BOOK REVIEWS

William Battersby. James Fitzjames: The and any undiscovered records have thus far Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition. eluded successive searches using modern Toronto: Dundurn Press, www.dundurn technology, a clearer picture of the .com, 2010. 224 pp. illustrations, maps, backgrounds of the doomed officers and appendices, notes, bibliography, index. ratings has emerged thanks to Battersby and CDN $ 35.00, cloth; ISBN 978-1-55488- other researchers. 781-1. James Fitzjames was born in Rio de Until now, James Fitzjames, appointed Janeiro in 1813. He was the illegitimate son commander in Sir John Franklin’s HMS of Sir James Gambier, a well-connected Erebus in 1845, has been a shadowy British ambassador. Battersby uses historical figure. William Battersby has contemporary letters to sketch the “exotic produced an intriguing biography by and sub-tropical life” (p.27) enjoyed by the drawing on contemporary letters and exiled Portuguese court and the ambassador. accounts. He started with only sketchy facts By trawling through bank records, the about his subject and discovered that author also discovered that Sir James had aspects of Fitzjames’ life had been serious money problems. When Gambier deliberately obfuscated. By profession a returned to England in 1815, family British financial advisor, the author was connections were used to place his little son educated as an archaeologist and applied his with Robert and Louisa Conningham. It academic background in meticulous was a truly fortuitous arrangement for the research to construct an engaging picture of little boy who had been baptized James the people in Fitzjames’ life. William Fitzjames. The Conninghams lived Battersby has managed to uncover a wealth comfortably in an estate in Hertfordshire of detail about his subject including his within a day-trip’s distance from London. financial means. His narrative, rich with They valued education and young James, contemporary observations and the brought up as a full member of the family, backgrounds of individuals, gives was tutored along with their son William, Fitzjames’ associations with others both who was two years younger and became a afloat and ashore a sense of immediacy. staunch lifelong friend. At the age of 12, This well-written book is a bravura example James was taken on as a “volunteer” by one of what might be termed forensic history of the Gambier family in command of a and a rewarding read for anyone interested frigate. This was the first rung on James’ in the social history of the Royal Navy in climb up the naval rank ladder to become an the first decades after the Napoleonic wars, officer. He needed to accumulate sufficient and of the landed gentry of the time. Recent time afloat to qualify for advancement and, painstaking work by Ralph Lloyd-Jones due to various circumstances, this proved a published in the journal Polar Record has challenge. The story of how Robert also cast new light on the crews of the Conningham who, despite lacking Franklin expedition. While Franklin’s ships connections, was willing to go to bat for his The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord, XXII No. 4, (October 2012), 421-466 422 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Lambert has described the contemporary protégé is an interesting sidelight. James scientific fixation on geomagnetism. It was was ingenious in exploiting opportunities to thought that precise navigation could make his record of sea time look better than facilitated if the difference between it actually was. Fitzjames was better magnetic north (or south) as recorded by a educated than most of his contemporaries compass with the true directional bearing and apparently knew at least two foreign and the dip of a magnetic needle were languages when he joined his first ship, a accurately shown on charts and maps. faculty which proved useful for his captains James Fitzjames would be responsible for during visits in both South America and the making the magnetic observations during Mediterranean. After six years of service, Franklin’s 1845 polar voyage. James had to appear before a board of three On his return from his commanding officers to be examined in Mesopotamian adventures (which seamanship, navigation and discipline. concluded with a 1,000-mile trek across the Britons were energetically desert carrying mail), Fitzjames became a expanding imperial influence around the lieutenant and in 1838, completed the new globe. At home, the industrial revolution gunnery officer’s course in HMS Excellent was humming, making Britain pre-eminent in Portsmouth. The Royal Navy had technologically. These strands were established a school of gunnery in 1830 to combined in the Euphrates Expedition in improve professional standards for officers 1835-36, a quasi-government venture aimed and men. James Fitzjames was a member at developing a new route to India and of the first officers’ course with instruction returning for passengers, mail and high in the theoretical aspects of gunnery value goods. This was to be achieved by included in their syllabus. Fitzjames’ next operating paddle steamers on the rivers of two appointments were as gunnery officer what is now Iraq, and eventually linking the aboard large ships of the line. A nascent upper Euphrates to the Mediterranean, first Egypt was on the move against its recent by rail and later by canal. Fitzjames, now overlord, the Ottoman Empire. The major qualified as a Mate, joined this ambitious powers were attempting to restrict Egypt expedition. Iron-hulled steamers in sections from completely enfeebling the Ottoman were shipped out to the coast of what is now Empire. Fitzjames was in the fleet flagship Syria and moved overland along with their in 1839-40 during a blockade of Beirut and massive boilers and engines to the river during an opposed landing in Egypt. He system. The challenges to be overcome next went out to China, again as the included attacks by hostile tribesmen, gunnery officer of the fleet flagship, in time disease and the hazards of using an for the “Opium War” in which Britain used unknown river route. An adventuresome overwhelming force to impose trade young German couple, improbably traveling arrangements on the Chinese empire. James in the Middle East for their honeymoon, Fitzjames emerges from contemporary joined the expedition as far as India. letters and other accounts as a gregarious Battersby tells a compelling story of this and high-spirited officer with a bent for exotic episode in Fitzjames’ life. The theatrical impersonations. A naval expedition carried out mapping surveys for colleague and close friend observed how which Fitzjames was given a crash course in Fitzjames was able to cultivate senior mathematics. Interestingly, it also carried officers. Battersby characterizes him as out magnetic surveys. In Franklin Tragic being “ambitious, determined and [someone Hero of Polar Navigation (2009), Andrew who] lived off his wits” (p.46). Book Reviews 423 Eventually, Fitzjames’ career was standards, it’s striking that the officers were favoured by patronage from Sir John not formally appointed to the expedition Barrow who, as the second lord of the which would sail in May 1845 until the Admiralty, was the senior official beginning of March. Battersby covers the responsible for naval administration. Sir preparations for sailing and takes the story John—who was in office for an astonishing as far as July 1845, when Franklin’s ships period of nearly forty years—occupied this were last seen by whalers in Baffin Bay. position throughout Fitzjames’ career and Dundurn Press has produced an became legendary as a promoter of British attractive book enhanced by several well- global exploration. James had first chosen illustrations on glossy paper along befriended John Barrow, one of Sir John’s with maps which fully cover Fitzjames’ sons, in 1838. They became regular activities in Mesopotamia and China. The correspondents and Battersby cites a “Dear Franklin mystery continues to fascinate. In Jim” letter from John Barrow. The author James Fitzjames: The Mystery Man of the discovered through this correspondence, Franklin Expedition William Battersby has that in late 1841, when his ship was in produced an engaging three-dimensional Singapore, Fitzjames was able to help picture of a determined naval officer during George Barrow, another of the second sea a dynamic period of technological transition lord’s sons, to overcome an undisclosed when the Royal Navy was used to support crisis. James achieved this by advancing an assertive British foreign policy as well as money to George, at the time the local carrying out expeditions intended to expand colonial secretary. Fitzjames was promptly geographic knowledge and scientific promoted to the rank of captain and given research. Highly recommended. command of a warship in the Indian Ocean. Jan Drent When he returned to England in late 1844, Victoria, British Columbia another polar expedition was being planned and Sir John Barrow intended that Fitzjames would have a prominent role and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, possibly even lead it. Until Battersby’s (Trans. Freeman M. Tovell). Voyage to the relentless research had uncovered the Northwest Coast of America, 1792. Juan patronage link with the second sea lord, Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra and the earlier writers had been at a loss to explain Nootka Sound Company. Norman, OK: The why Fitzjames evidential had influential Arthur K.H. Clarke Co., www.ahclark.com, backing. Eventually, Sir John Franklin was 2012. 196 pp., illustrations, maps, appendix, appointed to command the expedition, one notes, bibliography, index. US $34.95, of the stout veteran ships, HMS Erebus, cloth; ISBN 978-0-87062-408-7. being strengthened and equipped with a removable screw and railway locomotive In the late-eighteenth century, five maritime engines. Command of her sister vessel, powers–France, Great Britain, Russia, Spain HMS Terror went to Captain Francis and the United States–claimed rights Crozier, a veteran of four major polar variously to visit, study, trade with or exert expeditions recently returned from the dominion over the northwest coast and its Antarctic. Fitzjames became commander in indigenous peoples. Some of these rights Erebus. Aged 33 that year, he was a far were contested among the powers, some more flamboyant figure than Franklin, who not. This volume sheds light on the most was 60 years old on sailing in May 1845 acute and historically significant of their and Crozier, aged 49. By today’s rivalries, the dispute between Spain and 424 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Britain which became known as the Nootka and crew as prisoners to New Spain. Crisis. The late Freeman Tovell has The story of the Nootka Crisis, of translated Juan Francisco de la Bodega y the path followed by Spain and Britain Quadra’s 1792 account of his negotiation towards increased armament and potential with George Vancouver, an unsuccessful war, of the inevitable involvement of other attempt, as it turned out, to resolve the European powers, and of the Conventions dispute. which, after repeated negotiation, eventually The translation is preceded by a defused the affair, have been well told thorough introduction by Tovell, with Robin elsewhere. It is a tale of mutual Inglis and Iris Engstrand, which misunderstanding, differing conceptions of summarizes previous research on the colonial rights and methods of claiming subject. Spanish anxiety over Russian and them, poor translation and interpretation, British encroachment on the hegemony poor communication within each of the Spain assumed over the Pacific and its camps themselves, apparent agreements shores led to three reconnaissance voyages, couched in intentionally ambiguous in 1774, 1775 and 1779. Each expedition language, suspicion on the part of each included acts of possession in the name of nation about the other’s motives, and Spain at various points along the unsettled sometimes grotesque posturing on the basis coast north of San Francisco. In 1775 of a wounded sense of dignity. Bodega y Quadra carried out the requisite What the new volume adds to our ceremonies as far north as 58°, so that in understanding of the whole affair is a direct Spanish eyes, sovereignty had been line for readers of English into Bodega y established over most of the west coast of Quadra’s thinking, so far as he wished his the Americas by the time the first Briton, superiors to know, of one of the James Cook, arrived at Nootka in 1778. Commissioners tasked with the detailed One of the most significant results implementation, two years after its signing, of Cook’s visit was the realization that a of the first Convention. Bodega y Quadra’s lucrative trade in sea otter pelts could be account describes a fascinating example of undertaken between the northwest coasts extreme diplomacy: high-toned rhetoric, and China. In the following decade, this led flowery if sincere protestations of eternal to a flourishing commerce conducted almost friendship, but underneath it all an entirely by British and American ships, with unyielding conviction of being uniquely in the Mowachaht people at Nootka one the right and the occasional glimmer of among many important sources of pelts. In mutual suspicion. It is by no means an easy 1788, Chief Maquinna permitted trader John story to reconstruct without an intimate Meares to erect a building at the summer knowledge of the sources, Spanish, British village of Yuquot, dubbed by Cook and American. Aside from attracting the “Friendly Cove”. This action became a key general reader, this translation will broaden element in Britain’s competing claim to the range of scholars who can easily access sovereignty. The clash came in 1789, when the documentary evidence for the tangled a Spanish force sent to occupy Nootka series of events in question. encountered British fur traders (though no One might quibble about the odd surviving building) at Friendly Cove, and detail. The translation sometimes falls foul after an initially friendly interaction, of false friends, for example: “The entire Commander, Esteban José Martínez anchorage has the best proportions” (p.127). confiscated the vessels of Meares’ colleague The context makes it clear that size and James Colnett, and shipped their officers dimension are not at issue; instead, the Book Reviews 425 author proceeds (after a colon, which in the The least well-known of the four English is rather perversely replaced by a officers, William Leahy made an important full stop) to list the numerous advantages of connection early in his naval career. As the the location. It seems that “proporciones” is commander of a message-carrying gunboat here used in the sense of “comparative stationed in Washington, DC during the advantages,” and the sentence should be First World War, Leahy established a close recast to make this clear, thus, perhaps: “In friendship with Assistant Secretary of the every aspect the anchorage has the greatest Navy Franklin Roosevelt. Leahy was advantages…” impressed with Roosevelt’s knowledge of Such aberrations, however, are few, ship-handling while the future president do not distort the general understanding of gained an appreciation for Leahy’s loyalty. the account, and may perhaps be explained After rising to become the chief of naval to some degree by the translator’s need to operations, Leahy was sent by Roosevelt to complete this work before laying further serve as the American ambassador to Vichy work aside. The volume forms a worthy France. In July 1942, the president recalled culmination of the post-diplomatic second Leahy to active serve and the admiral career of Freeman Tovell, as meticulous and served as the president’s chief military generous an historian as one could hope to advisor for the remainder of the war. In this find. In this translation we have received role, Leahy demonstrated a talent for his final gift: let us treasure it. diplomacy and for loyally carrying out the directives of a president with whom he John Black often disagreed on political issues. Nanaimo, British Columbia Borneman emphasizes the growth in Leahy’s responsibilities as Roosevelt’s Walter R. Borneman. The Admirals: Nimitz, health faded as the president delegated more Halsey, Leahy, and King—The Five-Star and more to the admiral. Admirals Who Won the War at Sea. New One of the many choices that York: Little, Brown and Company, shaped Ernest King’s career was his www.hachettebookgroup.com, 2012. 559 decision to pursue flight training in the in pp., illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. late 1920s, thus making him eligible to US $29.99, cloth; ISBN 978-0-316-09784-0. command aircraft carriers and other aviation units. Borneman highlights a break in Having previously covered the War of 1812 King’s command of the aircraft tender USS and the Seven Years War, Walter Borneman Wright in 1928, when King directed the moves into the twentieth century in this salvage work to recover the downed work on the highest ranking American naval submarine USS S-4. This episode, in which officers of the Second World War. The King grasped a special high-profile Admirals is a comparative biography of four assignment, illustrates King’s focus on American admirals written as a popular planning his career, as well as his history. The work surveys their childhood, commitment to finishing assignments, since time at the Naval Academy and early King was offered but refused other service before focusing on the significant opportunities during the difficult salvage roles these men played during the Second efforts. After being appointed chief of naval World War, especially in the Pacific theater. operations in 1942, King worked hard to In order to do justice to this survey work, a develop a close working relationship, short summary of each admiral’s career is in though not friendship, with the Army chief order. of staff, General George Marshall. 