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3 Commando Brigade
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £10.48
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 Customer Reviews
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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Product Description
If you're going to make a stir, you might as well do it in style. And Gavin Menzies has caused one, big time. In 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, this retired Royal Navy submarine commander, who only visited China for the first time on his 25th wedding anniversary, claims that the Chinese navigator Zheng He discovered America some 71 years before Columbus. And not content with this, he goes on to suggest that Zheng He learnt how to calculate longitude several centuries before John Harrison supposedly nailed the problem. Unsurprisingly, this has not gone down too well in some areas and the book has been the target of some scepticism. Although Menzies has unearthed a few unknown primary sources, the bulk of his thesis depends on amalgamating several disparate areas of research into a grand unified theory. So he combines what we do know--principally that the Chinese built huge sailing ships with nine masts and that Asiatic chickens were discovered in South America--into what he considers compelling evidence. Menzies has also turned up some maps from the pre-Columbus era that appear to show the Americas, along with a few shipwrecks and Ming artefacts from along his supposed route. It all makes for a gripping read, even if the sum doesn't quite add up to the whole. For all the detail, Menzies is some way off providing proof. None of the supposed 28,000 colonists has left any documentary evidence because all records, boats and shipyards associated with his voyage were burnt by imperial order in 1433. This surely begs the question--if we know so much of Zheng He's voyages around the Indian Ocean, how come we know nothing of his trips further east? Nor, conveniently for Menzies, did any of the colonists return home in triumph. They either died en route or skulked home to obscurity after they were disowned by the emperor. So you either accept Menzies as an act of faith or brush him aside with scepticism. Either way, you'll have a lot of fun in the process as the book is never less than provocative. And even the sceptics will find themselves hoping Menzies has got it right, because there's something intrinsically uplifting about the notion of an amateur historian getting one over the professionals. --John Crace
Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots.
An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research.
Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned....
Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
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Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots.
An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research.
Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned....
Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
How did this ever get published?!, 07 Sep 2008
Garbage.
That's what this is. Garbage. It's bad enough that the fore-runner to this book was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the gullible thousands; but for a sequel, even more outlandish in its thesis, to receive a similar welcome is a poor reflection on the intelligence of the average reader.
There are thousands, if not millions, of academic books, papers, theses, and disseratations that paint a different image of how China and Europe shared knowledge. None of them mention this armada.
Garbage.
I Am Chinese!, 15 Aug 2008
This literally unbelievable book has shown me that my whole upbringing was a lie - I am actually Chinese and everything I have enjoyed about life has come from China. Amazing. Where was the computer that I am typing this review on made? Why, China of course. What more proof do you need?
What has it taken so long for the indisputable facts of the Chinese creation of everything to come to light? One can only surmise that a long running conspiracy between the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei has been running things behind the scenes. No coincidence I'm sure that Gavin Menzies' books contain exactly the same kind of selective historiography, illogical leaps of reasoning, reasoning from effect to cause and all the other deductive confidence tricks readers of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail et.al have embraced for years.
Highly recommended for the gullible.
Definitely worth reading, 16 Jul 2008
Gavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world.
The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust then spent the next decades trying to decipher the knowledge the Chinese had donated to them.
Decades of analysis let eventually to the "invention" by the Italians of all the things that the Chinese had actually invented hundreds of years before.
So Leonardo Da Vinci was just a fine illustrator and a blatant plagiarist, however it will take some time for us Europeans, brought up believing that Leonardo and his ilk are heroes, to accept a less Eurocentric view of world history.
Gavin Menzies has pursued a line of inquiry as unique as it is astounding, yet in the process has turned up masses of evidence and convinced me that he is on the right track. It will be interesting to see if others agree.
By the way, if you are going to read 1434, I recommend you read 1421 first.
A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!, 09 Jul 2008
In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze.
The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!)
All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)!
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Admirals
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £10.77
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Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots.
