The Fortification of the Firth of Forth 1880-1977
The Fortification of the Firth of Forth 1880-1977

Author: Gordon Barclay

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781908332141

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The Fortification of the Firth of Forth' describes the story of the great Forth Fortress from 1880 to 1977, when the final traditional defensive capabilities were abandoned. The authors combine archival sources with new fieldwork and oral histories to not only describe what was built, but when and why. They also show how the defences were expected to be used, in rapidly changing strategic circumstances and in the face of increasingly sophisticated and powerful naval weapons. Increasingly complex defences were built between the Isle of May and the Forth Rail Bridge to detect, block and sink enemy warships and submarines. The threat of an expansionist Germany across the North Sea increased the importance of the Forth as the site of the northern naval dockyard. The defences reached their zenith in 1916-17 as preparations were made for the Grand Fleet to move from its northern anchorage at Scapa Flow. The estuary was re-armed in 1939, and the coast defences were wound up in 1956 before being finally abandoned in 1977. Today, many of the surviving features remain visible in and around the Firth of Forth. This meticulously researched, richly illustrated volume relates the defences in the Forth to the wider political and military context and also describes the human side of the defences: the men and women who manned the fortress. This is a fascinating resource for those interested in Scottish military and naval history, and conflict and battlefield archaeology.

East Coast of Scotland
East Coast of Scotland

Author: Andy Carnduff

Publisher: Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd

Published: 2023-05-30

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1786795086

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This relatively remote cruising area at the edge of the North Sea has much to offer small and shoal-draught boats that will take the ground, but skippers of larger, deeper keeled yachts will also find a good selection of harbours and anchorages to choose from, particularly during settled conditions or in periods of offshore winds. Ashore, there is a long and rich history of Scottish culture and innovation to discover, as well as superlative landscapes to explore. Popular as a landfall destination for yachts sailing across the North Sea from the approaches to the Baltic, the east coast of Scotland is well worth exploring as part of any circumnavigation of Great Britain. This new Imray title benefits from the extensive local knowledge of Andy Carnduff and the members of the Forth Yacht Clubs Association, and incorporates Martin Lawrence’s earlier work. Sailing directions and pilotage details are accompanied by listings of harbours and anchorages, including facilities. The book is illustrated throughout with Imray cartography and a good selection of informative photographs, including several aerials shots.

Fortification and Its Discontents from Shakespeare to Milton
Fortification and Its Discontents from Shakespeare to Milton

Author: Adam N. McKeown

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 9781351108515

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Fortification and Its Discontents from Shakespeare to Milton gives new coherence to the literature of the early modern Atlantic world by placing it in the context of radical changes to urban space following the Italian War of 1494-1498. The new walled city that emerged in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries on both sides of the Atlantic provided an outlet for a wide range of humanistic fascinations with urban design, composition, and community organization, but it also promoted centrality of control and subordinated the human environment to military functionality. Examining William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, John Winthrop, and John Milton, this volume shows how the literature of England and New England explores and challenges the new walled city as England struggled to define the sprawling metropolis of London, translate English urban spaces into Ireland and North America, and, later, survive a long civil war.

If Hitler Comes
If Hitler Comes

Author: Gordon Barclay

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2013-04-04

Total Pages: 669

ISBN-13: 0857905899

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Between May 1940 and the summer of 1941 the British people expected a German invasion that, had it succeeded, would have enslaved them into the Nazis' racist war. This period saw an unparalleled effort to prepare the defence of the UK against invasion. Scotland's nationally important heavy industries, vital Royal Navy bases, and one of the UK's key ports, were very vulnerable to the sort of airborne attack that had devastated the defences of Belgium. Everyone was certain that a Fifth Column of Nazi sympathisers and agents was working actively to spread rumours and despair, and to aid the invasion forces, and in reality the country was far from united. Although the 1939 - 45 War is the most written-about war in history there is no account of the heroic efforts made in those months to prepare Scotland for the inevitable invasion, and how the defences were intended to be used. This book tells that story, against the wider history of the period and its people, and describes what was built, and what now survives.