426 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord William Halsey’s early career in the early-twentieth century U.S. Navy and destroyers gave him a reputation as an is recommended to a general audience. aggressive officer who practiced Corbin Williamson innovative tactics for torpedo attacks on Columbus, Ohio battleships. Like King, Halsey completed the naval aviator course in order to command an aircraft carrier during the Margaret Bradley. Daniel Lescallier, 1743- interwar period. During the war, Halsey 1822. Man of the Sea—and Military Spy? rose to national prominence for his role in Maritime Developments and French early carrier raids and his command of the Military Espionage Maritime Developments South Pacific Area. This prominence led and French Military Espionage. Lewiston, both Nimitz and King to reduce the NY: The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd., severity of the findings of two boards of www.mellenpress.com, 2005. xviii + 225 inquiry, convened after Halsey twice led pp., illustrations, appendices, bibliography, his fleet through Pacific typhoons. The index. US $129.95, cloth; ISBN 0-7734- chapters on Halsey allow the author to 5951-0. contrast the admiral’s aggressive style with that of his wartime counterpart, Raymond Daniel Lescallier (1743-1822) was a man of Spruance, who was known for his detailed sweeping theory and exact detail. An advance planning. Anglophile and excellent linguist, he was Throughout his career, Chester sent abroad by the French government to Nimitz proved to be an effective teacher, gather reconnaissance on the secrets of able to offer criticism while still expressing British success at sea in 1789. He happily confidence in his subordinates. The young went about his task, deploying his officer became one of the Navy’s first considerable charm to gain entrance to the experts in submarine diesel engines, giving (rather public) secrets of the British him an appreciation for the role of Establishment. While the dockyards and submarines he utilized as commander of arsenals were theoretically out of bounds to the Pacific Fleet. In describing Nimitz’s foreign interlopers, Lescallier had little wartime service, Borneman draws heavily difficulty gaining access to private on Potter’s biography of Nimitz warehouses and factories and, having made (Borneman relies on secondary sources acquaintances, was usually able to charm throughout the work). The author his way into places where he should not highlights Nimitz’s relationship with King, have been. When this tactic failed, he could especially the gradual growth in King’s always inspect the men-of-war at anchor. It trust of Nimitz’s judgment. Borneman also could be argued from this that one of the emphasizes Nimitz’s abiding commitment principal qualities of eighteenth-century to prevent disagreements within the Britain was its confidence and openness; military from becoming public knowledge. alternatively, it might be postulated that few On a more personal level, institutions were both as private (and out- Borneman sees Leahy and Nimitz as of-bounds) and public (and intended for having the most loving marriages, a clear display) as the ship-of-the-line. contrast to King’s distant wartime Lescallier’s writings covered relationship with his wife. The Admirals is Britain, Sweden and Russia. His research in written in an engaging style and Borneman England, which included reports, has an excellent eye for compelling stories. memoranda, diagrams, tables and sketches, This book would serve well as a survey of was submitted for the top echelon of the Book Reviews 427 French military system and so can be taken taking place in England; the causes and as direct evidence of the techniques and symptoms of this transformation were technologies that he saw at Portsmouth, numerous. His observations were always Gosport, London and Sheffield. His intelligent. He noted, for instance, that in journey to Russia, which took him through the Royal Navy civilians were treated with the Baltic, might be seen in a rather the same respect as officers and military different light. His accounts of his escapes personnel; this ethos of égalité, he argued, and escapades in the Tzarist domains was one of the sources of British perhaps fall within the genre of travel achievement but its transplantation to writing, and as was often the case with this France, where hierarchies were firmly literary type, there must be some doubt as to entrenched and overstaffing was endemic, the veracity of the narratives and the would be extremely problematic. This reliability of the descriptions. This tends to observation seems particularly valuable and conform to certain well-known conventions prescient in light of the success of the (encounter with overbearing officialdom; revolutionary armies, although the spirit of travails due to unique geographical the Marseillais proved difficult to transplant conditions; semi-comical escape; etc.). to the navy. Lescallier’s descriptions of British Margaret Bradley has done an mechanical and engineering successes in excellent job in bringing Lescallier’s general, and the Royal Navy in particular, writings to life, translating and organizing are rather more precise. He provided a them in a very readable way. Her prose is great deal of information on the provision of extremely clear and, given the technical wood for the fleet, with a mass of detail on nature of much of the subject matter, its cutting, transportation, and storage; he contributes significantly to the accessibility reflected that the French system, driven by and success of the study. The academic numerous private and regional interest context is excellent; although a bit more groups, could not match the efficiency of its might have been said about Lescallier in rival across la Manche. Margaret Bradley’s terms of the process of technology transfer. study makes use of the testimonies of other Some account might have been made of the visitors to Albion’s shores, and these literary genre of travel writing and its writings, with Lescallier’s output, provide a conventions. This reviewer was not quite great deal of information on diving bells; sure whether, in the end, Dr. Bradley the steps necessary for the manufacture of believed that Lescallier was indeed a spy or high-quality rope; the construction of whether some more ambiguous status permanent and temporary dry docks should be conferred on him. These are, of (London had dozens of ad hoc dry docks course, only small gripes. along the banks of the Thames; these were Lescallier’s writings, taken with Dr. old ships whose hulls had been covered Bradley’s insightful analysis of them, invite with mud and adapted to serve this a few general conclusions. The first is to purpose); the various methods for the underline that the impetus for reform in sheathing of hulls; the handsome buildings ancien régime France lay in the perception of Portsmouth and Gosport, constructed of British superiority; specifically, it was from bricks (something of a rarity, by based on the idea that the Bourbon and inference) and Portland stone. Napoleonic regimes enjoyed such The thread linking all of these geographic and demographic advantages observations was Lescallier’s dismay that “a over Georgian Britain that Paris, rather than revolution in the mechanical arts” was London, should have been dictating terms in 428 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord years such as 1763. Lescallier was a hulled, sail-powered navies virtually pessimist who believed that Paris’ attempts obsolete. Within a year of the battle, both to implement reform in Toulon or ironclads suffered ignominious ends; Cherbourg simply made things worse. Virginia being scuttled and burned to From the perspective of 2012 it is difficult prevent it falling into Union hands, and not to reflect on the fact that Britain was Monitor sinking in an Atlantic storm while once not just the workshop of the world but under tow. While the history of Monitor its armoury and laboratory as well. and of the Battle of Hampton Roads has Lescallier invites us to think about the been researched, written, re-written, and Georgian formula for success; it is obvious examined ad nauseum over the years, in that part of this formula lay in the balance USS Monitor: A Historic Ship Completes Its between private interest and the public Final Voyage, John Broadwater brings a good, but this thought inevitably leads to new dimension to the story. Focusing on the question of why Britons were so the discovery and archaeological industrious and inventive and why and how documentation of the Monitor wrecksite, these invaluable characteristics and qualities and on the recovery of parts of the unique have been misplaced. Finally, at a moment vessel, Broadwater takes the reader along in which a dirigiste French Président and a on the last leg of Monitor’s journey from neo-liberal British prime minister are warship to shipwreck to National Marine confronting the phenomenon of national Sanctuary and museum exhibit. In the crisis and decline in very different ways, it process, Broadwater produces a history and seems possible to conclude that recurring a memoir that is a fitting final tribute to political characteristics or structures do Monitor’s place in American naval history indeed exist. Daniel Lescallier may still and in our shared maritime heritage. have something to say to us. USS Monitor is divided into nine chapters with prologue and epilogue that Phillip Williams detail the search for and discovery of the Valladolid, Spain wrecksite, the recovery and conservation of sections of the ship, as well as the John D. Broadwater. USS Monitor. A development of the nation’s first National Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage. Marine Sanctuary at the site of the College Station, TX: Texas A & M ironclad’s final resting place, with a bit of University Press, www.tamupress.com, history to set the context for Monitor’s 2012. xiv+239 pp., illustrations, maps, importance. The beginning sections are set notes, bibliography, index. US $39.95, up in a way that transports the reader in cloth; ISBN 978-1-60344-473-6. time, with the prologue describing the author’s first personal contact with the With the exception of RMS Titanic, perhaps shipwreck and setting the tone for the rest of no historic vessel has been written about as the book in a casual, first-person narrative extensively as USS Monitor, the iconic that is engaging and entertaining. Chapter Union ironclad famous for its battle with the One describes the loss of Monitor off Cape Confederate ironclad Virginia at Hampton Hatteras while being towed south in Roads, Virginia, in 1862. The engagement, anticipation of further combat, including the relatively early in the American Civil War dramatic efforts of the tow vessel to try to and resulting in a stalemate, nevertheless save the ironclad. The convoluted tale of was a turning point for naval architecture Monitor’s discovery is presented in Chapter and warfare, at once rendering wooden- Two, beginning just after World War II and Book Reviews 429 culminating in the wreck’s positive comes to understand the author’s identification in 1973. Chapter Three is the appreciation of and respect for their requisite history chapter, explaining the abilities. In fact, perhaps the most evolution of naval technology and the race significant contribution of this volume is the between the North and South to construct an sharing of Broadwater’s very personal ironclad warship, the momentous battle, and connection with USS Monitor. While short subsequent lives of Monitor and relatively unusual in the genre of history Virginia. The development of the United books, the first-person style enables States’ first National Marine Sanctuary, Broadwater to reveal to each reader his conceived as a way to protect Monitor’s thoughts, fears, revelations, humour, gravesite, is the focus of Chapter Four, growing understanding, and sense of presenting the story of the official wonder regarding this most meaningful of designation, the development of guiding shipwrecks. Sidebars present relevant research plans, and an overview of nuggets of information and additional facts, investigations to the shipwreck. Chapter while lavish and colourful photographs, Five describes the evolution of Monitor illustrations and tables make the book as management strategies, including the suitable for the coffee table as for the controversy surrounding opening the site to library. Extensive notes and references will recreational divers and their resulting lead those interested to sources for contributions to research and management. additional research. Other than a few The decision to recover portions of Monitor, insignificant typographical errors, I can find including her propeller, is discussed in little to criticize. USS Monitor: A Historic Chapter Six, as well as the extensive Ship Completes Its Final Voyage is an cooperation of U.S. Navy divers in these interesting and illuminating read, and will efforts. The recovery story continues in prove a useful and unique reference for Chapter Seven with the raising of the anyone interested in Civil War history, naval ironclad’s machinery and in Chapter Eight technology, underwater archaeology, or with the retrieval of the famous revolving cultural heritage management, or for anyone turret. Chapter Nine describes the who wants a glimpse into the challenges excavation of sediments from inside the and triumphs of historic shipwreck turret once it was secured for conservation investigation. at the Mariner’s Museum in Virginia, with Della Scott-Ireton descriptions of the artefacts encountered, Pensacola, Florida including the remains of two of Monitor’s crewmen. The Epilogue concludes the book with a short discussion of Monitor’s place Helen Doe and Richard Harding (eds.). in history and plans for the exhibition of the Naval Leadership and Management, 1650- turret and other recovered items. 1950. Woodbridge, Suff.: Boydell & Brewer Broadwater’s narrative of his work Ltd., www.boydellandbrewer.com, 2012. on Monitor through several decades xiv+206 pp., tables, notes, bibliography, presents a facet of the ironclad’s life that index. US $99.00, hardback; ISBN 978-1- few know. Although Monitor’s story while 84383-695-7. afloat is familiar, specifics of the ship’s discovery, investigation, and recovery are Naval Leadership and Management 1650- not as well-known. In particular, the 1950 is an edited collection of papers importance of Navy divers in every step of presented at the September 2009 diving operations is detailed, and the reader conference, Officers and Seamen: 430 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Management in Naval and Maritime century’s focus on the naval hero, the History, held at Exeter University in the individual, versus the need to have a trained U.K. to mark the occasion of Professor body of senior and junior officers creating a Michael Duffy’s retirement. Roger Knight’s functional command network, plus the appreciation of Michael Duffy traces his 40- realization of the importance of context in year academic career, touching on who determining which approach is the superior influenced him and who he, in turn, form of leadership. nurtured. In keeping with the theme of the The second section touches on collection, he highlights Duffy’s interest in organizational friction, the area of tensions and promotion of the study of maritime and between levels of leadership aboard ship. naval leadership. Duffy’s publications Gareth Cole thoroughly describes the demonstrate the broad sweep of the man’s changing relationship between the Royal pen and the great debt those of us interested Artillerymen who served afloat and the in maritime and naval history owe to him. officers of the Royal Navy between 1792 All but two of the 12 contributors (including and 1815. It is a story of the Admiralty one of the editors) were either Duffy’s peers tightening its control over the people who at Exeter University, or his students. It is a come onboard their domain making for a remarkable tribute to a peer and mentor. more efficient and orderly command To see this collection as merely a structure. Britt Zerbe provides an insightful means of honouring an esteemed colleague look at the relationship between Marine and and teacher, however, would fail to Royal Navy officers from 1755 to1797, a appreciate its importance. Richard decisive period in the development of the Harding’s masterful introduction both place of marines aboard ship. The issue of summarizes and contextualizes each paper class and the tension between the two within the historiography of maritime and groups is palpable in this essay. Going naval leadership. As he states, the “essays” beyond the leadership aspect of the through their broad range, depth of analysis collection, Zerbe’s article adds to our and use of the archives, “illustrate just how overall knowledge about marines aboard rich and important (the) field…is” (p.24). ships, an area often overlooked in other The book is divided into four histories of the British Navy. sections based on specific themes within the The third section deals with the use broader subject. Section one looks at the of power in the navy and touches on the ‘hero’ and leadership study. Peter Ward transport agent at Portsmouth and examines Admiral Peter Rainer’s eleven Southampton, 1795-1797 in a paper by years in command of the East Indies Roger Morriss while Mike Farquharson- Station, 1794-1805. He describes the clash Roberts addresses the officers and the between the local commander meeting the Invergordon mutiny. Morriss tells the story needs arising on station versus following of Captain Daniel Woodriff (a name familiar the regulations and rules of the bureaucrats to many of us), the agent for transports at of the Naval Board thousands of miles away Portsmouth and Southampton. Far from the in London. Rainer’s skill at taking care of sea scenes of discharged broadsides and his squadron and his sailors while tempest, Woodriff and his fellow agents accomplishing his assigned tasks is a played a critical role keeping the British dynamic case study of effective fleet afloat and ready to fight. Morriss management of resources and navigation of leaves us with a sense that a well-run and the organizational system. Richard financed organization is essential for Harding’s article juxtaposes the eighteenth maritime influence. Farquharson-Roberts Book Reviews 431 demonstrates what happens when the shift from unlimited to time-limited organization is decimated by funding cuts volunteer service lead to the creation of a and the imposition of management systems systematic approach to problem behaviours designed to survey and remove officers which replaced the individual take on rather than nurture them. He examines the discipline and punishment of the naval years between the end of the First World officers of the earlier era. While this War and the 1937 Invergordon mutiny. If reduced instances of individual tyranny Morriss’s paper reveals how it ought to over sailors, it did produce the problem of work, Farquharson-Roberts’ is the rigid adherence to systematic procedure antithesis; what not to do in managing when a more personal touch would have people to create good leaders. Both have been appropriate. Mary Jones examines relevance to our current times. the clash of the old independent-oriented A third paper by David J. Starkey leadership with a peacetime-fostered deals with the use of incentives among hierarchical system of management. She privateering crews to keep them on task. traces the development in three phases Relying on a variety of sources, he from 1860 through to the Battle of Jutland describes how ship masters and owners in 1916. The outcome is judged to be a used different payment schemes (pay and disaster for the corporate approach of the profit sharing in prizes), and insurance new system. The final essay by Elinor offerings for being injured, disabled, or Romans addresses the training of even killed during the voyage, to entice midshipmen in the inter-war years. sailors to join a privateer’s crew and stay Romans proposes that this training was to with it for the entire voyage. Such an instill the “qualities…(of)…seamanship, apparently ideal system, we learn, is still leadership and gentlemanliness” (p.173). fraught with tensions between the vessel Academic course work, service afloat and owners and employed sailors. Contracts a limited form of mentorship (though outlining profit sharing could be more Romans does not use this term) appear to complex than originally explained to the be the positive elements in the training. An sailors, ignored by one side, or read in absence of tactical and strategic training differing ways resulting in riots, work and a reduction of “boat work” are seen as stoppages or court cases. The article shortcomings, but she concludes that these reminds us that privateer ships were just did not appear to impede the good like any other workplace where performance of British naval officers reimbursement for work and owners’ profit during peace and war. goals often clashed. While the title offers both “naval” Where the first three sections deal and “maritime” as the subject areas for with the period 1689 to 1932, the fourth leadership and management study, only covers 1850 to 1939. The topic is the one of the ten articles deals with a non- introduction of new training and British naval focus. Starkey’s work on management techniques to shape officers privateering is the only one that falls for the new (technologically advanced and outside the navy focus (in a way, not that bureaucratic) navy. Oliver Walton far). This probably reflects a need for describes the development of new systems more research in the non-naval side of to handle discipline in the British Navy maritime management and leadership. that evolved during the second half of the While the title indicates a time span of nineteenth century. A series of Naval 1650 to 1950, the essays are tipped heavily Discipline Acts between1860-66 and the to the long eighteenth century. The only 432 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord image in this book is the cover art, an odd Kevin Dougherty. Strangling the juxtaposition of Lord Nelson looking over Confederacy: Coastal Operations of the his shoulder at two Dreadnaughts. These American Civil War. Havertown, PA: criticisms, however, ought not to keep this Casemate Publishers, www.casematepublish book from the shelf of anyone with an ing.com, 2010. 