An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research.
Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned....
Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
How did this ever get published?!, 07 Sep 2008
Garbage.
That's what this is. Garbage. It's bad enough that the fore-runner to this book was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the gullible thousands; but for a sequel, even more outlandish in its thesis, to receive a similar welcome is a poor reflection on the intelligence of the average reader.
There are thousands, if not millions, of academic books, papers, theses, and disseratations that paint a different image of how China and Europe shared knowledge. None of them mention this armada.
Garbage.
I Am Chinese!, 15 Aug 2008
This literally unbelievable book has shown me that my whole upbringing was a lie - I am actually Chinese and everything I have enjoyed about life has come from China. Amazing. Where was the computer that I am typing this review on made? Why, China of course. What more proof do you need?
What has it taken so long for the indisputable facts of the Chinese creation of everything to come to light? One can only surmise that a long running conspiracy between the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei has been running things behind the scenes. No coincidence I'm sure that Gavin Menzies' books contain exactly the same kind of selective historiography, illogical leaps of reasoning, reasoning from effect to cause and all the other deductive confidence tricks readers of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail et.al have embraced for years.
Highly recommended for the gullible.
Definitely worth reading, 16 Jul 2008
Gavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world.
The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust then spent the next decades trying to decipher the knowledge the Chinese had donated to them.
Decades of analysis let eventually to the "invention" by the Italians of all the things that the Chinese had actually invented hundreds of years before.
So Leonardo Da Vinci was just a fine illustrator and a blatant plagiarist, however it will take some time for us Europeans, brought up believing that Leonardo and his ilk are heroes, to accept a less Eurocentric view of world history.
Gavin Menzies has pursued a line of inquiry as unique as it is astounding, yet in the process has turned up masses of evidence and convinced me that he is on the right track. It will be interesting to see if others agree.
By the way, if you are going to read 1434, I recommend you read 1421 first.
A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!, 09 Jul 2008
In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze.
The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!)
All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)!
Brilliant and essential reading for AIB, 05 Dec 2007
I gave this book a 5* but 9/10 is probably more accurate. It is a very good guide to the current/immediate future RN fleet. It is ideal for someone gearing up for AIB, however it is not 100% comprehensive due to it being 4/5 years old.
It does mention the CVF/Astutes but only mentions some of the squadrons that use certain aircraft etc. It also covers Apaches as in use by the RN, even though the RN has none (they are flown by the RAF).
It does give you all the info required (such as weapon and other systems detail) and also has wonderful profile pictures and photo shots to familiarise yourself with. However one must also learn the uses, locations and characteristics of each ship, and not just the specifications (which is pretty much what this book focuses on).
Showed it to my AFCO and they recommended it, and it is a wonderfully easy book to pick up as a beginner. But it shouldn't be used for 100% of the service knowledge research.
how to get in the royal navy, 20 May 2004
this book includes all the information you need to gain access into the royal navy it has info on the newwest ships in the navy and it also gives you all the detail and info needed to pass you AIB what else it covers almost everything and anything you need to know to get in... its fantastic and deserves a five star rating..
Essential AIB reading, 09 Oct 2003
For those of you out there preparing for your AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) this book is absolutly essential. All of the current fleet is included, along with the future ships of the RN. Everything to do with the RN fleet is included here with more detail than you could ever need. It contains more up to date, and detailed information than that found in the booklet given out by AFCO's. Still didn't get me in though...
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Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots. An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research. Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned.... Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
How did this ever get published?!, 07 Sep 2008
Garbage.
That's what this is. Garbage. It's bad enough that the fore-runner to this book was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the gullible thousands; but for a sequel, even more outlandish in its thesis, to receive a similar welcome is a poor reflection on the intelligence of the average reader.
There are thousands, if not millions, of academic books, papers, theses, and disseratations that paint a different image of how China and Europe shared knowledge. None of them mention this armada.
Garbage.
