Hms Centurion 1733–1769 an Historic Biographical-Travelogue of One of Britain's Most Famous Warships and the Capture of the Nuestra Senora De Covadonga Treasure Galleon.
Hms Centurion 1733–1769 an Historic Biographical-Travelogue of One of Britain's Most Famous Warships and the Capture of the Nuestra Senora De Covadonga Treasure Galleon.

Author: Shirley Fish

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2015-07-27

Total Pages: 490

ISBN-13: 1504944917

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When the Centurion and a squadron of six vessels and 1,959 men and boys set out from England in 1740, on a round-the-world expedition, they were unaware of the terrifying events that awaited them in the days ahead. The squadron, under the command of Commodore George Anson, had departed from England with every hope of a successful mission to harass and take prizes in the Spanish possessions of the Americas and in Asia. The journey proved more challenging than anticipated, and at times, it seemed nightmarish and beyond anything experienced by the crew. The ship survived two huge waves and a lightning strike. Then, there was the great loss of life amongst the crew who perished due to the devastating symptoms of scurvy. Despite these setbacks, there were moments of pure joy, especially when the Centurion captured the fabulously wealthy Manila-Acapulco Galleon in the Philippines, the Nuestra Senora de Covadonga. Throughout the Centurion's career as a royal naval warship in the eighteenth century, she played a role in the capture of Quebec during the French and Indian War and the invasion of Havana in the Seven Years War. She was also instrumental when dealing with the Barbary Corsairs of Algeria and Morocco. Amongst the famous men who sailed on this vessel were John Harrison, the inventor of the first maritime sea clock, and Joshua Reynolds, the celebrated portrait painter. The details of the journeys to the Americas, Asia, and Europe are described in this biographical-travelogue of the Centurion.

The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel, Admiral of the White, and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1782-3
The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel, Admiral of the White, and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1782-3

Author: Thomas Robert Keppel

Publisher: Sagwan Press

Published: 2018-02-02

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 9781376515282

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Wager
The Wager

Author: David Grann

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2023-05-11

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 1471183696

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From the international bestselling author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, the Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. Then, six months later, another, even more decrepit, craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with counter-charges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. While stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

Catalogue of the Books in the Manchester Free Library
Catalogue of the Books in the Manchester Free Library

Author: Manchester Public Libraries (Manchester, England)

Publisher:

Published: 1864

Total Pages: 1670

ISBN-13:

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"The Catalogue ... has been prepared with a view to accomplish two objects. One, to offer an inventory of all the books on the shelves of the Reference Department of the Manchester Free Library: the other, to supply ... a ready Key both to the subjects of the books, and to the names of the authors." - v. 1, the compiler to the reader.

Nelson's Victory
Nelson's Victory

Author: Brian Lavery

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2015-04-30

Total Pages: 435

ISBN-13: 1473854946

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May 2015 sees the 250th anniversary of the launch of HMS Victory, the ship that is so closely associated with Nelson and his great victory at Trafalgar and which, still extant, has today become the embodiment of the great Age of Sail. Many books have been written about Victory but none like this, which tells the full story of the ship since she first took to the waters in May 1765. It contains many surprises that she was almost wrecked on her launch; that diplomacy conducted onboard her played a crucial role in provoking Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812; and that in 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm set the First World War in motion at a desk made from her timbers. The book also tells the story of Horatio Nelson, who was born a few weeks before his most famous ship was ordered, and whose career paralleled hers in many ways. It does not ignore the battle of Trafalgar, and indeed it offers new insights into the campaign which led up to it. But it says much more about the other lives of the ship, which at different times was a flagship, a fighting ship, a prison hospital ship, a training ship for officers and boys, a floating courtroom, a signal school in the early days of radio, tourist attraction and national icon. It looks at her through many eyes, including Queen Victoria, admirals, midshipmen and ordinary seamen, and Beatrix Potter who visited as a girl. It is simply a 'must-have' work for historians and enthusiasts, and a compelling new narrative for the general reader.

A History of Artillery
A History of Artillery

Author: Jeremy Black

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1538178214

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A History of Artillery traces the development of artillery through the ages, providing a thorough study of these weapons. From its earliest recorded use in battle over a millennium ago, up to the recent Gulf War, Balkan, and Afghanistan conflicts, artillery has often been the deciding factor in battle. Black shows that artillery sits within the general history of a war as a means that varied greatly between armies and navies, and also across time.