233 pp., illustrations, notes, interest in management and leadership at bibliography, index. US $32.95, cloth; sea. The footnotes throughout the articles ISBN 978-1-935149-24-8. and the selected bibliography at the end of the book only add to its value. Kevin Dougherty offers a concise overview Two points strike this reviewer as of Union coastal operations and their arising out of the collection of essays. strategic importance during the Civil War. First, is the tension between central He focuses on the cooperation between the organizing authority and the distant local army and navy to secure key points along commander, best represented by the the Confederate coast line. The Navy Board subject in the papers by Morriss (Captain or Blockade Board, convened in June 1861 Daniel Woodriff, the agent for transports) by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, and Peter Ward (Admiral Peter Rainer in outlined a strategy very much in line with the East Indies). The second is the clear what the author refers to as the elements of picture that the entire collection presents of operational design. Rather than a haphazard the gradual tightening of the central series of attacks, the tactics employed to authority over the expansive organization; implement the naval blockade were well with regulations, rules, more central review planned and ahead of their time. This work of leadership performance, and offers the perspective that the nascent Navy standardized training. Board, with no prescribed military doctrine, The strengths of this book are the laid the groundwork for modern joint quality of these papers and the promotion operations. Union triumphs generally of the study of leadership aboard ship. outweighed a series of shortcomings, and Each address the influence of Dougherty summarizes each incursion along developments on sailors (and others found with their effect on the overall broad afloat, i.e. marines and artillery men) and strategy. the evolution of management ideas over Among the components essential to time. This is the other side of naval and large operations are decisive points. The maritime history from the big battles, the reader is directed to Carl von Clausewitz’s heroes who make it all happen and the “center of gravity” concept as “the point at grand movement of fleets, but, it is at the which all our energies should be projected heart of how well a ship is worked and the (p.185).” The centre of gravity for the U.S. nature of life afloat. If the well-earned Navy was to stop the Confederacy’s ability praise in the opening appreciation brings a to engage in foreign commerce. This would tear to the honouree’s eye, it is the high not be easy with over 3,500 miles of quality of this collection that will draw it coastline to guard. The Navy board down his cheek. identified ten anchorages with access to rail and water routes inland. Union coastal Thomas Malcomson strategy targeted Norfolk, Virginia; New North York, Ontario Bern and Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Fernandina, Jacksonville, and Pensacola, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Book Reviews 433 New Orleans, Louisiana. Each succession do little to increase the integrity of the of captured ports established lines of blockade—stick to end states and operations to coordinate naval activities, objectives. another reference to modern military tenet. Despite mostly sound tactics, the While these direct attacks did a great deal author points to a number of shortcomings, in bolstering the blockade, the indirect which were to be expected in coordinating implications for the Confederate war effort such large scale operations. One, of were just as profound. course, was inter-service cooperation. The The ripple effects of the early efforts to take Fort Fisher illustrate just successful Union invasions were how crucial this was. The first attempt tremendous. Confederate coastal forces failed due to a volatile relationship were forced to move inland after the between Major General Benjamin Butler capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, in and Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter. November 1861, allowing for a relatively The second attack was successful after easy takeover of Fernandina and Butler was replaced by Major General Jacksonville by amphibious assault. Forts Alfred Terry. Another criticism is that Jackson and St. Philip capitulated without many of the successful assaults were not a direct assault once Commodore David exploited to their full potential. In many Farragut’s fleet sailed past and secured instances, occupying forces did not move New Orleans. Pensacola was abandoned to contain vital junctions that were in easy without a fight by Confederate forces after reach. One can easily understand these a mere Union feint on Mobile, Alabama. deficiencies given the lack of any formal General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern training for amphibious operations and the Virginia was indirectly affected as well, shifting priorities of the war effort. especially after the capture of New Bern Dougherty does a superb job in and its vital railroad junction. Confederate demonstrating how the Navy Board strategy shifted in the wake of the Union unwittingly pioneered many of the basic momentum along their shoreline, and they policies of modern day military coalitions. reinforced at optimum areas of defense. The book is supplemented with short Dougherty purports that at this point biographies, both military and civilian, of Federal operations achieved operational key Federal and Confederate leaders. This reach, which resulted in culmination or is a great starting point for the novice, as “the point in time and space at which an well as a review, and perhaps a new attacker’s combat power no longer exceeds perspective, for the more seasoned Civil that of the defender (p.194).” War naval enthusiast. Academicians may Battles at Galveston and quibble with the scant use of primary Charleston were examples of this sources and the rehashing of some old culmination. Galveston became the only arguments. Nonetheless, Dougherty gives port retaken by the Confederacy due to the Federal naval blockade and its planners poor Union defenses, while Charleston their due, and helps to synthesize what can would never be taken by amphibious appear to be a haphazard series of events. assault. Charleston became an obsession for Welles who believed it could be taken William Whyte with a fleet of monitors. Rear Admiral Nazareth, Pennsylvania Samuel F. DuPont disagreed, and pointed out that, at that point in the war, the capture of the “cradle of secession” would 434 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Richard Gorski. Roles of the Sea in chapter is to show how the seas were zones Medieval England. Woodbridge, Suffolk: of opportunity and to consider how England Boydell Press, www.boydellandbrewer.com, found a role for the sea to contribute to the 2012. x+194 pp., map, tables, footnotes, maritime historiography of the fourteenth index. US $90.00, hardback; ISBN 978-1- century. The predominant sea powers of 84383-701-5. Northern Europe at the time were the Flemings, the Hanseatic League and the Up until the later Middle Ages, the seas King of Norway. Although the feudal rights around England’s coasts were an of English kings straddled the English insurmountable barrier to the exchange of Channel, their position was weakened goods and to the pursuit of war. This because such naval force as was available to fundamental insularity affected not only the them was provided at the discretion of the development of the population, but it also semi-autonomous Cinque Ports who could limited England’s subsequent relationship to be called upon to supply naval services for Europe. the King’s use. This was a maritime Richard Gorski is the Philip confederation in Kent and Sussex dating Nicholas Memorial Lecturer in Maritime from at least the twelfth century that History at Hull University and assistant remained a formidable maritime power until director of the university’s Maritime Tudor times. Historical Studies Centre. He recently The chapters also examine the published his research into the extent to which England was able exploit administration of nineteenth-century the sea around its coast and include a social merchant shipping and is currently teaching history of English seamen in the fifteenth widely, editing and reviewing. Gorski’s century and the development of an early research into the role of the sea in medieval modern navy alongside a medieval shipping England from 1200 to 1500 required industry. Equally important is the clear specialist technologies and, in October explanation of why the seas were not only 2008, he brought together eight academics, barriers, but also often served as highways a mix of maritime historians and early- of communication, exchange and transport career scholars, to address a conference on as well as generating wealth and being an economic and maritime history at Rye, West intrinsic aspect of warfare and piracy. They Sussex, site of one of the ancient Cinque also demonstrate the sophisticated, but not Ports. infallible, contemporary methods of raising Roles of the Sea in Medieval money for ships, men and materiel for war England is another of an ad-hoc series from before England possessed a permanent Boydell Press on the theme of England’s navy. In addition, they discuss the role of relation towards the sea in the Middle Ages, local communities in the archipelago, its some of which have been reviewed in this neighbouring islands and the intervening journal. It contains various edited seas, together with chapters on language conference papers covering subjects such as contact, the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, nautical the roles of the sea, ship design and travel in the Old English Exodus and East construction, the relation of the Cinque Anglia. Ports to the Crown and to each other, piracy, Gorski makes the point that, as a and the Anglo-Hanseatic league—topics subject area with its own institutional basis that Gorski believes have, until now, been and a significant critical mass, maritime unjustly neglected by maritime historians. history is relatively young. Not all readers A common objective of each will agree with his claim that because Book Reviews 435 maritime historians share a common interest index. US $165.00, cloth; ISBN 978-1- in the oceans and their impact on the 84383-704-6. historical process, they have not suffered the same identity crises that have afflicted A sizeable volume, the Dictionary of British other niche specialists. On the contrary, Naval Battles provides a detailed list of they may feel that the authors of these naval engagements in which British naval essays have shown that maritime history vessels were involved. Grainger has made benefits when it is further broken down into an impressive attempt to make the volume its most persistent and important thematic as comprehensively British as possible, priorities. including the component nations of the Mindful that England’s maritime British Isles prior to the 1707 union, as well frontiers raised serious issues of jurisdiction as the naval forces of the British Empire and and security, this book explores many key Commonwealth until 1945. He admits that roles performed by the sea. Foremost flexible definitions of “British” and “naval” among them is war, the infrastructure, limits were required. To this end, the logistics and politics. The personnel of Dictionary does not include battles English seaborne expeditions are also involving British privateers, ships sunk by assessed, most notably for the period of the aircraft outside of a larger battle, or sinking Hundred Years War. of merchant vessels by submarines. Focusing on a region much smaller The sheer number of engagements than the “Atlantic world,” and thus more that Grainger has included is impressive and coherent, Gorski equates the role of the sea indicates the depth of the research. Battles with the uses to which it was put by past are organized alphabetically in four main societies. The result is a book that categories, albeit all in the same listing. encourages scholars to consider how First, and most extensive, are the battles England’s insularity affected its relationship listed by the name of the ship involved. If with the sea in the later middle-ages and multiple ships are involved, the engagement influenced the formation of a collective is listed by the name of the vessel that is English identity. lowest alphabetically. The second group are Roles of the Sea in Medieval geographic areas, with subsequent England raises many serious issues of engagements arranged chronologically. The jurisdiction and security. Despite being third category is battles that are best known rather expensive, it deserves to be on the by a popular or official nickname such as shelves of anyone with an interest in early Holmes’ Bonfire or the Battle of Jutland. naval history, the origins of European trade, The final category is engagements that were the building of empires and exploration, the fought by British squadrons and identified histories of navigation and cartography, and as such; for example, two engagements the origins of seaborne and oceanic fought during the English Civil War by migration. Blake’s Squadron. Despite this rather complex system of organization, individual Michael Clark conflicts are easily found, thanks to a London, England comprehensive index. This is a handy, quick-reference John D. Grainger. Dictionary of British guide for anybody interested in the Naval Battles. Woodbridge, Suff.: Boydell operational history of the Royal Navy, and & Brewer Ltd., www.boydelland is most useful when a quick synopsis of a brewer.com, 2012. xiv+588 pp., maps, battle or engagement is required. Although 436 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord the author does not provide in-depth by an offhand comment made by the great discussion of any of the battles, references ancient historian, Donald Kagan, back in are always provided to secondary or Hale’s undergraduate days at Yale in 1969. primary sources if more information is Kagan challenged him to look at Athenian needed. Although costly, The Dictionary of history “from the vantage point of a rower’s British Naval Battles is highly bench.” Hale was, and is, a rower and his recommended. interest in how the Athenian navy affected the city and all its accomplishments, has Sam McLean proven a lifelong quest. We are the Greenwich, England beneficiaries of his erudition. The rower’s approach Hale adopted John R. Hale. Lords of the Sea, The Epic is, indeed, unique since the story of Athens Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of from the days of the Persian Wars (490-480s Democracy. New York, NY: Viking Books, B.C.) to its ultimate eclipse at the hands of www.vpbooks.com, 2010. xxxiii + 395 pp., the Macedonians in the 320s BC is well- maps, diagrams, chronology, glossary, trodden ground. At the start of this period, notes, bibliography, index. CDN $21.00; US Athens and Sparta dominated the Greek $17.00, paper; ISBN 978-0-14311768-1. world and led the resistance to Persia. The battle of Thermopylae, the great Spartan Ancient history is, or should be, of abiding delaying tactic, provided the space for the interest to all who have any concern with Athenian triumph of Salamis at sea. The where we came from and the roots of the next year at Plataea, the Persians were society in which we live. Yet it is, for most finally defeated and Greek independence historians let alone ordinary individuals, restored. It was an astonishing outcome dare I say, a tabula rasa. No doubt the given the imbalance in strength between the rationale for disinterest in the ancient world two protagonists. Key was the Athenian is that it is remote and of no immediate navy, which destroyed the Persian navy at relevance in today’s robustly practical age. Salamis and permitted the harrying of their What lessons from a period so long ago can army back across the Hellespont. be of any use in our current lives, plagued Thereafter, conflict with Persia and the as we are, to narrow the discussion, with a creation of an Athenian Empire dominated bewildering array of challenges in the geo- the following decades until the disastrous political sphere alone? Peloponnesian War of the 431–404 B.C., John Hale, a classics professor at which witnessed the great city’s eclipse. the University of Louisville, has sought to Hale’s thesis is that the effort answer the question of the relevance of involved in creating Athens’ navy was ancient history to our modern world and has central to its political development. The succeeded brilliantly. Hale is also a marine democracy that evolved in the Greek city archaeologist, who has spent a significant states is the root of our own democratic proportion of his career searching for traditions. The injustices endemic to those ancient warships in the waters of Greece city states may, however, mar their claim to and the Mediterranean. This has included a modern definition of democracy, which significant work on establishing the included elements such as the narrow mechanics of how the trireme was propelled definition of “citizens” with votes, the by its banks of oarsmen, as well as related institution of slavery and the uneven work on Viking longships. treatment of outsiders. Such modern This book, his first, was triggered inequities acknowledged, the Greek city Book Reviews 437 states, Athens paramount among them, used gleans from his examination of the Athenian the democratically determined approval and navy? Perhaps the two most salient for our support of its citizens for the first time in own time are the matters of hubris and the world’s history to manage the huge cost financial over-extension. We today are of the navy, as well as its manning and equally prone to both fatal tendencies, but leadership. Naval power, in the decades they can be mitigated with due respect and after the Persian wars, allowed Athens to consultation with citizens, hopefully create and maintain its empire and providing optimal solutions to modern dominance over its sister Greek city states. troubles. This was not easy to accomplish The apogee was clearly in the first decades in the Athens of Pericles, and it is no easier after the triumph over Persia, and the seeds today. of eclipse planted as an outcome of Athens’ I unreservedly recommend this defeat at the end of the Peloponnesian War. book. Hale has successfully, energetically Alexander the Great and his Macedonian and vividly told the story of Athens at its successors finished the job. peak and the development of its form of I have two observations. First, democracy. Perhaps the story’s emphasis despite being of naval background myself, on the role of the navy in this is somewhat the notion that the navy was responsible for overstated, but the argument is well done democracy, while congenial, is overstated. and compelling. His book is well worth It rather reminds me of Arthur Herman’s To acquiring. Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Ian Yeates Shaped the Modern World and Peter Regina, Saskatchewan Padfield’s Maritime Dominion and the Triumph of the Free World, which posits similar influence to the good works of the David Hobbs. The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy. Fundamentally, the Royal Navy’s Most Powerful Strike Force. identification of a single factor leading to Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, something as diffuse and complex as www.nip.org, 2011. xvii+462 pp., democracy is not entirely convincing. illustrations, maps, glossary, appendices, Second, the chief difficulty for any notes, bibliography, index. US $34.95, historian of the classical world is the matter cloth; ISBN 978-1-59114-044-3056-5. of sources. These are very limited with little likelihood of additional literary David Hobbs has written a comprehensive material coming to light (never say never!). history of the British Pacific Fleet’s (BPF) Persian sources are particularly thin, and service from 1944 through 1946. Adding to much Greek is very narrow in terms of previous works on the BPF by Nicholas perspective. Hale, however, reminds us all Sarantakes (Allies Against the Rising Sun), that archaeology is continually filling in Peter Smith (Task Force 57), and John gaps and providing additional material. His Winton (The Forgotten Fleet), Hobbs leaves personal effort at finding the wreck of a few stones unturned in his account of trireme somewhere in the Aegean is a case British naval power in the last stages of the in point. While this ambition is still to be Second World War in the Pacific. As the realized, he has gleaned much from the war against Germany required fewer and seabed in recent decades. One hopes that fewer naval resources, the Royal Navy sent Hale’s efforts are rewarded with the finding a task force of aircraft carriers and escorts to of his own Holy Grail. assist the vast American carrier forces So what are the lessons that Hale operating in the Pacific in 1945. 438 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Beginning with the Royal Navy’s accustomed to operating with the British, pre-war and wartime background in carrier with the result that by July the BPF was operations, Hobbs emphasizes the role of operating as another American carrier group American aircraft and American aircraft under direct American control. After carriers in the development of British naval Japan’s surrender, the BPF played a major aviation. Turning to the fleet itself, the role in repatriating Allied prisoners of war work covers the early air strikes against (POWs) and civilians interned by the targets in Southeast Asia and the training Japanese from captivity to their homes, these strikes provided for the British, who especially Australia. This section provides lacked the U.S. Navy’s years of experience a clear historical analysis of the role of in long-range carrier warfare. As the fleet naval power during the transition from war moved from the Indian Ocean to Australia to peace time. to prepare for operations off Okinawa, the Hobbs effectively uses secondary British faced significant logistical and primary sources in constructing his challenges. Lacking the Americans’ narrative. In particular, the author benefited purpose-built supply ships, the British had from David Brown’s research in U.S. Navy to adapt existing merchant ships for supply archives as well as after-action reports, service. These modifications were intelligence reports, and POW necessary if the BPF was to follow interrogations. This allows the reader to American practice, whereby carriers view the narrative through different lenses remained at sea and in operation for weeks both during combat and after. The use of at a time. Hobbs also emphasizes the USN liaison officer reports provides a critical support role played by Australia in running American commentary on the providing dry docks and airfields to support BPF’s operations. Clear maps help orient the BPF’s operations. the reader throughout the text, while Even after logistical hurdles were plentiful photographs, primarily from the cleared, the BPF was still small by author’s personal connection, illustrate all American standards. Whereas an American aspects of the BPF’s operations. Numerous force of four aircraft carriers typically appendices provide statistical data on the carried around 320 aircraft, the four-carrier- BPF, though many footnotes are strong BPF only carried 220. Throughout explanatory rather than providing citation the work, the reader is impressed by the information. BPF’s dependence on others for help. Hobbs clearly situates the BPF American submarines provided rescue within the realm of Anglo-American naval services for downed British pilots, the relations during the Second World War, Royal Air Force flew emergency parts from though he might have commented on the Australia to forward operating bases in the BPF’s implications for the broader alliance Admiralty Islands, and the U.S. Navy between the two nations. Surprisingly, the provided warship repair and replenishment bibliography does not include the most services to supplement British recent major work on the BPF, Nicholas arrangements. Sarantakes’ 2009 Allies Against the Rising During the invasion of Okinawa in Sun. In conclusion, the author argues that the summer of 1945, the BPF supported the significance of the BPF was in the American operations on the island by development of the Royal Navy, rather than attacking nearby Japanese airfields. The the actual outcome of the war in the Pacific. author demonstrates that American naval The fleet provided the Royal Navy with commanders gradually grew more extensive experience in long-range strike Book Reviews 439 warfare from aircraft carriers, the model for features quite prominently in this year’s Cold War naval power projection. issue with four separate items. The editor describes two naval auxiliaries completed in Corbin Williamson the early 1930s. Jules Verne was a small Columbus, Ohio depot ship intended to support coastal submarines and, later, amphibious craft, John Jordan (ed.). Warship 2012. London: while Le Gladiateur was a net-layer and Anova Books, www.conwaypublish could also lay mines. The latter was ing.com, 2011. 208 pp., illustrations, plans, scuttled at Toulon in November 1942 along maps, notes, sources. UK £56.95, cloth; with the rest of the French fleet there when ISBN: 978-1-84486-156-9. (Distributed in the Germans occupied the port, but Jules North America by Naval Institute Press.) Verne survived the war. One of the main articles in the issue is the detailed This year’s issue of the important annual description of the design and service of the Warship contains the mixture of articles on battleship Gaulois of the Charlemagne naval subjects, modern as well as historic, class, completed in 1899. In the 2010 issue, we have come to expect. In the previous author Philippe Caresse offered a similar two issues, Conrad Waters contributed treatment of the slightly-later battleship articles on modern air defense escorts Suffren. Both ships were torpedoed and (2010) and amphibious assault ships (2011). sunk by German U-boats during the First This year he deals with submarines with World War. A third article, by John Spenser, non-nuclear air-independent propulsion Conduite du Tir Part 2, 1900-1913, follows (AIP) systems. These originated with Part 1, published in Warship 2010, which German Second World War developments covered French developments in naval fire using concentrated hydrogen peroxide while control equipment to1900. While the the U.K. built two experimental units of this Marine Nationale in 1900 was ahead of the type in the post-war period. The Germans field in many ways and continued to be were also working on closed-cycle diesels second to none in its accuracy and rate of which the Soviet Union adopted for some fire, it was quite astonished at the ranges at small submarines; but with the U.S. which British and German ships engaged development of nuclear propulsion, the each other in the wartime encounters of the American, Russian, French and British Falklands and the Dogger Bank in 1914 and navies abandoned other air-independent 1915. Neither the elevation of the guns nor forms. Nuclear power is not, however, the the instrumentation was designed for such choice of smaller navies and research on long-range fire. During and after the war, AIP continued. There are now three basic there was much catching up to do. In yet systems; the Sterling Cycle (Swedish), the another Marine Nationale item entitled MESMA developed in France, principally “The Limits of Naval Power,” Colin Jones for export, which can be added to existing examines the ineffective French naval boats, and the German Siemens system. operations during the Franco-Prussian war Many minor navies have acquired one or of 1870-71. other of these types and others intend to, but Last year, Stephen McLaughlin not Canada. It should be noted that the described the very early Russian ironclads endurance of these systems is a matter of of the “Pervenets” class and this year he weeks rather than virtually unlimited, as in deals with the “Uragan” class of American- nuclear submarines. type monitors from the same era. There is The French Marine Nationale much detail and many photographs of these 440 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord ten little ironclads which were soon obsolete subjects indicates and there is something to but endured in subsidiary roles. Other appeal to a wide variety of historians and articles describing ship classes are on the other enthusiasts. Japanese “Kongo” class battlecruisers by C. Douglas Maginley Hans Lengerer, and the nineteenth-century Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia British second-class cruisers of the “Talbot” class by Keith McBride; but Warship does not concern itself solely with large and Nicholas A. Lambert. Planning important ships. Mark Briggs tells the story Armageddon: British Economic Warfare of the little torpedo boat TB 191, purchased and the First World War. Cambridge, MA: by the Australian colony of Tasmania in Harvard University Press, 1884 to defend the approaches to Hobart www.hup.harvard.edu, 2012. 651 pp., map, from a possible raid by a foreign cruiser; an notes, bibliography, index. US $45.00, example of local initiative. cloth; ISBN 978-0-674-06149-1. Mike Williams revisits the Battle of Leyte Gulf from the point of view of the Our understanding of the pre-First World Japanese light cruiser Yahagi which War Royal Navy has been significantly survived this battle only to be lost with the revised over the past quarter-century. Yamato on 7 April 1945, the last sortie of Authors such as Jon Sumida, Andrew the Imperial Japanese navy. Another loss Gordon, and John Brooks have all described is of the Italian armoured cruiser contributed to this change, but the most Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Adriatic. It was revisionist-minded of the historians of this torpedoed by the small Austrian submarine period is Nicholas Lambert. In his previous Ub 4 on 18 July 1915. The wreck of the work, Sir John Fisher’s Naval Revolution, Garibaldi has been found and Lambert argued that the famous photographed. Dreadnought revolution was all a mistake– On the technical side, a group of if Sir John Fisher had been able to remain in authors (Johnston, Newman and Buxton) charge of the Admiralty, or had been has looked into the British industrial succeeded by a trustworthy protégé, the infrastructure behind the building of the Royal Navy would have placed greater Dreadnought fleet in the ten years from emphasis in constructing battle cruisers and 1906 to1916, describing the principal firms, submarines instead of dreadnought their capabilities and locations. As D. K. battleships. The navy’s focus would have Brown has described elsewhere, much of been on coastal defence and trade protection this was dismantled in the 1920s and 30s instead of the creation of a powerful battle compounding the difficulty of preparing for fleet. the second conflict of 1939-45. Lambert’s newest work seeks both In addition to these articles, there to reinforce that idea and expand on it. are the usual sections of Warship Notes Planning Armageddon is essentially two (short items) reviews of the naval books of books in one. The first details pre-war the year and a photo gallery. All items in planning within the Admiralty, arguing that the book are comprehensively researched Fisher’s goal was to win a war against and illustrated with outstanding Germany by economic strangulation, to photographs, diagrams and plans, especially implement a total blockade of maritime the major articles. This makes the trade between the German Empire and the information presented much more rest of the world. Thus, pre-war naval interesting and valuable than the list of planning under Fisher had nothing to do Book Reviews 441 with what we think of in traditional naval German ports. planning terms—where to attack, what kind Lambert is far more critical of the of battle fleet to construct, and so on–and Prime Minister, Henry H. Asquith. He everything to do with trade statistics and the depicts Asquith as a man who never met a flow of goods and commerce. In essence, decision he wanted to make; given enough pre-war naval planning under Fisher was time, most problems would sort themselves another of his revolutions—win the war at out without the Prime Minister having to sea without ever having to fire a shot. To a choose sides. This may have been a navy and a public more in tune with the positive in the pre-war Cabinet with its exploits of Nelson and other great British obvious internal divisions, but it was far fighting admirals, this would have been more dangerous when the Admiralty, unthinkable. Foreign Office, and Board of Trade pursued The second book goes far beyond opposite and even contradictory policies. naval affairs and is a scathing analysis of (At one point, it was even proposed that the the British Cabinet during the first two blockade of Germany be loosened to allow years of the war. Lambert details how, only luxury goods to be traded with because of the conflicting policies and Germany; the hope was that German concerns of various competing factions spending would go towards these frivolities within the government—the Admiralty, the instead of the war effort.) Board of Trade, and the Foreign Office— Again, Lambert is far more positive the navy’s pre-war planning was in his view of Fisher. In effect, Lambert abandoned. Instead, for nearly two years, argues that Fisher and a few others created a naval strategy vacillated between blockade master plan for war against Germany that and diversionary attacks in the Baltic or, as promised total victory with no need for a eventually attempted, the Dardanelles. This ‘Continental Commitment’. Had this plan section is probably the more impressive of been implemented, there would not have the two, requiring Lambert to juggle several been a New Army, the Somme, or the need topics at once. for conscription. What Lambert ignores, or Lambert’s research is impressive, is unable to explain effectively, is Fisher’s but suffers from one weakness not of his plan in late 1914 to construct the three light- making. Many crucial documents were draft battle cruisers Courageous, Furious, destroyed by the British government and and Glorious. If Fisher was not interested are, therefore, unavailable to confirm or in any Baltic invasion schemes, as Lambert refute Lambert’s conclusions. In a number asserts, what purpose would these warships of places, he is forced to infer the contents serve? of a key memorandum based on Ultimately, Lambert’s thesis is correspondence about it. It is plausible, but highly compelling but not always not necessarily conclusive. convincing. This book is going to spark a His portrayal of Winston Churchill lot of discussion, and it is certainly to be is uneven—sometimes, Churchill is the hoped that it is the first word, not the last, dynamic driving force behind significant on the subject. Students of the Royal Navy, changes in Admiralty and government of British political and economic history, policy; at other times, Churchill is the and of international law would all be well- pliable puppet of others who would seek to served by reading this book. Lambert’s advance their own projects. This seems depth of research makes it a treasure-trove most apparent when Lambert delves into to be mined thoroughly. He has produced questions of mining the North Sea and the another work that scholars, regardless of 442 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord whether they agree with or dispute inactions of SS Californian, the vessel that Lambert’s conclusions, will need to have at was believed to be close to the sinking hand for many years to come. Titanic, but either ignored the distress Finally, a personal note: while it signals or was very slow to respond. can be a gratifying experience to see your On the night of Sunday, 14 April own work mentioned favourably in a book, 1912, the Californian was steaming from that experience quickly becomes humbling London to Boston when ice was when you realize your name has been encountered. At 2221 (ship time) Captain spelled wrong in the citation. (p.514, note Stanley Lord ordered the Californian to cut 30) its engines, not an unusual procedure when encountering ice. Californian came to rest David H. Olivier at the edge of an ice field that was believed Brantford, Ontario to stretch about 30 miles north to south. Previous shipping had warned about its Paul Lee. The Titanic and the Indifferent existence and extent. Lord had his wireless Stranger. Published by the author. operator send out the message that www.amazon.co.uk, 2011. (Originally Californian was stopped and surrounded by published 2008). 