I Am Chinese!, 15 Aug 2008
This literally unbelievable book has shown me that my whole upbringing was a lie - I am actually Chinese and everything I have enjoyed about life has come from China. Amazing. Where was the computer that I am typing this review on made? Why, China of course. What more proof do you need?
What has it taken so long for the indisputable facts of the Chinese creation of everything to come to light? One can only surmise that a long running conspiracy between the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei has been running things behind the scenes. No coincidence I'm sure that Gavin Menzies' books contain exactly the same kind of selective historiography, illogical leaps of reasoning, reasoning from effect to cause and all the other deductive confidence tricks readers of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail et.al have embraced for years.
Highly recommended for the gullible.
Definitely worth reading, 16 Jul 2008
Gavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world.
The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust then spent the next decades trying to decipher the knowledge the Chinese had donated to them.
Decades of analysis let eventually to the "invention" by the Italians of all the things that the Chinese had actually invented hundreds of years before.
So Leonardo Da Vinci was just a fine illustrator and a blatant plagiarist, however it will take some time for us Europeans, brought up believing that Leonardo and his ilk are heroes, to accept a less Eurocentric view of world history.
Gavin Menzies has pursued a line of inquiry as unique as it is astounding, yet in the process has turned up masses of evidence and convinced me that he is on the right track. It will be interesting to see if others agree.
By the way, if you are going to read 1434, I recommend you read 1421 first.
A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!, 09 Jul 2008
In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze.
The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!)
All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)!
Brilliant and essential reading for AIB, 05 Dec 2007
I gave this book a 5* but 9/10 is probably more accurate. It is a very good guide to the current/immediate future RN fleet. It is ideal for someone gearing up for AIB, however it is not 100% comprehensive due to it being 4/5 years old.
It does mention the CVF/Astutes but only mentions some of the squadrons that use certain aircraft etc. It also covers Apaches as in use by the RN, even though the RN has none (they are flown by the RAF).
It does give you all the info required (such as weapon and other systems detail) and also has wonderful profile pictures and photo shots to familiarise yourself with. However one must also learn the uses, locations and characteristics of each ship, and not just the specifications (which is pretty much what this book focuses on).
Showed it to my AFCO and they recommended it, and it is a wonderfully easy book to pick up as a beginner. But it shouldn't be used for 100% of the service knowledge research.
how to get in the royal navy, 20 May 2004
this book includes all the information you need to gain access into the royal navy it has info on the newwest ships in the navy and it also gives you all the detail and info needed to pass you AIB what else it covers almost everything and anything you need to know to get in... its fantastic and deserves a five star rating..
Essential AIB reading, 09 Oct 2003
For those of you out there preparing for your AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) this book is absolutly essential. All of the current fleet is included, along with the future ships of the RN. Everything to do with the RN fleet is included here with more detail than you could ever need. It contains more up to date, and detailed information than that found in the booklet given out by AFCO's. Still didn't get me in though...
good book but doesn't feel like it was written for the purpose, 20 May 2008
This book is good and the illustrations and photos are great but it really seems as if the book was written as a generic guide to the Royal navy and then they added on the Jack Aubrey stuff later on. There is no real understanding of Aubrey and Maturin and the books in the series - it's a bit generic. Pity
Hazard warning!, 06 Dec 2006
This is a very useful book to read as background for the Aubrey series, BUT it should come with a warning - if you read it before you finish the series (as indeed you would want to) it will spill the beans on some of the story lines...
Marvelous! Even better than I'd hoped!, 16 Jan 2004
I really must say I loved this book. It's quite beautiful, with many stunning paintings and illustrations. Plus, it is full of helpful and interesting information the time period of the M & C books. I had primarily been looking for some maps, more detail about the ships and perhaps a more detailed explanation of naval ranks and uniforms, and I found all of this and so very much more. Books like this one add so very much to one's enjoyment of the novels. I heartily recommend it.