William Wallace
William Wallace

Author: James Mackay

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-01-27

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1780574282

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Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie is one of history's greatest heroes, but also one of its greatest enigmas - a shadowy figure whose edges have been blurred by myth and legend. Even the date and place of his birth have been mis-stated - until now. James Mackay uses all his skills as a historical detective to produce this definitive biography, telling the incredible story of a man who, without wealth or noble birth, rose to become Guardian of Scotland. William Wallace, with superb generalship and tactical genius, led a country with no previous warlike tradition to triumph gloriously over the much larger, better-armed and better-trained English forces. Seven hundred years later, the heroism and betrayal, the valiant deeds and the dark atrocities, and the struggle of a small nation against a brutal and powerful empire, still create a compelling tale.

The Wars of the Bruces
The Wars of the Bruces

Author: Colm McNamee

Publisher: Birlinn

Published: 2012-08-25

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 0857904957

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The Bruces of fourteenth-century Scotland were formidable and enthusiastic warriors. Whilst much has been written about events as they happened in Scotland during the chaotic years of the first part of the fourteenth century, England's war with Robert the Bruce profoundly affected the whole of the British Isles. Scottish raiders struck deep into the heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire; Robert's younger brother, Edward Bruce, was proclaimed King of Ireland and came close to subduing the country; the Isle of Man was captured and a Welsh sea-port was raided; and in the North Sea Scots allied with German and Flemish pirates to cripple England's vital wool trade and disrupt its war effort. Packed with detail and written with a strong and involving narrative thread, this is the first book to link up the various theatres of war and discuss the effect of the wars of the Bruces outside Scotland.

Brief History
Brief History

Author: William E. Burns

Publisher: Infobase Publishing

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1438127375

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A Brief History of Great Britain narrates the history of Great Britain from the earliest times to the 21st century, covering the entire island England, Wales, and Scotland as well as associated archipelagos such as the Channel Islands, the Orkneys, and Ireland as they have influenced British history. The central story of this volume is the development of the British kingdom, including its rise and decline on the world stage. The book is built around a clear chronological political narrative while incorporating treatment of social, economic, and religious issues. Coverage includes: Early Settlements, Celts, and Romans Anglo-Saxons, Scots, and Vikings Scotland, England, and Wales Britain in the Late Middle Ages The Making of Protestant Britain Industry and Conquest Britain in the Age of Empire An Age of Crisis The Age of Consensus A House Divided.

Microplastics in Water and Wastewater
Microplastics in Water and Wastewater

Author: Hrissi K. Karapanagioti

Publisher: IWA Publishing

Published: 2019-09-15

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1789060028

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This book covers the topic of microplastics in water and wastewater. The chapters start with introductory issues related to the growing interest in the scientific community on microplastics and the human water cycle and point out where the microplastics could interact with water. The subsequent chapters examine evidence of the microplastic presence in freshwater, such as in both rivers and lakes, in freshwater biota, and hazardous chemicals associated with microplastics in such systems. Another set of chapters discuss the presence of microplastics in wastewater: their sources; their transfer through a wastewater treatment plant; the concentration of microplastics in effluents throughout the world; the plastic biomedia used in wastewater treatment plants and the effect on the surrounding environment of effluent wastewater pipes. These chapters also discuss the sampling methods, the sample treatment and analysis techniques used so far for microplastics in wastewater. Additionally, the presence of microplastics in sewage sludge and in soils irrigated with wastewater or fertilized with sludge are discussed. The possible impact of plastics and their additives on plants, microalgae, and humans are reviewed and presented in a critical way. Finally, a chapter summarizes all the relevant regulations and initiatives that point to the necessity of a global directive for the protection of the environment from plastic and microplastic pollution. The topic of microplastics in freshwater systems and in wastewater has scarcely been studied and requires more attention. Microplastics in Water and Wastewater aims to bring these initial findings to the attention of a broader audience and especially to operators and managers of freshwater and wastewater systems. It will also be helpful to people already aware of the marine debris problem to understand the sources of microplastics in the oceans, from freshwater systems and wastewater treatment plants.