296 pp., illustrations, ice, a precaution for other vessels in the maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, area. The information was transmitted at index. UK £16.00, US $23.00, paper; ISBN 2300 ship’s time. 978-0-563015-0-5. [Kindle and Epub Captain Lord, aware that Titanic versions available.] was in the vicinity, retired after a seventeen- hour day. He did not know the ill-fated Dr. Paul Lee’s background as a nuclear ocean liner’s exact position. An officer of physicist and computer engineer portends the watch and an apprentice saw low-lying the style of the book that he wrote and self- rockets to the SSE of Californian after published in 2008 (with yearly revisions in midnight. Around that time, they received 2009, 2010 and 2011). His work is a an SOS indicating that Titanic was in collection of carefully documented details distress and its position was to the SSW. and suppositions related to the steamer Titanic’s SOS position and Californian’s Californian and the RMS Titanic. stop position could not both be correct. This book is one of dozens Subsequent boards of inquiry determined published on or around the one hundredth that Californian’s reported position was anniversary of the loss of Titanic, but is inaccurate. Sextant position determinations clearly unique. The others discuss the are good, but not nearly as precise as those deficiencies of the vessel, its lack of safety from modern GPS instruments. American precautions, and the poor judgment of the and British officials concluded that officers who allowed the ship to steam at 20 Californian was likely the “Mystery Ship” knots through an ice field, the events of its reportedly seen within five miles of the sinking, and those who lost their lives. Still sinking Titanic. It became “The Indifferent others examine individual stories of those Stranger” that did not respond to the few who were saved, and the hero vessel, unfolding disaster as required by maritime the SS Carpathia that picked up survivors law, but receded into the darkness. As a in lifeboats and returned them to the United result, Captain Lord was asked to resign his States. Other vessels came upon the commission from the Leyland Steamship horrendous scene too late to help. Lee’s Line. Titanic’s wreckage was found 73 book concentrates upon the actions or years later, 13 miles to the east of the Book Reviews 443 transmitted co-ordinates, on a line SSE of 1912 where the earth and moon were in where the Californian claimed to be. close proximity and the earth and the sun Many lives were needlessly lost, was near their perihelion thus creating but Lee wanted to know how this could abnormally high tides. These tides, in turn, have happened. Was the captain of the freed grounded icebergs that greatly Californian incompetent or so overbearing augmented the ice fields in the Atlantic that toward his crew that they were afraid to spring. He also failed to discuss the countermand his story of the events? Were springtime optical illusions or mirages that the distress rockets that Titanic fired as form when warm air flows over an visible at sea as claimed? Was the extremely cold sea that can distort the Californian’s radioman not on duty as sighting of distant objects, the likely claimed? Was the Californian not atmospheric conditions of that fateful April underway in the ice field as claimed? Was night. This is a meticulous and highly the captain of Californian a coward, a liar detailed work, but it is inconclusive. It is a or simply confused by so many stories book for Titanic aficionados, a reference about the disaster that his memory became book for those who still want to probe one compromised? more event that occurred during this disaster The story of the Californian that has captured the imagination of so received attention from reporters during the many. American and British inquiries, but very Louis Arthur Norton little from historians or those who have West Simsbury, Connecticut written more popular accounts of the Titanic disaster. Lee’s book has compensated for this deficiency in a Gordon Miller. Voyages to the New World thorough way with transcripts of testimony and Beyond. Vancouver, BC: Douglas & by the Californian’s captain, officers and McIntyre, www.dmpibooks.com, 2011. crew, technical illustrations, maps and xii+192 pp., illustrations, appendix. CDN charts, appendices, notes, and a $55.00, cloth; ISBN 978-1-55365-573-2. bibliography including websites for the reader who might like additional This award-winning book is about sailing background information. The author’s ships, illustrations of ships and the vast skillful and scholarly narrative relates many spaces of the world’s distant oceans. From official records, related documents, the mid-fifteenth to the mid-nineteenth testimonies of the people involved, plus centuries, European sailors drove their ships some maritime-related physics that might across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World account for the events at sea on that night. and beyond, and in so doing, unwittingly All this information produces a deluge. began the process of globalization that Somewhat like the flood that engulfed preoccupies so many of today’s pundits. Titanic, the abundance of post-disaster legal Searching for riches in many forms, and emotional debris makes it difficult to European explorers seized exotic discern the crucial facts from the fiction of commodities, kidnapped peoples, forced the case. them into slavery, and also integrated The usually thorough Lee did not markets where none had existed before. mention the 1995 article by Fergus Wood Such a topic is truly worthy of much study published in The Journal of Coastal and serious thought. Though this book Research about the special astronomical cannot be said to reflect either, it does circumstances that occurred on 4 January reveal the author’s hard work and 444 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord commitment historical research and to establishment at San Blas, Mexico, founded artistic excellence. The illustrations are the San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco and raison d’être of this book. Nootka, and pushed up to Alaska. Gordon Miller is a distinguished Beginning in 1767, and for thirty years marine artist whose work, extending over afterwards, Spanish-built ships sailed north several decades, may be found in the along the coast of America in response to Anthropology Museum of the University of news that the Russians had expanded across British Columbia, the Vancouver Marine the Pacific and were building fur trading Museum, of which he was chief designer, posts down the American northwest coast. and the Museum of Civilization in Here, the author’s paintings and exploration Ottawa/Gatineau. He has also illustrated narratives come into their own, whether articles in the Canadian Geographic they be the “Santiago on the Columbia Magazine and National Geographic River bar,” the “Malespina expedition in Magazine. He is committed to illustrating Yakutat Bay,” or the charming “Santa historic ships accurately. The book’s focus, Saturina and longboat in the Guemes then, is on the more than 90 coloured Channel.” Although the British refused to illustrations that grace its pages. Miller has recognize many Spanish claims, Miller still selected ships from before the great age of illustrates their ships and activities on the exploration, beginning with the Norse northwest coast. Some American ships are voyages, moving through the northern also depicted, including the Adventure, European vessels of the Hanseatic League, being launched in Clayquot Sound in 1792. before examining the ships and voyages of The appearance of the Hudson’s Bay late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Company’s Beaver in 1836, the first steam- explorers: Vasco da Gama, Christopher powered vessel on the northwest coast, Columbus and John Cabot. Aiming for ended sail’s monopoly, but the last authenticity above all, Miller clearly loves commercial sailing ship left the Strait of all ships whether large or small. Juan de Fuca only 110 years later. Miller Voyages to the New World is very painted both. idiosyncratic. There are representative Voyages to the New World and images of early voyages to America but, Beyond is intended for a specialized despite trying to include something for audience, but it is a bit of a puzzle to know everyone, the author’s emphasis is on which one. The author’s narrative which Pacific Ocean voyages, particularly those accompanies the paintings touches on the venturing to the northwest coast of North great themes of maritime history: the America. Paintings of the Dutch, English development of new technology, the risks and Spanish searches for Terra Australis and challenges of sailing unknown waters, Incognita are presented, as are those of the rise and fall of European empires, life at Cook off Hawaii and Nootka Sound and La sea, and the discovery of new lands, peoples Pérouse off southeastern Alaska. The and products, but it contains few insights or greatest number of paintings, however, new knowledge for scholars, particularly as feature Spanish, English, Russian and it lacks any scholarly apparatus. There is, American vessels off the west coast of however, a useful appendix of plans for 21 North America. Drake’s circumnavigation historical vessels illustrated in this book of the globe is represented by four which indicates the author’s concern for paintings, but pride of place must go to accuracy. Miller either copied original those illustrating the explorations of the plans, if they existed, or used recent Spanish who, operating from their naval research by historians and naval architects; Book Reviews 445 where there were no plans, he developed seal-hunting voyages during the first five them from known dimensions using years of their marriage. In 1829, at age formulae followed by contemporary twenty, Abby decided to leave her young shipwrights. Nevertheless, the book is son and accompany her husband to the presented without notes or references of any South Seas in his ship, the Antarctic, despite kind. It reveals the artist’s personal interest his strong initial opposition. She was away in the history of the opening the northwest for two years. During the long days at sea coast of America and his commitment to with little to do, she kept a journal of her carefully rendering the ships involved. It observations of the native people, their will attract anyone living on the Pacific customs, the countries and islands they west coast or having an interest in its visited, the geography, history, flora and history during the age of sail. The book fauna, and of the condition of the sailors ought also to appeal to anyone interested in who composed the ship’s crew. She the career of an excellent marine artist. With deplored their lack of education and training more than 90 very well executed, dynamic and recommended improvements that would coloured illustrations, it is well worth the ultimately benefit ship handling, U.S. price of $55.00. commerce, and the sailors themselves. She originally intended her journal to be a mere James Pritchard narrative account of the voyage, yet she Kingston, Ontario could not help but plead for the welfare of the seamen whom she observed daily; she Abby Jane Morrell. Captain’s Wife. wanted to be remembered for that above all Barnsley, S. Yorks: Seaforth Publishing, else. www.seaforthpublishing.com, (Seafarers The Antarctic left New York City in Voices 7) 2012. xvi+185 pp., map, notes. July 1829, bound for the south coast of New UK £ 13.99, cloth; ISBN 978-1-84832-125- Zealand where they hoped to find seals, the 0. (Distributed in the US by Naval Institute commercial reason for the voyage. On the Press, www.usni.org). way, Abby witnessed the crossing the line ceremony and a burial at sea. Once at their Captain’s Wife is the seventh in a series of destination, they encountered natives who seafaring memoirs published in Great looked threatening but were peaceful. Britain that cover the years 1700 to 1900, When the ship docked in Manila, the and the first by an American woman, Abby American consul there, who held “improper Jane Morrell. Her memoir was first attentions” toward Abby, forbade her from published in 1833 by Harper in New York going with the ship as it went out for several City. The original manuscript was much months to reconnoiter the nearby islands longer than the current version which has searching for bêche-de-mer. Frightened and been abridged and edited by Vincent alone, she, nevertheless, was able to travel McInerny. Abby’s husband also wrote an around the city and described the Philippine account of their voyage but hers was more economy, religion, and inhabitants. Once truthful and realistic. the Antarctic returned, she was permitted to As the daughter of a sea captain, go on board. The ship sailed to Massacre Abby Jane Morrell was well acquainted Island, where the crew hoped to avenge an with the ocean and the long absences of her attack by natives who had captured and father and husband, who were away for tortured one of the sailors. Abby watched months and years at a time. Married in the battle on deck and praised the courage 1824, her husband, Benjamin took two long and bravery of the men who fought the 446 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord cannibals. Fortunately, Abby overcame seasickness As the ship made its way home via and was only ill with a fever once. She did Singapore, Madagascar, Saint Helena not mention her living quarters or the food (where Abby visited Napoleon’s grave), the aboard ship, subjects that might have Azores, Liberia, Bordeaux and finally, New interested readers. This small volume joins York City, she continued her commentary Basil Greenhill’s path breaking work, on history, geography, science, notable Women Under Sail: Letters and Journals individuals, conchology, and even the concerning Eight Women traveling or aurora borealis. She was the first American working in Sailing Vessels between 1829 woman to visit many of these places. and 1949 and recently published accounts Abby Jane was a woman of her of women aboard whalers in the nineteenth time. She was intelligent, educated, well century. read, devoutly religious, intrepid, and Evelyn M. Cherpak tolerant, as well as very adventurous. Portsmouth, Rhode Island Throughout the long voyage, she put her trust in God and praised the missionaries for their work with the native population. She Ed Offley. Turning The Tide: How a small asserted that women should go out as band of Allied sailors defeated the U-Boats missionaries with their husbands, as they and won the Battle of the Atlantic. New would have a civilizing influence on the York, NY: Basic Books (Perseus Books natives. Somewhat of an historian, she gave Group), www.basicbooks.com, 2011. a thumb-nail history of the United States xxvii+478 pp., illustrations, drawings, Navy up to that time, and predicted that the maps, appendices, notes, glossary, United States, along with France, England bibliography, index. CDN $33.50, US and Russia, would be a great naval power. $28.99, cloth: ISBN 978-0-465-01397-5. The two years at sea had its impact on Abby Jane Morrell. She grew to love the At the time of the 200th anniversary of the ocean in all its complexity; she expressed Battle of Trafalgar in 2005, it was reported interest in living in the South Pacific and that since the battle in 1805, there had been spreading the Gospel there; she felt that she an average of six books a year, every year, was more rational now; and she expressed about just that battle and the protagonists. It confidence in what women could do in “the is highly likely that average has been well business of life.” Submitting her exceeded by books covering the Battle of manuscript for publication through an the Atlantic in the 65 years since that titanic intermediary was evidence of her self struggle ended. There have been official confidence, marking her, in effect, as a bit histories, some in several volumes, detailed of a feminist. Strangely enough, she only analyses, equipment assessments, personal once mentioned that she missed her son, histories and so on. Certainly, there have while she delighted in being a good been dozens of books published about the companion to her husband whom she four main combatants—Britain, the United praised for his honour and courage. She States, Canada and Germany, plus others wrote that she would not have given up this that focus on weaponry as well as the voyage to stay at home. contributions of Italy, France, the Captain’s Wife gives the reader a Netherlands, Norway and other countries, woman’s perspective on life at sea aboard a not to mention such famous novels as The schooner when conditions under sail were Cruel Sea and movies like Das Boote. uncomfortable and, at times, dangerous. This major work by Ed Offley, an Book Reviews 447 American, covers ground that has been Then, more briefly, in a penultimate chapter, covered often before, even by CNRS he covers the closely fought battle around members, but probably in more detail and eastbound convoy SC-130 that lost no ships with more extensively researched and cost the Kriegsmarine four U-boats. background than many. Essentially, he has Shortly after, as dozens of U-boats were concentrated on the few months in mid- sunk in the area, Dönitz appreciated his U- spring of 1943, when in just over a month boats had lost their control of the situation and a half, the convoy battles changed from in mid-Atlantic. Offley fully attributes this major defeats in March-April to almost total to a quite sudden coming together of a victory by late May. Offley’s first two complicated combination of improved air introduce the conditions of the war by early support from more very long range A/S March, in particular, the major problems in bombers, the introduction of the first escort the “air gap” in mid-Atlantic. He describes carriers with aircraft carrying “Fido” in considerable detail Allied meetings to acoustic-homing torpedoes, more and better settle the command arrangements, the Allied radar and direction-finding in the convoy defensive escort group system— escort forces, and the arrival of the Support British and American (with but a passing Groups. He notes, as well, the rising reference to Canada except for Rear- tendency for less experienced U-boat COs Admiral Leonard Murray’s forces in Halifax to inflate sinkings, for too long persuading and Newfoundland)—and Admiral the BdU staff that the battle was worth the Dönitz’s tightly-structured staff in the candle. outskirts of Berlin, with its continuous As a description of those plotting and radio signals back and forth to tumultuous days, this history is hard to beat. his 50-odd U-boats concentrated in his Its 333 pages devoted to those five convoy North Atlantic “wolf packs” in north-south passages are dense with small detail— lines in that air gap. narrative quotes from captains, naval and The rest of the book is taken up merchant seamen, reports of proceedings, with the details of five major convoy and signal traffic, individual attacks and battles: three east-bound badly mauled improving capabilities in the defences. For convoys, SC-122 and HX-229 and HX- instance, in the defence of ONS-5, the 229A, escorted by British Groups B-5 and author tells us there were 46 U-boats in four B-7 with some USN support by Coast groups hunting the convoy; 7 ships in EG Guard cutters. Those three convoys lost 22 B-7 and another 10 in the two support merchant ships in return for a single U-boat groups sent to help. There were 77 attacks sunk. Offley then concentrates on convoy on U-boats, 45 U-boat attacks on either the ONS-5 westbound in late April, again with convoy or its escorts, and 9 U-boats lost in the RN’s B-7 close escort, but importantly, the battle, on the way out or heading home. now aided by two new RN Support Groups, The description of the air-gap problem, of EG-1 and -3. Although that convoy had 13 refuelling at sea in often dreadful weather, ships sunk, air cover was more frequent and the conundrum of rescuing survivors for the escorts had improved centimetric radar morale and humanitarian reason versus resulting in six U-boats sunk and two hunting the attacker as required by tactical seriously damaged. It was at least closer to instructions, and the arguments between a drawn battle. Offley correctly notes that USN’s Fleet Admiral Ernie King and in the “tonnage war,” tonnage of ships sunk Roosevelt about provision of VLR aircraft versus new construction and U-boats sunk, are clear and often fascinating. this was, for Dönitz, an unacceptable rate. Offley supplies the backgrounds for 448 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord David MacIntyre and Peter Gretton, who 2011. 