The Real Life of Jack Aubrey, 21 Nov 2003
Fans of Patrick O'Brian will love it and so should anyone who loves the sea, sailing ships and our fascinating maritime history.
At first glance this seems like a 'coffee table' book - to be admired, but not necessarily read. Closer examination reveals an impressively well-researched book, packed full of excellent illustrations. There is a wide range of well-reproduced paintings of famous ships and battles. There are maps, sketches, cartoons, engravings, diagrams, portraits and water-colours. Every aspect of a 19th century sailor's life is described clearly, accurately and in an interesting manner.Links to Jack Aubrey are scattered through the book, with a welcome 'Cast of Characters' on 4 pages, as well as a glossary of nautical terms found in the Patrick O'Brian books. You might want to buy two of these books - one for your coffee table and one to read and re-read.
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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: £10.89
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Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots. An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research. Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned.... Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
How did this ever get published?!, 07 Sep 2008
Garbage.
That's what this is. Garbage. It's bad enough that the fore-runner to this book was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the gullible thousands; but for a sequel, even more outlandish in its thesis, to receive a similar welcome is a poor reflection on the intelligence of the average reader.
There are thousands, if not millions, of academic books, papers, theses, and disseratations that paint a different image of how China and Europe shared knowledge. None of them mention this armada.
Garbage.
I Am Chinese!, 15 Aug 2008
This literally unbelievable book has shown me that my whole upbringing was a lie - I am actually Chinese and everything I have enjoyed about life has come from China. Amazing. Where was the computer that I am typing this review on made? Why, China of course. What more proof do you need?
What has it taken so long for the indisputable facts of the Chinese creation of everything to come to light? One can only surmise that a long running conspiracy between the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei has been running things behind the scenes. No coincidence I'm sure that Gavin Menzies' books contain exactly the same kind of selective historiography, illogical leaps of reasoning, reasoning from effect to cause and all the other deductive confidence tricks readers of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail et.al have embraced for years.
Highly recommended for the gullible.
Definitely worth reading, 16 Jul 2008
Gavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world.
The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust then spent the next decades trying to decipher the knowledge the Chinese had donated to them.
Decades of analysis let eventually to the "invention" by the Italians of all the things that the Chinese had actually invented hundreds of years before.
So Leonardo Da Vinci was just a fine illustrator and a blatant plagiarist, however it will take some time for us Europeans, brought up believing that Leonardo and his ilk are heroes, to accept a less Eurocentric view of world history.
Gavin Menzies has pursued a line of inquiry as unique as it is astounding, yet in the process has turned up masses of evidence and convinced me that he is on the right track. It will be interesting to see if others agree.
By the way, if you are going to read 1434, I recommend you read 1421 first.
A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!, 09 Jul 2008
In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze.
The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!)
All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)!
Brilliant and essential reading for AIB, 05 Dec 2007
I gave this book a 5* but 9/10 is probably more accurate. It is a very good guide to the current/immediate future RN fleet. It is ideal for someone gearing up for AIB, however it is not 100% comprehensive due to it being 4/5 years old.
It does mention the CVF/Astutes but only mentions some of the squadrons that use certain aircraft etc. It also covers Apaches as in use by the RN, even though the RN has none (they are flown by the RAF).
It does give you all the info required (such as weapon and other systems detail) and also has wonderful profile pictures and photo shots to familiarise yourself with. However one must also learn the uses, locations and characteristics of each ship, and not just the specifications (which is pretty much what this book focuses on).
Showed it to my AFCO and they recommended it, and it is a wonderfully easy book to pick up as a beginner. But it shouldn't be used for 100% of the service knowledge research.
how to get in the royal navy, 20 May 2004
this book includes all the information you need to gain access into the royal navy it has info on the newwest ships in the navy and it also gives you all the detail and info needed to pass you AIB what else it covers almost everything and anything you need to know to get in... its fantastic and deserves a five star rating..
