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Over centuries past, powerful nations and empires have expressed their might and control in part through the strength of their navies and their industrial and commercial prowess through fleets of vessels whether powered by sail or later steam. The desire to add ornamentation to even the most utilitarian of objects is evident throughout history, and ships were no exception. The task to create decorative forms that became part of a functional object was for the shipping industry the job of the ship''s carver; a profession that demanded artistic ability together with a knowledge of the functional requirements of the vessel. When decoration was applied to a military vessel, it was for the purpose of presenting an overwhelming sense of indomitable strength. Imagery taken from biblical texts or ancient myths and legends provided heroic figures that not only emphasised power, but also established the political and theological ideology that each nation wished to uphold or impose.Written by a professional ship''s carver who has restored many figureheads, this book reveals the skills and stories behind the profession and some of the primary families - the Hellyers and the Dickersons - back to the 18th century. Originally from Hampshire, the Hellyer family carved figureheads for the Royal Naval yard at Portsmouth, whilst the Dickerson family carved for the Royal Naval yard at Plymouth. Following generations set up carving workshops at many of the London yards, and as ship building moved north, they also set up in Tyneside and Scotland. In all they carved over 350 figureheads for the Royal Navy plus many for merchant yards. The smaller Dickerson family remained in Plymouth carving over 220 figures.Ships'' Figureheads reveals information about these and other carving families, providing a socio-historic account of the times and in so doing an insight into the world they inhabited, with an in-depth practical knowledge of their work. Through exhaustive research the author has discovered many of the trials and tribulations experienced by each family, thus giving a sense of who they were, where they lived and how their work was viewed by society. It includes many heart-rending episodes that each family endured helping to bring to life the period in which they lived

The Girl who Killed a Nation is a fast-paced tale that is deeply reflective, readable and down to earth, and will draw in lovers of travel, history, and personal memoir. It is a true African story that will change readers? perceptions. How did a teenage girl cause the death of 40,000 of her own people in 1856 ? and why do some compare her to an African Joan of Arc or Greta Thunberg? Was she a black liberation leader, a malicious liar or the disruptor of a conservative patriarchal society? Join Treive Nicholas on a moving physical and spiritual journey from the Wild Coast of South Africa to a highly symbolic grave in Cambridgeshire, England as he searches for the infamous teenage prophetess Nongqawuse ? leader of the popular mass movement known as the Great Cattle Killing (1856?57). Fate is his constant companion, gently leading him to the rivers, woods and pastures where mercurial spirits, kings, prophets, witch doctors and colonial leaders played out this visceral African story in the cauldron of nine wars, settler invasion and cruel natural disasters. The ripples of this almost unbelievable tragedy are still felt today. On the grassy hills of the Eastern Cape, Treive concludes the South African leg of his pilgrimage, holding an open-air court at the grave of the revered amaXhosa ruler, King Hintsa. The verdict on his death? Bloody regicide, at the hands of Sir Harry Smith, the Hero of Aliwal and darling of Victorian society. After recovering from four tropical diseases, and much to Treive?s great surprise, the journey does not end there. Instead, it all comes uncomfortably closer to home. Much closer.

Recounted for the first time and in detail, this is the unbelievable true story of the Edwardian confidence trickster who fooled the world – three times.Violet Charlesworth, the beautiful young heiress to a fortune was briefly the most famous woman in the world, hunted across the globe, pursued by the press, and living the life of royalty. With country estates, fast cars, furs, fabulous jewels, and expensive tastes, she lived life in the fast lane until her lifestyle – and her creditors – finally caught up with her on a lonely, clifftop road in North Wales.Clever, resourceful, cunning, ruthless and beautiful, Violet Charlesworth had it all, until her luxurious motorcar smashed through a low wall on a dangerous bend in a moonlit clifftop road, hurling her into the waves below.  As the search for her body continued, the shocking truth about her life finally emerged.In the era of the Suffragettes, Violet found another way to beat male-dominated society at its own game. Setting the bar for all female con artists to follow, she changed women’s fashion, her exploits entered the lexicon of the English language, and she rapidly became more famous than the King and the Prime Minister. She even had a racehorse named after her. She ruined lives and reputations, broke promises and shattered dreams but, like all great con artists, left us guessing until the end. And she did it all with style and panache.

Royal Fleet Auxiliaries are distinctive in the maritime world – civilian-crewed Merchant Navy ships owned by the Crown working under naval orders. This Dictionary showcases both the famous and the often overlooked ships that have supported the Royal Navy during its prominence in the twentieth century.This comprehensively researched reference work presents a detailed guide to vessels, that in both peace and wartime were essential in the wide field of British maritime history – those that did battle in the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and Pacific Oceans and for the Falklands. This is a record of those ships along with details of marine and war losses from the traditional tankers taken up from commercial trade to the ships of today that are designed for the sophisticated and critical role of sea-going logistics support.The author is a recognised authority on the history and ships of the RFA. The Dictionary features some 430 RFA ships and 53 classes from the tanker Petroleum and hospital ship Maine of 1905 to the multi-role assets Proteus and Stirling Castle of 2023. Additionally there is information on 22 projected RFA vessels and equipment including the cancelled hospital ship whose material resources were diverted to aid construction of the Royal Yacht and the nuclear-powered replenishment tanker that remained on the drawing board.Comprehensively researched from official records, the ships are technically detailed from the Admiralty’s policy and planning through to their engineering, aviation decks and defensive armament. Where appropriate there is a summary of service and for the historical researcher each entry provides a list of the sources used by the author. The easy-to-read detail is supported by an abundance of photographs and drawings. Uniquely there is an appendix of 67 entries detailing those miscellaneous ships that are commonly but erroneously classed as RFAs.This authoritative work fills an important gap in shipping literature with no previous publication on these ships coming close to including the level of detail provided.

Donald Watson was a seminal figure in the wildlife art and ornithological world from the late 1950s onwards. Since his death in 2005, his work has lived on through active public demand for his outstanding paintings of birds and the continued reading of his books. Until now, there has been no book assessing his status and standing in the world of bird art and ornithology. This definitive book is a series of biographical essays written by those who knew him and his outstanding contributions. There are so many perceptive insights about him and his work, and many previously untold stories that enliven the text. Beautifully illustrated with his outstanding paintings, examples of his exquisite scraper board sketches and family photographs, readers will want this book for its images alone.

This is an unusual maritime story in that the author looks at life from the lower echelons of a merchant ship’s company and the relationship between officers and crew, deck department and the catering staff, recounting his life and experiences with people and places in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.The title relates to Cunard House, the headquarters of Port Line Ltd at 88 Leadenhall Street, London EC3, where all mail for the sea staff was addressed before being sent to the appropriate vessel, hence the adoption of  ‘Care of’. The building was a regular haunt for some staff going to, or returning from, a port ‘Boat’.For the average Briton, overseas experience was mainly confined to war-time service and with those serving in both the Merchant and Royal Navy foreign places were an adventure – sights, sounds and smells would never be forgotten from their first voyage to sea. c/o Cunard House provides an intimate account of a life and career on these vessels, from the hardships to the adventure and wonder of travel.These ships carried a small number of passengers, often older folk making the trip to or from the Antipodes for probably the last time. Several events are recorded that display the varied aspects of human life and attitudes, between passengers and crew, from the pompous to the polite! This era of shipping has long gone, but in this book the memories remain as fresh as ever.