240 pp., illustrations, figurehead commanded B-5 and B-7, as well as the directory, sources, bibliography, index. UK COs of many of the escort ships, of £30.00, US $49.95, cloth; ISBN 978-1- Dönitz’s staff, and of seamen and gunners in 84832-101-4. (Distributed in North America merchant ships and escorts. It is here that I by Naval Institute Press, www.nip.org). found myself a bit overwhelmed with detail as the story progressed. The German name Since the early years of the seventeenth of every wolf pack is translated into English century, figureheads have been a nearly or explained; the origins of every U-boat universal feature of all except the smallest commander are included; VLR aircraft sailing warships and merchant ships. That numbers and captains are given in full, includes ships built of iron and steel: any every time. It really would have moved the Tall Ship built today can be expected to tale along to have given some initial have a figurehead. The essential examples, and then got on with it. Offley’s requirements are that a bowsprit must be American background shows, with USN fitted and the ship must have a raked or terms applied to RN escorts, which, for a clipper bow or timbers that give a similar Canadian or a Brit grates a bit—“K-guns” line ahead of a vertical stem. Figureheads are always used for depth-charge throwers, on ships with vertical or ram bows, even “flank speed” for full ahead, “Union Jack” with a bowsprit, never look right. In those for the merchantmen’s red ensign and cases, a medallion or coat of arms is others. As well, the text could have stood a appropriate and a good example is the careful review by an RN (or RCN) expert: shield that used to grace the bow of the iron the German T-5 torpedo was not “wake corvette HMS Canada that is (or used to be) homing” (p.182) but propeller cavitation on display at the Maritime Museum of homing; the ASCO, Asdic Control Officer, British Columbia in Victoria, BC. It is the was not the actual operator of the sets Canadian coat of arms of the day (the early (p.236); and throwers could not be “angled 1880s). 30° ahead” (p.325). A few descriptions are David Pulvertaft is a rear-admiral certainly questionable: a periscope “feather” RN who has made the most comprehensive detected at seven miles (p.290)? study yet of the figureheads of ships of the Nevertheless, Turning the Tide is a Royal Navy and has collated the masterful telling of a vital few months in the information in this attractive book. He has five-and -a-half-year battle. It definitely included only information that is known belongs with the dozen other books on beyond doubt and which comes from essentially the same subject. The problems reliable sources. Firstly, some figureheads are laid out, the struggle at sea carefully still exist (remarkably about 200 of them!) detailed, and the results assessed and Secondly, there are those that no longer analyzed. The tables of the actual convoy exist but were previously catalogued, arrangements and lists of ships will be described and photographed or otherwise useful as references. illustrated, some while still in place on the ship. The third body of evidence is Fraser McKee comprised of the detailed designs submitted Toronto, Ontario by figurehead carvers, together with the asking price for the job, which have been David Pulvertaft. Figureheads of the Royal preserved in the archives of the Admiralty Navy. Barnsley, South Yorks.: Seaforth and are now in the collection of the National Publishing, www.seaforthpublishing.com, Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Book Reviews 449 Sometimes more than one design was Nile, launched in 1839. This is a proposed and annotations by officials show replacement, in fact a second replacement, what was approved and fitted to the ship on carved in 1938. Figureheads are carved completion. The final way in which we can from wood and, if exposed to the elements know what the figureheads were like is by must, in time, rot. But when a ship was studying the superbly detailed seventeenth- broken up at the end of its life, the and eighteenth-century models made when figurehead, if in good condition, was a new design was prepared for Admiralty usually removed and many were thus saved, approval. The carvings on these models are at least for a time. Those housed indoors in intricately detailed and, in the case of large museums or at naval establishments will, if ships like first-rates, can be very maintained, last for a very long time. An complicated. While there is no guarantee example of this is the figurehead of HMS the full-sized figurehead was exactly like Imaum, a 76-gun ship built at Bombay and that on the model, it would have been very launched in 1826, which is on display at the close. Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in The early chapters deal with the Halifax. ship carver’s task and with those artists, The last section of the book is the well known in their time, who achieved figurehead directory, listing existing success and repeat orders from the figureheads and models with their present Admiralty. The business and the skills were location, as well as those that have been often handed down through several recorded but since destroyed. The designs generations. The Hellyers of Portsmouth submitted by carvers, with museum or were a typical example: they worked both in archival reference numbers, are all listed. the dockyard itself and in their own In many cases, the entries show the workshops. Then a chapter covers sequence of figurehead proposals and those sixteenth- and seventeenth-century actually made, including replacements. figureheads and another shows eighteenth- This book will undoubtedly become the century examples. Much of the evidence standard reference for anyone who might for the earlier ones comes from the models, need information on Royal Navy with carvers’ submissions becoming more figureheads. It is also an attractive addition numerous in the later period. But the bulk to anyone’s naval bookshelf. of the book is devoted to the nineteenth C. Douglas Maginley century, for which a great amount of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia information is available; so much so that different chapters are devoted to figureheads of royalty, famous people, Boris Rankov (ed.). Trireme Olympias—the beasts, birds, mythology and several other final report. Oxford: Oxbow Books, categories. The last Royal Navy ship afloat www.oxbowbooks.com, 2012. 243 pp, and in commission to bear a figurehead was illustrations, notes, bibliographies, US the steel sloop HMS Espeigle, launched in $120.00, hard cover; ISBN 978-1-84217- 1900 and not sold until 1923. 434-0. The illustrations are, of course, the heart of the book and its raison d’être. In 1982, after decades of hypothesizing, There is a colour section showing preserved John Morrison, John Coates and Frank figureheads among which I discovered an Welsh set up the Trireme Trust, their goal old friend; the image of Admiral Nelson being to design a trireme that looked like from my training ship Conway, ex-HMS the original Greek battleships. What they 450 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord managed to do was build a floating theory that even a relatively old ship with an (McGrail 1993:4), the Olympias, and then inexperienced crew can execute trials that try it out over five seasons. It immediately generate new food for thought. led to plenty of debate about Greek Part two discusses proposals for a seafaring, and still does. revised design: what would we do One needs to be thoroughly differently now that we know how it works? familiar with classical ships, seafaring and J. Timothy Shaw suggests several changes archaeology, however, to make the most of in trireme design based on the Olympias’ this book. There is no introductory chapter performance and other information gathered where the major questions and theories are elsewhere, for example, from ancient outlined (like whether the ship had three reliefs. These designs show different levels of rowers or not, what its top speed configurations from those tried in the would be and whether this is important, and Olympias, in some cases giving rowers 98 how much space was allotted for each centimetres of space instead of 88.8 cm, rower). For this information, one should increasing their performance significantly. read some of the earlier literature about the John Coates describes how a second trireme ship. (re)construction would look: in just ten The present book consists of six pages he describes the success of the parts, almost equal in size, beginning with a Olympias and how to move on. report of the last two seasons of sea trials, The third part of the book brings since the reports of previous seasons had together critiques by six different authors on already been published. Publication of the the Olympias itself. Some are positive original report on the 1992 trials was about the whole endeavour, others reject it. delayed because it was too ambitious for the The editors deserve praise for allowing both time available. As there are numerous fans and adversaries of the Olympias to variables involved in sailing the Olympias, present their ideas. The most outspoken it proved difficult to compare one year’s criticism comes from Alex Tilley, while the experience with another. For example, there other papers in this chapter are simply were fewer rowers in 1992, but due to friendly comments. Over time, even additional training and coaching, Paul Tilley’s opinion has partly converged with Lipke, part of the American sister that of the Trireme Trust. Basically the organization of the Trireme Trust, claims iconographic and literary sources leave “his” crew performed better than the larger room for discussion: if reliefs had been crews of previous years. Many of the painted, would they show the details we trireme rowers were recruited in the United now lack? We certainly cannot use missing States. Lipke also comments on the paint as support for a hypothesis. Even if accuracy of data collection at the earlier there were physical remains (which there trials. He concludes by emphasizing that are not), this would probably not end the rowing a trireme involves not only a debate. In the heat of discussion, we technical approach, but a large percentage sometimes lose sight of the relative value of of effort devoted to communication and collected data. The Olympias project is training. invaluable, however, and in many respects, The sea trials of 1994, the last the founders have crossed uncharted series, were previously published privately territory. and are republished here as a short In part four, different performance overview. Andrew Taylor’s paper adds and operational aspects of ancient triremes valuable insight on the 1994 trials, showing in general are discussed, followed, in part Book Reviews 451 five, by an overview of construction and no surprise, then, that the most successful maintenance. The Olympias was certainly ace, Otto Kretschmer, would receive a great not a failed (re)construction: it has taught us amount of literary attention. valuable things about ancient Greek Terence Robertson was one of the seafaring–although a Mark Two ship would first to document Kretschmer’s career and, likely be different. The final chapter of the by the author’s own admission, it was not book consists of three papers under the title an easy task. Kretschmer consented to the “recent research.” They could have been book only after Robertson was able to placed elsewhere in the book, but this way, convince him that he was not looking to they serve to underscore the never ending write a “hero story.” The result is highly quality of the tiremes’ story, something for captivating and a fine biography of which we should thank Coates and Germany’s most successful U-boat Morrison. commander during the Second World War. Although this collection of 31 One of the many high points of the papers is called the final report, we have not work is the great insight it provides into the seen the last of the Olympias or of modern life of Otto Kretschmer. The reader quickly triremes in general. The book addresses a learns that Kretschmer was a quiet, reserved multitude of research questions, which may and intelligent officer who was well liked be the biggest success of the Trireme Trust’s and respected. He was quite different from work. But, while it serves the “in-crowd” his fellow U-boat skippers, and certainly not and feeds discussions with more data, the an archetypical “Nazi” officer. Like other book does not resolve every issue about renowned German aces, such as Prien and triremes. More questions still remain to be Schepke, Kretschmer was a pre-war U-boat answered and despite the enormous effort commander and a pioneer in that branch of that has gone into the Olympias project, it is the navy. Years of experience shaped these just a start. It is hoped that there will be officers, but it was Kretschmer who stood more chances to build another “floating out, at one point acknowledged by Karl theory” because it just is not good enough Dönitz, commander of the U-boats, as “the to compare the Olympias with itself. best of my pupils” (p.114). The reader quickly understands Roeland Paardekooper why Kretschmer was such a successful U- Eindhoven, the Netherlands boat commander. His encouraging and human, yet tough and disciplined command Terence Robertson. The Golden Horseshoe: style broke many barriers. The prime The Wartime Career of Otto Kretschmer, U- example of this was Kretschmer showing Boat Ace. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute calmness in the face of danger by reading a Press, www.nip.org. 2011. 224 pp., book during a particularly heavy depth- illustrations, appendices, index. US $25.95, charge attack. It was only afterwards that paper; ISBN 978-1-59114-327-7. one of his officers noticed the book was (Originally published 1955.) upside down; Kretschmer had only been pretending to read. It is through stories The U-boat onslaught during the Second such as these that Robertson provides a World War has captivated historians and a vivid image of life under Kretschmer’s general readership since its very beginning. command. Successful U-boat commanders quickly A pioneer in U-boat tactics, became highly popular heroic figures, Kretschmer was the first commander who known as “aces” of the maritime war. It is dared to attempt a surface attack at night. 452 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord He was not only successful, but from then but it is unclear whether they are from an on, his ploy became the key manoeuvre existing transcript, from the author’s actual used against Allied shipping. Skill with this interviews with Kretschmer, or if Robertson effective tactic, combined with the fact that has taken some liberties. Nevertheless, this he rarely signalled and was thus not located does not detract much from the work in by Allied high-frequency radio detection general. (DF), enabled Kretschmer to soon surpass Overall, The Golden Horseshoe is a the other U-boat commanders in terms of fine chronicle of the wartime career of Otto tonnage sunk. Although his career lasted Kretschmer. It has endured to the present only until his capture in March 1941, his day, now into its third edition, and is every record was never broken. bit as valid today as when it was first Robertson’s work can also be published. It is also highly accessible and a praised for its balanced view of Kretschmer, pleasure to read, for a general audience and as he does not shy away from darker historians alike. Historian Jürgen Rohwer moments of the submariner’s career. As a wrote in the introduction, “Terence prisoner of war, Kretschmer sat on the Robertson’s well researched and vivid infamous, and illegal, court-martial (the biography of U-boat captain Otto German officers called it a council of Kretschmer was first published in 1955. We honour) of the first officer of U-570, who must be grateful that Greenhill Books have had surrendered to aircraft after being decided to reprint this fine book after so bombed and consequently captured. This many years.” (p.xiv). This reviewer ended with the officer being allowed to wholeheartedly agrees. redeem himself by escaping and scuttling Christopher Kretzschmar the boat, but he was shot and killed while Upper Hampstead, New Brunswick attempting to escape from a Home Guard patrol. The U-570 affair would haunt Kretschmer for some time and held back his Nick Robins. Coastal Passenger Liners of release until 1947, but he accepted this, the British Isles. Barnsley, S. Yorks: providing another glimpse of the man he Seaforth Publishing, www.seaforthpublish was. ing.com, 2011. 145 pp., illustrations, Kretschmer was captured in early appendix, references, index. UK £25.00, 1941 when his U-boat was sunk and so cloth; ISBN 978-1-84832-112-0. spent the majority of the war in POW camps. Robertson dedicates a significant Coastal Passenger Liners of the British portion of the work to this period, including Isles provides a good overview of the the U-570 incident mentioned above, and history of the liners that served British Kretschmer’s time in Canada at the travelers from the origin of the steam ship to Bowmanville camp. Robertson does an the extinction of the coastal liner service. excellent job of describing Kretschmer’s Along with a general transportation history, life as a POW including his one escape it also provides stories of specific incidents attempt. that happened during various trips from One of the few aspects of the book transporting passengers to football games to that left this reviewer relatively uneasy was the liners’ role during the Second World the conversations featured throughout the War. In the last chapter of the book, Robins book. It often felt like a novel and I was left does a good job of describing how the wondering how true to the real events the passenger liners slowly died out. While conversations were. They occur frequently, there are technically still boats that carry Book Reviews 453 people from one part of the U.K. to another, ever is the smell of hot oil and steam as Robins maintains, they do not have the emanating from the engine room ventilators, same aura as the old liners whose sole and, strangely, gone too is that characteristic purpose was to transport passengers, not smell aboard all the old steamers, that smell cars. of stale beer and tobacco smoke mixed Robins includes excerpts from tantalizingly with the smells of fresh food various primary sources throughout his text, being prepared in the galley.” especially newspapers, which help tell the The author, Nick Robins, is a story of one hundred years of passenger geologist by profession not a historian, so liner service along the coasts of Great that may be why I felt less connected to this Britain. For example, his account of book than I would have if the author had northern steamers features an excerpt from brought more analysis to bear. Moreover, The Illustrated London News from 9 April he does not connect his subject to the larger 1853 which describes how dangerous historical context of what was going on in travelling on a steamer could be. He has the world at the time of the events he also made excellent use of reputable describes. Passenger ship enthusiasts will secondary sources. likely appreciate the book and consider it a The book is well organized, telling great buy. It is a good resource for anyone a broad story in roughly chronological interested in British passenger liners, which order, but also including chapters that give is, after all, what the author had in mind depth to the bigger picture. These chapters when he set out to write the book. highlight specific subjects, such as the Chris Wallace steamer lines that carried passengers from Pensacola, Florida the west coast of England and Wales to Ireland and back. The collision of Mary Hough with Castilian and Africa in 1881 is Michael Rutstein. The Privateering Stroke: described by means