Essential AIB reading, 09 Oct 2003
For those of you out there preparing for your AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) this book is absolutly essential. All of the current fleet is included, along with the future ships of the RN. Everything to do with the RN fleet is included here with more detail than you could ever need. It contains more up to date, and detailed information than that found in the booklet given out by AFCO's. Still didn't get me in though...
good book but doesn't feel like it was written for the purpose, 20 May 2008
This book is good and the illustrations and photos are great but it really seems as if the book was written as a generic guide to the Royal navy and then they added on the Jack Aubrey stuff later on. There is no real understanding of Aubrey and Maturin and the books in the series - it's a bit generic. Pity
Hazard warning!, 06 Dec 2006
This is a very useful book to read as background for the Aubrey series, BUT it should come with a warning - if you read it before you finish the series (as indeed you would want to) it will spill the beans on some of the story lines...
Marvelous! Even better than I'd hoped!, 16 Jan 2004
I really must say I loved this book. It's quite beautiful, with many stunning paintings and illustrations. Plus, it is full of helpful and interesting information the time period of the M & C books. I had primarily been looking for some maps, more detail about the ships and perhaps a more detailed explanation of naval ranks and uniforms, and I found all of this and so very much more. Books like this one add so very much to one's enjoyment of the novels. I heartily recommend it.
The Real Life of Jack Aubrey, 21 Nov 2003
Fans of Patrick O'Brian will love it and so should anyone who loves the sea, sailing ships and our fascinating maritime history.
At first glance this seems like a 'coffee table' book - to be admired, but not necessarily read. Closer examination reveals an impressively well-researched book, packed full of excellent illustrations. There is a wide range of well-reproduced paintings of famous ships and battles. There are maps, sketches, cartoons, engravings, diagrams, portraits and water-colours. Every aspect of a 19th century sailor's life is described clearly, accurately and in an interesting manner.Links to Jack Aubrey are scattered through the book, with a welcome 'Cast of Characters' on 4 pages, as well as a glossary of nautical terms found in the Patrick O'Brian books. You might want to buy two of these books - one for your coffee table and one to read and re-read.
Jack Tar, 13 Oct 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.
Jack Tar; a man, women and child of many faces, 07 Oct 2008
This is a wonderful follow up to the Adkins' 2 previous books 'Trafalgar: Biography of a Battle' and 'War for all the Oceans', and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. In this volume the sailors take the limelight and history takes a step back to create the setting for their lives. And what lives they were!
I am always surprised how many sailors of all ranks were able to write journals and diaries about their time at sea, how literate they were, how perceptive and honest their observations were, and more surprisingly how those manuscripts have survived. The Adkins have carefully drawn from these and many other contemporary sources and woven them into their text to create a vivid picture of life in the British Navy at the time of Nelson and the war with France. A good selection of maps, and illustrations helps fuel the imagination, and, as ever, they have succeeded in presenting the flavour of the time, bring the people and events to life in such a way it is easy to suspend disbelief and fancy you are watching real time events
Electric fluid, birds of ill omen, ship wreck, coffee made from burnt bread, one armed cooks,rats in your pies, weevils in your biscuits, goats falling down the hatches, holystones, wash day, pay day, strong liquor, marriage certificates, wives, children, mistresses and dogs on board, volunteers and press gangs, hernias, amputations and disease, cockroaches like animated varnish on the walls, dancing, prize money, pensions and begging, betrayal, decency, heroism, births and deaths. They are all here, and more.
Anyone researching the life of an ancestor in Nelson's navy will find it an engrossing picture of their experiences, or if you just get jaded by the complacency of modern life, have watched one too many reality TV programs and read one too many dull blogs about the middle classes relocating to the country, immerse yourself in the true hardships these men and women suffered and emerge refreshed with your sense of perspective restored.
This is a good book in which to lose oneself on a winter's night in front of a warm fire while the storms rage outside.
