find lots to enjoy as will those who wonder how the blazes you fight an enemy like the Taliban; very professionally, seems to be the answer.
The Marines at their best...READ IT!!!!!!!, 18 Sep 2008
It is always annoying when reading' that a mistake appears, something a proof reading should have picked up and yet is missed.Page 57, "on 8 October 2008 3 commando Brigade's brigadier, Jerry Thomas, formally took over from 16 air assault Brigade's brigadier, Ed Butler." If this was so then it has not happened yet!!!!
Having said that it takes nothing from the account of the marines in Afghanistan. I also like the fact that the Royal Engineers are mentioned often for the work that they have carried out.These boys are usually the unsung heroes in any conflict and at last they have been given recognition in this book.
It is written factually and contains many verbal anecdotes from the troops themselves. Along with the all important detail of action by troops and enemy alike, with good annalysis of equipment used, it aligns all parameters with intricate ability to bring all the supporting groups into the equation whilst still giving a first hand account of individual heroism in the field of battle.
I like the style of Ewen Southby-Tailyour and indeed found the opening prologue, detailing the Jugroom fort mission to rescue the body of Mathew Ford,an awesome account that puts this book on everyones must read list.
A smashing read, 12 Sep 2008
An absolutely smashing read - a true history but written in an 'approachable' manner as much for the lay person as the keen military historian. The photographs enhance the text perfectly.
Clearly written by a professional, military historian with no personal agenda and huge combat experience.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Another excellent history of Nelson's Navy, 01 Jan 2009
This is the second of Roy & Lesley Adkins excellent popular histories of the Royal Navy in Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars that I have read, the first having been "The War for All the Oceans". The Adkins treat their subject - the common sailor - in a thematic approach, covering such areas as recruitment and selection (aka the Press Gang), basic training (learning the ropes), diet (salt junk and grog), the daily routine (bells and whistles) etc. They present letters and memoirs from a surprising number of simple sailors, supplemented by those from junior officers as well, inevitably, as the more senior. The Adkins leave never miss an opportunity to explain the derivation of expressions that have survived to modern times, but the book is none the worse for that.
The book deals with the Navy over the period from 1771, when Horatio Nelson joined as a cabin boy at the age of 12, to 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars. This is an entertaining and very readable book, but the thematic approach does have the disadvantage of hiding developments made during the course of the period. Thus, for example, the term Master & Commander is explained as a temporary rank given to substantive lieutenants when appointed to command ships too small to justify a post captain, overlooking the fact that Commander became a proper rank in its own right in 1794. The requirements for midshipmen to "pass for gentlemen" as well as passing their exams for promotion to lieutenant was one that, as I have read elsewhere, changed over the period, as the Navy's officer corps became more socially exclusive, and men who would have been commissioned at the beginning of the period were denied promotion by the end.
This, however, is a minor criticism and, dealing as it does with officers, is not in any event the main focus of the book. This is an excellent depiction of the life of the common sailor in Nelson's Navy, and is well worth reading.
Jack Tar, 11 Dec 2008
If you read only one book of history this year that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nelson, read Jack Tar.
During the Great War (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was the backbone of the defence of the British Isles and took a major part in the final victory.
Just as the great battles from Valmi to Waterloo were won by the troops in the field, the naval battles were in the end won by the crews - and not by the Nelsons, Hoods or Cochranes.
Roy and Lesley Adkins have worked like the archaeologists they are, unearthing hundreds of sources, extracting hundreds of relevant pieces, then carefully glueing them together until the whole image is reconstructed: the portrait of rough, hard-working men (women and children) living a perilous life on board a primitive, claustrophobic machine in a hostile environment.
Apart from the constant danger from man and nature, ships' companies appear more like small rural communities than the "rum, lash and sodomy" society depicted in "miserabilist" books like Masefield's one.
Jack Tar was no saint but the product of the very harsh 18th-century society. His voice is seldom heard in history books.
When you turn the last page, you'll have envisioned the complete life of Jack Tar from his entry as Johnny Newcome to his later life in Greenwich hospital (if he was lucky), told in his own words.
If you have no previous knowledge of the naval history of the period, don't worry, Roy and Lesley have everything at hand for you: maps, diagrams, explanation of all the nautical terms you'll need.