of a great primary Salem’s privateers in the War of 1812. source, the records of the Board of Trade Boxford, MA: published by the author, inquiry. From this report we learn details schoonerfame.com/ship-s-store.html, 2012. such as the time the incidents occurred, how 306 pp., illustrations, maps, glossary, tables, many crew members there were on board bibliography, index. US $15.00, paper: the ships, how fast the ships were going, ISBN 978-1-47005-251-5. and what courses the ships were following. Such first-hand material helps explain the America’s privateers in the War of 1812 had incident better than any secondary source a significant impact on Britain’s trade-based could do and adds to the book. economy, causing insurance rates to rise, Despite being well researched and intercepting merchant ships and their organized, the text was occasionally a little cargoes and forcing the Royal Navy, dry to read. Sometimes, fact follows fact reluctantly, to divert warships for escort of with no breathing room between them and convoys sailing the Atlantic. Investors little attempt at analysis or a smooth found financing privateer vessels with transition between the blunt facts. To be private capital an attractive venture. fair, how much of an opinion could the Privateering also provided ordinary seamen author have had on the history of with an opportunity to reap prize rewards, steamships that serviced the British Isles? roughly the nineteenth-century equivalent of Robins’ nostalgia for those glorious times is winning a lottery. evident at the end of the book: “Gone for Objective data indicate that 454 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord America’s letter of marque “fleet” had a contain insightful quotes from Faye Kert’s greater effect upon British shipping than did Prize and Prejudice which noted that the War the nascent United States Navy. The number of 1812 was “declared by the unprepared and of privateer ships of various sizes from all fought by the unwilling, for reasons which American ports exceeded five hundred remain unexplained,” (p.25) and “economic during the course of the war. In aggregate, pressure—not decisive military or fleet privateers greatly outnumbered and actions—finally brought the war to an end.” outgunned the American Navy. They seized (p. vi) approximately five times as many enemy This work includes an abundance of ships, thus affecting the outcome of the war, primary source data about 1812 privateer a conflict that ended largely in a stalemate. ships regarding captains, crews, seizures, Rutstein’s The Privateering Stroke prize values, dispositions of captures, focuses upon a small portion of this privateer recaptures and/or destructions of vessels. Of fleet from the town of Salem, on the north particular interest are Rutstein’s accounts of shore of Massachusetts, as being the treatment of privateers as prisoners of representative of the impact of privateering war, by far the largest number of maritime upon similar communities. Salem was the captives held by the British during this three- home of Nathaniel Bowditch, the famed year conflict. There are numerous graphs mathematician and ocean navigator, the and tables to help a reader interpret the data. seafaring Crowninshield merchant family Its glossary contains a few uncommon terms and, later, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the great such as: supercargo—an officer responsible American author and “Surveyor for the for all economic aspects of a vessel such as District of Salem and Beverly and Inspector the buying and selling of cargo; surety—a of Revenue for the Port of Salem.” Nestled person who posts a bond vulnerable to forfeit between two historic fishing communities, if the privateer breaks the law; running ship Marblehead and Gloucester, Salem was —a very fast vessel permitted to sail without largely a mercantile port and its citizens were a convoy; cartel—a vessel used for the attuned, therefore, to the risks of taking on exchange of prisoners and not subject to financial ventures. During the war, the town capture; and shaving mill or picaroon—a commissioned 43 privateers to patrol the number of meanings, but mostly a small coast of Massachusetts, including its eastern open privateer boat primarily used to capture “District of Maine,” looking for smugglers smugglers and for minor commerce raiding. and prowling the Atlantic beyond. Two Salem picaroons are remarkable for Rutstein presents evidence that, as their curious names, Castigator and Black in any business venture, timing, luck and Vomit. marketing led many investors to profitability, The author dwells upon the history particularly those who exploited wartime of two Salem privateer vessels, America and shortages in war-torn communities. For Fame. (Rutstein is the captain of a modern some, money was made, for others representational schooner Fame, that privateering led to financial ruin. captured the first prize of the War.) The Rutstein divides his publication into historiography concerning these two ships is several sections he calls “books,” which presented well. His descriptions of personal group privateer ships largely by size and acts of heroism, human weakness, chronology. These “books” form a literary- magnanimity, avarice and all-too-often sandwich, but the “bread,” a very well tragedy are also well done. Unfortunately, written introduction and an astute conclusion sometimes the narrative becomes tedious and are the best parts of his work. The books is replete with annoying redundancies. There Book Reviews 455 are minor errors that might have been seventeenth-century Protestant galley slave avoided if a publishing house’s professional to a memoir of life at sea by a Victorian-era editor had read this book critically. whaling captain’s wife. In his introduction The Privateer Stroke is not to this new edition of Samuel Samuels’ comprehensive or as scholarly as Jerome 1877 autobiography, editor Vincent Garitee’s well-known The Republic’s McInerney notes that the original text has Private Navy (1977). Garitee focuses upon been reduced by almost half. Most of the the business and legal aspects of privateering material eliminated, he explains, involves with an emphasis upon ship procurement, the technical details of operating sailing refitting as a quasi-warship, finances, ships, and has little interest for modern-day insurance, equipment and the complex prize armchair sailors. As uncomfortable as it is distribution system as it related to the to muddle through any heavily redacted admiralty courts and subsequent auctions. book while wondering always what material The Privateer Stroke also falls short of has been dispatched to the trash bin, the George Coggleshall’s classic 1856 book, The editor’s judgment is in all likelihood History of the American Privateers, but correct. Large numbers of nineteenth- Rutstein’s work is valuable because of its century maritime authors felt compelled to unique data specific to Salem and expound at length on the workings of Massachusetts’s North Shore during the War sailing ships for the landsmen who of 1812. An unanswered question is how the presumably made up the bulk of their experience of Salem’s privateers (a small readership. The descriptions are often and, arguably, not a representative sample) lengthy, tedious, difficult to understand, not correlates with those in other communities especially enlightening, and easily that had similar fleets. This perhaps will be a forgotten. topic for a subsequent book by Rutstein or McInerney’s lightly-annotated another author. introduction, comprising about ten percent In summary, Rutstein’s The of the slim, octavo-sized volume, is Privateering Stroke, although narrow in particularly useful. It provides valuable scope, is a worthy addition to one’s context for Samuels’ multitudinous collection of material related to privateering adventures afloat, and sufficient background and the War of 1812. information on ships, trans-oceanic trade, sailors’ lives, and the vicissitudes of Louis Arthur Norton seafaring to provide a decent understanding West Simsbury, Connecticut of a long-past maritime world without bogging down in unnecessary detail. Captain Samuel Samuels. From Forecastle Samuels wrote only of his first three to Cabin. Barnsley, S. Yorks.: Seaforth decades at sea, ending his narrative in 1863 Publishing, www.seaforthpublishing.com, when he gave up command of the famous 2012. (Seafarers’ Voices 8.) xi+203 pp., Liverpool packet, Dreadnaught. Editor map, notes. UK £13.99, cloth; ISBN 978-1- McInerney provides a happy dénouement to 84832-126-7. (Distributed in the US by the story. In his later years, the captain held Naval Institute Press, www.usni.org) at least three more commands, spent some years racing yachts, and served in an From Forecastle to Cabin is the eighth executive capacity for several large volume in Seaforth Publishing’s Seafarers’ corporations. Voices series, a reprint collection of nautical This book is a quintessential accounts by a cast of writers ranging from a nautical yarn. It begins with a wicked 456 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord stepmother and a boy who runs off to sea, once offered to take the twelve lashes about where he faces danger, privation, mutiny, to be administered to his young “sea chum,” and pirates, among other hazards, but and on other occasions provided him with through dint of hard work, talent, and an clothes, hats, and shoes. No hint of physical indomitable will, achieves success and intimacy between the boy and his adult renown. On the surface, the narrative line partners intrudes into the narrative, but none seems suited to the stories of Captain could be expected in a respectable Marryat or his imitators, but this purports to nineteenth-century memoir. The youth was be a work of a different sort. According to palpably distressed when the relationships author Samuels, he took to writing neither ended, one with an accidental separation to glorify the nautical life nor to trumpet his from French Peter after a brawl in a own triumphs over adversity. His purpose waterfront tavern and the other with the was to destroy deeply-held romantic notions agonizing death of his beloved Jack. of the sailors’ life by exposing its brutality, The officers Samuels encountered barbarousness, and cruelty. His was not the during the early years of his career were for first book to attempt the task, and Samuels’ the most part decent chaps. Their examples depictions of shipboard life include a full provide backdrops for accounts of his own measure of the miseries inflicted on sailors. command experiences. As he tells it, he did Still, if the good captain’s intent was to a brilliant job on the quarterdeck, dissuade youngsters from going to sea, as he combining expert seamanship with firm but suggests in a few paragraphs on the fair treatment of his crews. He worked concluding pages of his book, his effort in them hard, he explains, but never hesitated all likelihood was not successful. Instead of to order an extra grog ration when deserved providing a negative aura for the seafaring nor did he skimp on serving out the plum life, Samuels celebrates the romance of the duff. sea. Hardship and wretchedness serve only The Dreadnaught ’s widely-hailed as foils for his victories over storms, captain was as skilled with a pen as he was treacherous shoals, crimps, commercial when managing a ship in a raging storm. competitors, and a score of additional From Forecastle to Cabin is a nautical adversaries. Heroics and white-knuckle page-turner that may be completed in an adventures inform every chapter, greatly evening. It is a splendid read. diminishing the impact of his eye-witness B. R. Burg reports of men being beaten senseless for Phoenix, Arizona minor infractions or washed overboard by thunderous waves. In one hair-raising incident, Samuels and a friend rescue a Paul R. Sellin. Treasure, Treason and the Christian lady held prisoner in a Turkish Tower. El Dorado and the Murder of Sir seraglio. In another, he has a truly Walter Raleigh. Burlington,VT: Ashgate, terrifying escape from a murderous gang of www.ashgate.com, 2011. xxiv+306 pp., Manila cut-throats. And so it goes. illustrations, maps, chronology, appendices, Even the difficult times Samuels footnotes, references, index. US $64.95, had as a lad on board his first ships were cloth; ISBN 978-1-4094-2025-5. mitigated by the friendships he made with older, wiser, and stronger mariners. There Many of the most famous Elizabethan sea is no doubt that these relationships were dogs defy easy categorization as they were built on reciprocal love of man and boy. often explorers, privateers, naval captains French Peter, his first mentor and protector, and not above acts of piracy. Sir Walter Book Reviews 457 Raleigh is a case in point. Raleigh was a deliberately camouflaged his locations and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I until his secret the timing of his discoveries to ensure only marriage to Bess Throckmorton, one of he could return for the prospective riches. Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting, in 1591. Doubtless Sellin is correct; explorers often Eventually, Raleigh would regain some of falsified some of the details of their the Queen’s affection. He was not so accounts for public consumption lest they fortunate with her successor, James I. give away valuable information. Even with Raleigh’s ultimate fall from grace with the the imprecision of navigation at the time, it king culminated in his execution in 1618. would be impossible for a veteran seafarer Whatever else he may have been, Raleigh such as Raleigh to have such inaccurate seems an unlikely traitor. Author Paul notions of distance and time; Raleigh’s Sellin attempts to retrace Raleigh’s “errors” really constituted an effective web controversial last voyage and explore of systematic non- and dis-information, all Jacobean politics in an effort to understand designed to prevent outsiders and why Raleigh met such a tragic end. interlopers from ever locating the “mine” on The daring Sir Walter was no Cerro Redondo.” (p.221) stranger to exploration and colonization in It is apparent that Sellin admires the New World. King James I became Raleigh as a leader. He argues that the convinced that Raleigh ignored his orders Discoverie shows Raleigh had excellent and was intent on renewing hostilities with man-management skills and judgement, as Spain during his last voyage. There has well as possessing the ruthlessness and been great speculation about the nature of confidence necessary to command such Raleigh’s exploration and if he did discover perilous undertakings. Sellin obviously a gold mine. To this end, Sellin made two wants to establish Sir Walter Raleigh as a trips to Venezuela to retrace Raleigh’s reliable and insightful observer when it travels as outlined in The Discoverie of comes to people and customs as well as the Guiana (1596). Sellin has included a other details of his voyage. number of maps, surveys, recent Raleigh possessed such self- photographs and links to YouTube videos so confidence that he felt comfortable the reader can see the regions under criticizing Alexander the Great’s decisions. discussion. The author tests Raleigh’s He would need this assurance in order to words about everything from his weather repeated issues during the voyage, descriptions of the various bodies of water, whether it was the dangers of crocodiles and depths, distances, dates, tides, currents, giant mosquitoes, an attack by natives using weather—against his own experiences: “If poisoned arrows (which caused the flesh to Raleigh’s veracity be the key to drop off the bones of the unfortunate investigating such a cold case as his seemed victims), not to mention the predictable to be, then safest to start with the darkest problems of dwindling provisions and the view possible and question everything.” onset of sickness. While Sellin assumes the (p.26) While it is evident that Sellin wants seamen on the expedition gave their blind to vindicate Raleigh, he amasses enough loyalty, this is not borne out by the evidence to suggest that even some of the evidence: a suicide on Raleigh’s ship in more incredible descriptions in Raleigh’s 1618 as well as worries about an impending account were accurate. The intrepid mutiny suggest otherwise. Professor Sellin may even have identified Sellin’s efforts to track down and Raleigh’s mine. cross-reference extant primary sources are The author asserts that Raleigh laudable, especially his use of continental 458 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord documents. His use of surveyors’ maps and Richard K. Smith and R. Cargill Hall. Five modern marine charts add yet another Down, No Glory: Frank G. Tinker, dimension. For example, he argues that a Mercenary Ace in the Spanish Civil War. surveyor’s map from 1732 confirms there Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, were rich gold and silver deposits in the www.nip.org, 2011. 