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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
|
*Amazon: £10.89
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Customer Reviews
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.
Risible, flea-brained stupidity, 07 Sep 2008
There is such a thing as a work of fantasy. This is book is just that. No evidence whatsoever. No proof. No circumstantial evidence. Pure tosh from start to finish. This is no more history than books on Atlantis are history.
Do youselves a favour - if Sino-European history interests you, buy a good, well-respected, well-researched work on the subject. Leave foolishness like this to the idiots. An interesting read, 30 Aug 2008
The basic premise of this book is that prior to the European voyages of discovery a massive fleet of ships left China and ended up circumnavigating the globe and on the way discovered North and South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and Greenland. The author, Gavin Menzies, is a former Royal Navy submarine commander and as such much of his evidence is based on his knowledge of currents and wind direction when compared to maps that predate the voyages of Columbus. He goes on to use a number of other sources of evidence to back up his case including, among other things, the presence of mysterious wrecks scattered the globe, the presence of animals and plants outside their native lands before Europeans reached them and the diaries of the first European explorers themselves.
While much of the evidence presented in this book is thought provoking and definitely worthy of further study there are many pieces that are open to other interpretation and some that can only be described as circumstantial. I feel some of the problem that this book has is that it doesn't generally present its evidence in the best way possible being overly repetitious in places and being a bit too informal in others. Overall 1421 is an interesting book that does present many new questions for historians on the accepted view of the voyages discovery but it does require more research. Lovely PR hype - but sadly fairly rubbish history, 19 Jun 2008
You'd hope for more from a former Royal Navy commander, but sadly while his publicity machine is first rate, his history is anything but.
It would be lovely to turn what we know about naval history on its head and say that the Chinese Admiral Zheng He conclusively 'discovered' America or Australia long before any European navigators/explorers.
Unfortunately, this book falls into the category of what publishers call "wa-wa" history. In other words, it ain't true - and the historical reseach is shoddy.
The publishers know it's rubbish. We the public know it's rubbish, but we buy it anyway. And so they publish, because they know we'll buy it and they'll make money. In other words we get the books we deserve. We should be reading decent, reseach-based histories - but we find them rather dull so we don't....
Despite the welter of 5 and 4 star reviews this book has garnered on Amazon, it is important - before you buy it - to note one important fact.
Not ONE single naval historian has given any credence to these claims. Not any European - nor any Chinese - historian. In fact, they all say that the evidence is not there.
While other readers seem to like this book, I have to say that having read other books on global trade and sea voyages in the pre-modern era, I found Menzies style very confusing and it was very difficult to follow his train of thought and how he was using evidence to support his conclusions
Astonishingly, Menzies seems to have ignored two key pieces of Chinese evidence for Zheng He's voyages which list the countries he visited - and don't mention anything that could be America.
In fact Menzies does not read Chinese and there are no direct quotes from any articles or studies written in Chinese. Which is pretty gob-smacking when you think the book is about a Chinese Admiral!
The book may be entertaining, and I am sure Gavin Menzies is a nice bloke etc etc. But that ain't enough. For me his book was full of circular reasoning, speculation, distorted sources and slapdash research.
Or as has already been said - this book may well prove to be the Piltdown Man of literature and should only be classified as fiction.
You may think this is a case of the little man, the amateur, beating the massed hords of the professionals. That is always a very beguiling image, but it's the wrong one to picture.
This book is a triumph for publishing hype and muddled thinking and writing. For that reason we should give it a wide berth. Unless of course you actually like your history as fiction. In which case, be my guest. However, you have been warned.... Mind boggling pseudo-history, 25 May 2008
His far-fetched theories, while very interesting, have no scientific basis.
Any curious fact stated in the book that was checked by a (reputable) scientists was found false.
Read the well researched and scientifically sound "When China Ruled the Seas" by Louise Levathes, or check the Internet sites at & to understand the hoax...
