Naval book recommendations

Bullethead

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More free e-books:

Port Arthur: The Siege and Capitulation, by Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett
http://books.google.com/books?id=2nhCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq="Port+Arthur"+fort*+siege+map+-texas&source=bl&ots=T0jn07leHo&sig=HBC_Lo3DwsOOuUJ7B73hGD1EmGE&hl=en&ei=t29BS-2aI4LeMdrQwIsL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CBQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q="Port Arthur" fort* siege map -texas&f=false

The Siege of Port Arthur: Records of an Eye-Witness, by David Heny James
http://www.archive.org/details/siegeportarthur00jamegoog

Sadly, the American Libraries site doesn't seem to have an RJW subject category. No telling what else they have, but it's not conveniently grouped.
 

TBR

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More free e-books (multiformat, select your favourite for download):

Aircraft and Submarines
The Story of the Invention, Development, and Present-Day Uses of War's Newest Weapons (1918)

http://manybooks.net/titles/abbottw3004730047-8.html

The Journal of Submarine Commander von Forstner (1917)

http://manybooks.net/titles/forstnerg3011430114-8.html

Submarine Warfare of To-day
How the Submarine Menace was Met and Vanquished, With Descriptions of the Inventions and Devices Used, Fast Boats, Mystery Ships (1920)

http://manybooks.net/titles/domville-fifec2968529685-8.html

I have to confess I'm still a subhunter at heart :)
 
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TBR

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Alfred Thayer Mahan:

http://manybooks.net/authors/mahana.html
including, of course, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783
http://manybooks.net/authors/mahanc.html

For those interested in the Civil War at sea:

Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy
http://manybooks.net/titles/battenj2576425764-8.html

Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy
http://manybooks.net/titles/ordnanceb1905819058-8.html

(short)
The Monitor and the Merrimac
Both sides of the story
http://manybooks.net/titles/wordenj2461224612.html

by Theodore Roosevelt:

The Naval War of 1812
or the History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans

http://manybooks.net/titles/rooseveltthetext058trnv10.html
 
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Bullethead

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More free ebooks:

First off, The Spider Web. This is about the RNAS's anti-submarine flying boats. An excellent book, not only well-written narrative but lots of cool technical details worked in.
http://www.archive.org/details/spiderwebromance00pixsuoft

Then click on the various links in the "SUBJECT" line on this page. Then browse some more. All kinds of cool stuff here.
 

feld

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Seems no one has posted this (apologies if someone has and I missed it) but I'm presently reading a stunningly detailed two volume history of the Russo-Japanese War by Julian Corbett published in 1914 called Maritime Operations in the Russo Japanese War. It may be the most comprehensive operational history I've ever read. And I had to read several for my Joint Professional Military Education courses...

Preview on google books.
Buy at Amazon for 145$(!!!!)

Oh...and Bullethead?....fair warning...reading this book is going to cause me to ask lots of questions about the campaign in DG 1.5....
 
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Von der Tann

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Just received Battle for the Baltic Islands 1917 - Triumph of the Imperial German Navy by Gary Staff. Should be interesting...
 

Bullethead

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Not on topic but a ripping yarn nonetheless.

Resolute, by Martin W. Sandler. This book is about the RN's attempts in the early 1800s to find the Northwest Passage, and then the subsequent 12-year effort to find the last NWP-seeking expedition sent out (Sir John Franklin's), during which the last parts of the NWP were finally charted. The folks who did this were (mostly) quite resolute, and HMS Resolute was a ship specially designed for Arctic operations which suffered an interesting fate during the search for Franklin. Lots of "Quiet Here" questions in this book :).

At the time, these Arctic expeditions were the equivalent of the space program and involved just as much national pride. The search for Franklin was an obsession of the English-speaking world for a while. The book goes into the unbelievable hardship involved in probing the Arctic with wooden ships and iron men, which gives me an even greater appreciation for living in the 21st Century :). And all this for no practical purpose, because not even 21st Century ships use the NWP routinely.

Anyway, it's a great read.
 

cj95

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As the forums resident USS Texas fanatic, I just tonight finished a book on everbodies favorite dreadnought.

COME ON TEXAS published in 1930 was written by an ex-Texas officer Paul Schubert.

Presented as a novel in the first person, COme on Texas gives us a great day to day look at this icon during her youth starting with the comissioning ceremonies and working up through the Mexico Crisis, sea trials and eventual entry into World War I

All the major keystones are hit including the frustration of running aground in New York, the ardors of coaling ship, and the rivalry with the sailors of the Grand Fleet.

Included you'll find heaving storms, the fear of phantom periscopes and an all out brawl with the crew of HMS Warspite.


Long out of print, this book is a rare find on Amazon and usually goes for over $100. However I managed to score my copy on Alibris.com for a mere $22.




I suppose for me one of the most poignant moments came when an old Scottish man riased his glass saluting, " 'ere's to 'e Texas lads. Long may she float."

Considering that in conjunstion with a later description of the German fleet being escorted to Scapa Flowby Us and British forces, in surrender, and the narroator comments 'Half the worlds dreadnoughts were in one location"


Of those ships...out of them all. Out of the massive lines of battlewagons on that day....Only Texas remains.

And she floats still to this day.


Anyhow, Im 100% biased, but it was a neat insight.
 

cj95

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Now this sounds very interesting. What started it and who won? :).
;) What usually starts fights between sailors? "My ship is better than your ship."


Apparently the Warspites were razzing Texas for her poor shooting. As far as who won, shore patrol broke it up so I guess we can say it was a tie.
Later in the book after the peace, a group of Texas sailors go aboard the Warspite and raise a glass (or three) with their old brawling mates. "Wot? Ye dont have rum rations ye 'por yanks? Come aboard 'den and celebrate right lads. We've 'nuf for de fleet."





On the subject of shooting: The author describes the fact that Texas held the US navy trophy for marksmanship in 1915-1916 but was crippled when her prize gunnery crews were broken up and scattered to the merchant fleet running convoys.
When the US Squadron went over later he fully acknowledges they had a ship full of novice crews and made a poor showing first time out. However eager to "show 'dem Limeys" the crew quickly worked up and was scoring big by the Spring.
 

Amadeus

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Did someone read the first volume in Petr Olender's series on the Russo-Japanese Naval War published by MMP?
(BTW it seems the second volume was just published).
 

Ahernar

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Glad to be of help !
Anyway i have found this another resource years ago - looks like a analisis of the battle , very interesting .
(Link removed - illegal copy of recently published work)
 
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Von der Tann

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Just started on The Wolf, a book on the voyage of the commerce raider bearing this name.
 

saddletank

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Glad to be of help !
Anyway i have found this another resource years ago - looks like a analisis of the battle , very interesting .
This is an online reproduction of John Campbell's "Jutland; an Analysis of the Fighting." Such a recent publication should not be free on the internet. Highly illegal. Link removed.
 
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