In a word, superb!, 02 Dec 2008
With even a larger format than the standard Conway nautical reference volume, the pages of "The Frigate Surprise" are filled with large reproductions of glorious Geoff Hunt paintings of the ship made famous by the novels of Patrick O'Brian, along with Royal Navy plans of Surprise herself upon her capture from the French (and of her sister ship, La Tourterelle), exquisite plans and drawings by Karl Marquardt (providing sail plans both per historical records and, as described in the O'Brian novels, with the mainmast of a 36-gun frigate), and photographs of the 20th century-built HMS Rose in her guise as the Surprise for the film "Master and Commander" and of other tall ships and models, plus narrative text from Brian Lavery on the Surprise's historical and fictional careers and by Geoff Hunt upon the challenges of painting the ship. There are also lists of spar dimensions as equipped the Surprise in 1802 and of the actual crew as of Oct. 1, 1799, a copy of an 1801 evaluation of the ship's sailing qualities by her captain, and even a little pen sketch by Patrick O'Brian himself of the deck plan as he envisioned it. There is also a wonderfully vivid "tour" through the Surprise detailed by Lavery.
The Surprise for any fan of the Aubrey-Maturin Canon must occupy a spot in our hearts rather like 221B Baker Street in the Sherlock Holmes Canon: both a paradigmatic locale for the heroes and a nexus between the real world and their fictional universe.
I cannot imagine how any fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels could fail to be captivated by this superb volume. For Aubrey-Maturin readers, "The Frigate Surprise" deserves the highest recommendation.
Graybeard, 16 Dec 2008
This not a book of reference and I don't think it ever claimed to be one. It is a beautiful tour through the history of ships of war under sail. The size adds to the drama of what the reader is looking at. How could we ever have imagined owning a book displaying such beautiful scenes on this scale and at this ludicrous price?
As someone who picked up their first book with naval pictures in it 50 years ago this year, I feel priviledged to have this book and its companion volume in my library.
It is sheer indulgence and both are to be highly recommended as far as I am concerned.
magnificent, 19 Sep 2008
This is a book of pictures of naval ships from 1750 to 1850.
The format is alternating pages of text and pictures. The text supporting the following picture. The text is informative and splendidly readable but forget about that, thats not really important.
This book weighs a freaking shedload. Its massive. Its awesomely gigantically massive. About 16" tall and its cover is made out of depleted uranium or something. It nearly breaks my coffee table.
The Pictures are mostly contempory to the period and sketches or paintings.Each one is pourable over for hours, turn the page and theres another one. Only better.
If you love fighting sale, then grab this book for a bargin price. There simply is no reason for you not to own it. Each minuite you lack it,will dull your life.
beautifully done work!, 13 Sep 2008
This is a massive and elegant work that is part art history, part naval history. Before you buy it--look at the dimensions (I had not done that). 90% of the 225 pages consists of art (the rest is narrative). You expect to see old paintings of naval battles, and you certainly get lots of those, all in full color. You also get lots of portraits of admirals, captains, etc, paintings and drawings of life below decks, contemporary maps of battles and harbors, architectural drawings of ship plans, paintings of navy yards and ships under construction.
The book illustrates a wide variety of naval activities--from the loss of the Royal George to shipwrecks to recovery efforts. The title is a bit of a misnomer--not everything here involves fighting ships. There is, for example, a painting of the Terror (a former bomb vessel) trapped in the ice of Hudson's bay in 1837. A delightful book indeed!
A real deep-sea treasure of a book, 03 Nov 2007
Immensely readable,lively,interesting and beautifully produced. A magnificent book to keep for the sheer pleasure of turning the pages to see one superb illustration after another, with text that is equally accessible for the novice and the expert. Historically well researched and full of intriguing details, this is a book that will appeal to anyone interested in ships or warfare at sea. Fantastically good value.
Great book, 22 Nov 2008
Very good book, well written and more in depth and interesting than a lot of other 'stocking filler' books that are about this time of year. Recommended.
The cat's whiskers, 14 Sep 2008
Hilarious book, well written. A great size too, and a good price for a stocking filler for dads, grandads, uncles etc.
Some of the cartoons could have been a bit modernised, but this doesn't detract too much from the writing. I hope there is a sequel.
Destruction and triumph - naval conflicts down the ages, 06 Oct 2008
This book provides encyclopaedic and colourful detail on almost every aspect of naval warfare and much else besides.
I read of naval battles in remote parts and many ages | | |