Fiction not Fact, 20 Feb 2008
Why do so many people believe this sort of rubbish when there are no facts to back any of it up?
How did this ever get published?!, 07 Sep 2008
Garbage.
That's what this is. Garbage. It's bad enough that the fore-runner to this book was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the gullible thousands; but for a sequel, even more outlandish in its thesis, to receive a similar welcome is a poor reflection on the intelligence of the average reader.
There are thousands, if not millions, of academic books, papers, theses, and disseratations that paint a different image of how China and Europe shared knowledge. None of them mention this armada.
Garbage.
I Am Chinese!, 15 Aug 2008
This literally unbelievable book has shown me that my whole upbringing was a lie - I am actually Chinese and everything I have enjoyed about life has come from China. Amazing. Where was the computer that I am typing this review on made? Why, China of course. What more proof do you need?
What has it taken so long for the indisputable facts of the Chinese creation of everything to come to light? One can only surmise that a long running conspiracy between the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei has been running things behind the scenes. No coincidence I'm sure that Gavin Menzies' books contain exactly the same kind of selective historiography, illogical leaps of reasoning, reasoning from effect to cause and all the other deductive confidence tricks readers of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail et.al have embraced for years.
Highly recommended for the gullible.
Definitely worth reading, 16 Jul 2008
Gavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world.
The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust then spent the next decades trying to decipher the knowledge the Chinese had donated to them.
Decades of analysis let eventually to the "invention" by the Italians of all the things that the Chinese had actually invented hundreds of years before.
So Leonardo Da Vinci was just a fine illustrator and a blatant plagiarist, however it will take some time for us Europeans, brought up believing that Leonardo and his ilk are heroes, to accept a less Eurocentric view of world history.
Gavin Menzies has pursued a line of inquiry as unique as it is astounding, yet in the process has turned up masses of evidence and convinced me that he is on the right track. It will be interesting to see if others agree.
By the way, if you are going to read 1434, I recommend you read 1421 first.
A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!, 09 Jul 2008
In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze.
The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!)
All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)!
Brilliant and essential reading for AIB, 05 Dec 2007
I gave this book a 5* but 9/10 is probably more accurate. It is a very good guide to the current/immediate future RN fleet. It is ideal for someone gearing up for AIB, however it is not 100% comprehensive due to it being 4/5 years old.
It does mention the CVF/Astutes but only mentions some of the squadrons that use certain aircraft etc. It also covers Apaches as in use by the RN, even though the RN has none (they are flown by the RAF).
It does give you all the info required (such as weapon and other systems detail) and also has wonderful profile pictures and photo shots to familiarise yourself with. However one must also learn the uses, locations and characteristics of each ship, and not just the specifications (which is pretty much what this book focuses on).
Showed it to my AFCO and they recommended it, and it is a wonderfully easy book to pick up as a beginner. But it shouldn't be used for 100% of the service knowledge research.
how to get in the royal navy, 20 May 2004
this book includes all the information you need to gain access into the royal navy it has info on the newwest ships in the navy and it also gives you all the detail and info needed to pass you AIB what else it covers almost everything and anything you need to know to get in... its fantastic and deserves a five star rating..
Essential AIB reading, 09 Oct 2003
For those of you out there preparing for your AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) this book is absolutly essential. All of the current fleet is included, along with the future ships of the RN. Everything to do with the RN fleet is included here with more detail than you could ever need. It contains more up to date, and detailed information than that found in the booklet given out by AFCO's. Still didn't get me in though...
good book but doesn't feel like it was written for the purpose, 20 May 2008
This book is good and the illustrations and photos are great but it really seems as if the book was written as a generic guide to the Royal navy and then they added on the Jack Aubrey stuff later on. There is no real understanding of Aubrey and Maturin and the books in the series - it's a bit generic. Pity
Hazard warning!, 06 Dec 2006
This is a very useful book to read as background for the Aubrey series, BUT it should come with a warning - if you read it before you finish the series (as indeed you would want to) it will spill the beans on some of the story lines...
Marvelous! Even better than I'd hoped!, 16 Jan 2004
I really must say I loved this book. It's quite beautiful, with many stunning paintings and illustrations. Plus, it is full of helpful and interesting information the time period of the M & C books. I had primarily been looking for some maps, more detail about the ships and perhaps a more detailed explanation of naval ranks and uniforms, and I found all of this and so very much more. Books like this one add so very much to one's enjoyment of the novels. I heartily recommend it.
The Real Life of Jack Aubrey, 21 Nov 2003
Fans of Patrick O'Brian will love it and so should anyone who loves the sea, sailing ships and our fascinating maritime history.
At first glance this seems like a 'coffee table' book - to be admired, but not necessarily read. Closer examination reveals an impressively well-researched book, packed full of excellent illustrations. There is a wide range of well-reproduced paintings of famous ships and battles. There are maps, sketches, cartoons, engravings, diagrams, portraits and water-colours. Every aspect of a 19th century sailor's life is described clearly, accurately and in an interesting manner.Links to Jack Aubrey are scattered through the book, with a welcome 'Cast of Characters' on 4 pages, as well as a glossary of nautical terms found in the Patrick O'Brian books. You might want to buy two of these books - one for your coffee table and one to read and re-read.
Jack Tar, 13 Oct 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.
Jack Tar; a man, women and child of many faces, 07 Oct 2008
This is a wonderful follow up to the Adkins' 2 previous books 'Trafalgar: Biography of a Battle' and 'War for all the Oceans', and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. In this volume the sailors take the limelight and history takes a step back to create the setting for their lives. And what lives they were!
I am always surprised how many sailors of all ranks were able to write journals and diaries about their time at sea, how literate they were, how perceptive and honest their observations were, and more surprisingly how those manuscripts have survived. The Adkins have carefully drawn from these and many other contemporary sources and woven them into their text to create a vivid picture of life in the British Navy at the time of Nelson and the war with France. A good selection of maps, and illustrations helps fuel the imagination, and, as ever, they have succeeded in presenting the flavour of the time, bring the people and events to life in such a way it is easy to suspend disbelief and fancy you are watching real time events
Electric fluid, birds of ill omen, ship wreck, coffee made from burnt bread, one armed cooks,rats in your pies, weevils in your biscuits, goats falling down the hatches, holystones, wash day, pay day, strong liquor, marriage certificates, wives, children, mistresses and dogs on board, volunteers and press gangs, hernias, amputations and disease, cockroaches like animated varnish on the walls, dancing, prize money, pensions and begging, betrayal, decency, heroism, births and deaths. They are all here, and more.
Anyone researching the life of an ancestor in Nelson's navy will find it an engrossing picture of their experiences, or if you just get jaded by the complacency of modern life, have watched one too many reality TV programs and read one too many dull blogs about the middle classes relocating to the country, immerse yourself in the true hardships these men and women suffered and emerge refreshed with your sense of perspective restored.
This is a good book in which to lose oneself on a winter's night in front of a warm fire while the storms rage outside.
Jack Tar, 13 Oct 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.
Jack Tar; a man, women and child of many faces, 07 Oct 2008
This is a wonderful follow up to the Adkins' 2 previous books 'Trafalgar: Biography of a Battle' and 'War for all the Oceans', and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. In this volume the sailors take the limelight and history takes a step back to create the setting for their lives. And what lives they were!
I am always surprised how many sailors of all ranks were able to write journals and diaries about their time at sea, how literate they were, how perceptive and honest their observations were, and more surprisingly how those manuscripts have survived. The Adkins have carefully drawn from these and many other contemporary sources and woven them into their text to create a vivid picture of life in the British Navy at the time of Nelson and the war with France. A good selection of maps | | |