377 pp. illustrations, region where Raleigh said there were. The maps, appendices, index. US $36.95, cloth; author concludes that the information ISBN 978-1-61251-054-5. contained in the Discoverie is “undisputable” and that Walter Raleigh’s conduct and The Republican forces in the Spanish Civil character are “fundamentally admirable.” War attracted many foreign volunteers to (p.215) This being said, Raleigh must have their side. One of those was Frank G. been the victim of some nefarious plot that Tinker, a 1933 graduate of the U.S. Naval was hatched in London before the Academy, who became an ace pilot in that “extraordinary, formidable man” returned. conflict. Five Down, No Glory is a (p.233) The prime mover was the King’s comprehensive biography of Frank Tinker, a favourite, the Duke of Buckingham, who, unique personality who wrote a first-hand Sellin argues, conspired with Gustavus account of the air war over Spain. Adolphus of Sweden to eradicate Raleigh Born in Arkansas, Tinker enlisted and recover his mine for themselves. in the U.S. Navy after graduation from high Sellin mourns a talented man who school. After a year of duty, he successfully was “murdered.” He also bemoans a missed completed a course of study at the Naval opportunity for England. Sellin paints Academy Preparatory School and enrolled Raleigh as a visionary whose geopolitical in the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. strategy would have curbed Spanish wealth He graduated and was commissioned in and empire-building by establishing an 1933. Tinker had his heart set on flying but English presence in the Orinoco basin. Yet, economy measures prevented him from regrettably for England, Raleigh’s grand immediately becoming a naval aviator. vision could not be grasped by Elizabeth I Through a quirk in the law at that time, the nor James I. U.S. Army Air Corps was able to offer him (as well as other Annapolis graduates) a Sellin’s book is engaging and commission and pilot training at Randolph incredibly readable. This retired professor’s Field in Texas. Tinker jumped at the expertise in languages and literature is opportunity and transferred to the Army Air evident; his prose is predictably full of Corps. By the time he completed his literary allusions interspersed with wonderful training, the billets for Naval Aviation turns of phrase and emotives like “Bah!” and opened up and Tinker was able to rejoin the “POOH!” Although readers may not be as U.S. Navy. There was just one catch—he convinced of Raleigh’s complete innocence first had to go through naval pilot training nor Buckingham’s guilt as Sellin is, we at Pensacola, Florida. Finally, after certainly admire his passion. Few completing that course, Tinker was able to academics’ research includes trips to the go to sea. jungle. Treasure, Treason and the Tower is a The chaotic beginning of Tinker’s wonderful tour of Raleigh’s and Sellin’s American military career was a harbinger of travels in Venezuela and the treacherous what was to come. His Navy career was world of Tudor-Stuart court politics. short: court-martialed once for fighting, Cheryl Fury Tinker resigned his commission rather than Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick face a second court-martial for public Book Reviews 459 drunkenness. Authors Smith and Hall posit a plausible He signed on as a seaman on scenario: Tinker was drinking with some various oil tankers, got married and people in his hotel room; one of the separated from his new bride, and returned drinking buddies was horsing around, to Arkansas. By then, the Spanish Civil grabbed the pistol, and accidentally shot War had broken out and the pro-government Tinker; the drinking buddies fled the hotel. (“Republican”) forces needed qualified The hotel’s telephones were not working pilots. Tinker contacted the Spanish that day and Tinker was unable to ask for government, was accepted as a mercenary assistance. The American ace pilot of the pilot, and under a false name on his Spanish Civil War went into shock and bled passport, went to Spain. to death. It was in Spain that Tinker achieved Like Tinker, this book has had a fame. Flying for the Republican Air Force, tortuous history. Historian Richard K. Tinker found his niche. In Spanish skies, he Smith completed the manuscript in 1983. shot down eight enemy aircraft, including Thereafter, he lost interest in the subject and two ME-109s of Nazi Germany’s Condor the book languished for twenty years. Legion—German fliers sent to Spain to Shortly before his death in 2003, Smith assist the pro-Franco, anti-Republican gave the manuscript to his friend Cargill forces. (In just a few years, many Canadian Hall, saying, “Maybe you can get it and American pilots would shoot down ME- published.” Hall had to wait another six 109s, but Tinker was the first North years for his own retirement before he could American pilot to do so.) He also led a devote attention to Smith’s old text, and squadron of Russian volunteer pilots against then had to fill in some gaps caused by the pro-Franco forces—the only Naval unavoidably lost pages. The positive side to Academy graduate to command a squadron the delay was that Hall was able to take of Soviet pilots! Tinker terminated his advantage of the many sources developed contract in 1937, returned to the U.S., wrote since 1983 and made major revisions to various articles on the Spanish air war, did certain chapters. The writing is smooth and odd jobs, paddled down the Mississippi there is no indication of any stylistic River in a canoe, and wrote a book, Some differences between Smith’s original efforts Still Live, which was also serialized in the and Hall’s additions. The book is extremely Saturday Evening Post. Some Still Live is detailed and moves at a fast pace. The an invaluable memoir of air combat and was author Ernest Hemingway makes several reprinted as recently as 1992. Tinker tried to appearances throughout the narrative. The return to Spain, and later, travel to China result is a well-written, comprehensive but the U.S. Government stymied these biography of a major aviator in the Spanish attempts. His record in Spain, fighting for Civil War. It is not, however, a maritime– the allegedly “pro-Communist” side, oriented work. Although Tinker had a naval worked against him. education and some service, his fame rests Frank Tinker was found in a Little on his piloting skills and his record in the Rock, Arkansas, hotel room dead from a .22 Spanish Civil War. Therefore, Five Down, calibre gunshot wound. This has been the No Glory is primarily recommended for the subject of intense speculation since he was aircraft enthusiast or historian. not a suicidal type, and moreover, had a In many ways, Frank Tinker loaded .45 pistol with him at his death. resembles Jake Holman, the protagonist of Some writers have intimated Tinker was Richard McKenna’s novel, The Sand murdered for some unknown reason. Pebbles. The fictional Holman was brilliant 460 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord with machinery but could never quite fit in of Richard Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations. with his shipmates; Tinker was a superb In 2008, Professor Sobiecki brought pilot who could never quite fit into society. together a group of ten academics to An earlier article on Tinker called him, contribute to a conference in Leeds on the “Rebel of ’33” ; another article by this Sea and Englishness in the Middle Ages reviewer called Tinker “The Lost Pilot.” under the subtitle “Britain isn’t an entity, it’s Both titles are apt. Frank Tinker has not an argument.” It was here that participants been forgotten, nor his still-not-understood discussed the idea of a book to encourage death. In June of each year, local people scholars working on pre- and post-Conquest gather at Tinker’s grave to honour his literature to consider the relationship memory. The headstone carries this between the sea and the formation of a unsettling inscription: “¿Quien Sabe?”— collective English identity. Spanish for “Who Knows?” Each of the academics is an authority in medieval economic and Robert L. Shoop maritime history and the introductory Colorado Springs, Colorado chapter probes the humble beginnings of King Edgar’s legendary title to the island- Sebastian I. Sobiecki. The Sea and studded seas around the British Isles. Englishness in the Middle Ages. Maritime Subsequent chapters analyze the Narratives, Identity and Culture. Cambridge, continuities and disruptions in the sea’s UK: D.S. Brewer, www.boydelland influence on English identity through brewer.com, 2011. xiii+260 pp., illustrations, narratives of migration. These cover the notes, bibliography, index. US $90.00, cloth; literary origins of Englishness as well as ISBN 978-1-84384-276-7. Welsh and English views of the sea in the Vie de St. Edmund and Waldef. Also For a long time, Britain consisted of two discussed is the role of local communities in separate kingdoms, Scotland and England. the entire archipelago, its neighbouring Early in King Edgar’s reign (959-75), a islands, Ireland and the intervening seas, notion of Englishness was created following together with chapters on language contact, his circumnavigation of the four the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, nautical travel surrounding seas. In 1598, Richard Hakluyt in the Old English Exodus and East Anglia. described Edgar as a maritime king and “the Sobiecki argues that well into the true and soveraigne Monarch of all the fifteenth century, the sea defined British Ocean.” Social historians argue that Englishness even though the Atlantic was a these waters were the sine qua non of contested region. Rivalries between maritime enterprise, and this ocean-girt monarchs opened up production and trade, insularity defined the identity of the but England’s King Henry VII failed to inhabitants both geographically and persuade his merchants to replicate the culturally. earlier exploratory voyages by Bristol Sebastian Sobiecki is professor of merchants. The Portuguese, on the other Medieval English Literature and Culture at hand, understood and exploited the patterns Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen in the of the seas and their currents because they Netherlands where he specializes in saw the ocean as an opportunity rather than comparative medieval and early modern an obstacle. Peter Unwin has written that literature. He is also interested in maritime, the biggest change resulting from the mercantile and legal writing and is currently convulsions of the reigns of Henry VIII, preparing the first volume of a new edition Edward VI and Mary was the creation of a Book Reviews 461 sense amongst the English that their country primary sources including German, French, was different from its continental Italian and seventeenth-century Latin neighbours. documents. Social change in Britain during the The image of the sea and its early late sixteenth century was a series of mastery by the English as a seafaring localised social dramas which ranged from migratory people is important to Sobiecki’s often-undirected religious excitement to a extraordinary project. The book covers a concern for a national identity. Historian considerable chronological scope and some Norman Davies has argued that the twenty-first century readers may find that Reformation “drove a wedge down the the strong focus on Englishness throughout Channel” for which there was no historical this book seems strange. Perhaps, though, precedent. In 1629, the livelihood of up to the last word on the effect of national 50,000 people in England was wholly identity should be left to Robert Louis dependent on unstable foreign markets. Stevenson. He wrote in 1878 that “we (Wrightson 2003) The turning point came should consider ourselves unworthy of our in the seventeenth century when the Dutch descent if we did not share the arrogance of began to compete with England in the cloth our progenitors that the sea is English”—but trade, and this slowly forced Britain to of course, Stevenson was Scottish. revolutionize economically and socially. Michael Clark (Wilson 1971) London, England A dominant theme of this book is that the notion of the Englishness of the sea was not only evident in the earliest written Bruce Swanson with Vance H. Morrison, records of the Anglo-Saxon era but also in Don H. McDowell, and Nancy N. Tomasko. Welsh and English views of the sea in the A Plain Sailorman in China: the Life and Vie de St Edmund and Waldef and even until Times of Cdr. I. V. Gillis, USN, 1875-1948. Victorian times. While ocean battles and Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, heroism created vivid images of maritime www.nip.org, 2012. xii+285 pp., history, it was the sea that formed an Anglo- illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, British identity. It linked the nation to romanization scheme, index. US $29.95, Europe and the rest of the world as cloth; ISBN 978-1-61251-105-4. England’s role gradually acquired a psychological significance as a line of This work is a biography of Irvin Gillis, an demarcation. enigmatic man who was in turn, a naval During much of the nineteenth officer, spy, arms dealer, and ultimately, a century, England’s relationship with the sea successful book dealer, librarian and was central to two projects relating to scholar. It covers the early days of the national identity–British colonization and formation of the U.S. naval intelligence the consolidation of the political union of service in Japan and China. The book Scotland and Ireland with England. With its follows Gillis’ journey from Lake Erie in many references to literary origins of 1875 to Japan and China, beginning in the insular identity, this is a book that would crucial period before the Russo-Japanese interest both maritime and social historians. war, and his gradual transition into a It would also be an excellent resource for civilian at home in the upheaval of 1930s readers of general history as it contains a China until his death and burial in 1948 in very comprehensive index with an excellent what was then Peking. Publication of this bibliography and an intelligent choice of book has taken many twists and turns. It 462 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord was produced over many years by a team of intelligence function, specifically to observe people, beginning with Bruce Swanson, and report on the impending war between whose credentials include “China specialist Japan and Russia. The Battle of Tsushima for forty-three years, fluent in Mandarin” was highly anticipated in that it presented and lecturer at Annapolis. Following the first major opportunity in decades to test Swanson’s untimely death, three others weapons and tactics. The author details stepped in to finish the work: Vance Gillis’ attempts to get on board a Japanese Morrison, former defence attaché to the warship. From there he became the U.S. People’s Republic of China; Don naval attaché in Peking and attempted to MacDowell, rear admiral (ret.) of the U.S. collect intelligence in an ever more chaotic Naval Security Group Command; and world. Increasingly he drifted into the Nancy Tomasko, librarian and editor of the commercial sphere, selling warships and East Asian Library Journal. possibly strategic products for other firms, Gillis’ story begins before his birth such as, Dow Chemical. Retiring, finally, in with a look at his family life and forebears 1919 after serving as naval attaché in that include a grandfather, who was a Peking during the First World War, Gillis military hero of the War of 1812. Taken worked for Bethlehem Steel and the Electric prisoner at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, he Boat Company selling American warships escaped, was recaptured, and held thereafter to successive Chinese governments. in the secure citadel fortress at Halifax. His Through Gillis we have a front row seat to father was an officer of the U.S. Navy, so the major historical events of the first half Gillis spent his childhood among dry docks of the twentieth century: the Russo- and other machinery. We become Japanese War; the formation of the acquainted with him as a cadet, small in Nationalist government; the Communist stature, struggling to learn the academic as revolution and civil war; the Japanese well as practical aspects of becoming a invasion; and the Second World War and its naval officer at the U.S. Naval Academy. aftermath. The syllabus in1895 was rigorous and had a This biography is as close to the critical role in forming the young officer, “official” U.S. Navy story on Irvin Gillis as enabling him to perform his role as an can be. Through his actions and dealings intelligence officer later in his career. and, later in life, through his writings, we Courses consisted of mathematics, English have a clear picture of a free thinking and modern languages, history, and law. westerner, not given to mincing words Early in his career, we see a man who is whether arguing for changes in the Gest competent, courageous, and capable of library’s classification and indexing acting both alone and as a crew member. schemes or pronouncing on politicians who, During the Spanish-American War, he in his opinion, do not understand the Far stamped himself as a man of action when he East. After studying his career from capable swam to a floating enemy torpedo and sea-going officer to intelligence collector disarmed it. As a young officer with the and analyst, arms dealer, buyer of priceless Pacific Fleet in the Philippines, and later books, and scholar, the reader is left based on Shanghai, Lieutenant Gillis is wondering what other secrets he took with unusual, being equally at home as an him. Gillis’ transition to resident and even engineering officer as he was as a deck citizen of China is remarkable. There are officer. accounts of his dealings with such historical Gillis’ career takes a major leap characters as Alfred Mahan, William Taft, when he is selected to travel to Tokyo in an and Theodore Roosevelt in political affairs Book Reviews 463 and the Canadian engineer Guion Gest and There are a few minor problems in librarian, Dr. Nancy Swann in the style, maybe occasioned by the attempts of development of the Gest Chinese Research the editors to complete Bruce Swanson’s Library at McGill University. prose; for example, an odd usage of the The editors supplement Swanson’s world “imperialist” in reference to China, original text with a chapter on what was to that was in the process of being be the longest phase of his life as a civilian dismembered at that moment (p.1); possibly in China, living close to the imperial palace “evaluation” should be “evolution” (p.6). from 1919 until his death. As a book dealer There are a few puzzling errors, such as a and bibliographer, this portion of Gillis’ life missed decimal in giving the weight of the is marked by dedication, passion, and a revolutionary HMS Dreadnought, which is huge of amount of effort in the day-to-day described as “a 1,800 ton battleship” work of bibliography, indexing, acquisition, (p.110). This is curious, since it is so and shipping the priceless books of Chinese obviously incorrect and should read 18,000 literature and science to McGill University. tons. Whenever such errors occur, they The turbulent 1930s were fraught with always raise the question: what other outright personal danger for Gillis and his problems exist? wife, Zhao Yubin, a time of civil war arrest We are left with a profound sense under the Japanese occupation. Through it of gratitude to people like Gillis, Gest, and all, he maintains a lively and developing Swann, and others like the leadership of the interest in the vital technical issues of McGill University libraries, as well as indexing and classification, all the while senior administrators, including Gen. Sir arguing for changes in the library. Arthur W. Currie, principal and vice- The book is splendidly presented chancellor, for their perspicacity in seeing and includes a marketing piece complete that we would need their library in order to with the “future endorsements” of serving understand China. The three modern editors high-ranking naval officers. It is printed on are also to be thanked for bringing Gillis’ fine, non- acid paper. Photographs and two story to light. His dedication and passion, maps help us follow his travels in his especially in his later years working under attempts to learn not only what the virtual arrest in Peking with little food and successive Chinese governments were no fuel for heat in winter are awe-inspiring. doing in naval matters, but also what the The Gest Chinese Research Library, other major would-be colonial powers, although it was subsequently moved to Japan, Britain, Germany, and Russia were Princeton, is a major historical factor doing. contributing to McGill University’s status as Appendices include an essay the pre-eminent academic institution in entitled “Gillis, Mahan, and the Age of Canada. Navalism,” which further helps situate him One of the most fascinating aspects in the currents of history and geopolitics of the book is its coverage of the early and helps the modern reader to understand history of naval relations between major the dynamic of wealth-creation operating in powers in the waters around China; an area U.S. foreign policy. There is his record of that is increasingly the theatre of action with naval service, the Gillis family tree, the many of the same actors: America, China, course of instruction he received at Japan, and Russia. Those who like Annapolis, and the Romanization system. mysteries or intelligence gathering and There are also illuminating notes, a analysis, will find this book fascinating bibliography, and index. reading. Anyone interested in naval affairs 464 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord at this juncture in world affairs would do than Germany. The British types were well to read this book as a way of throwing grouped into four categories: MTB, MGB, into relief the events of today. We Motor Launches (ML) and air-sea rescue enthusiastically recommend a buy for launches (ASRL). Unfortunately, the scholarly and personal libraries in naval, mixture of metric and imperial military, political and library studies. measurements when describing the characteristics of the vessels makes Kathy Crewdson and Ian Dew comparisons difficult. Thunder Bay, Ontario The next chapter looks at the technical specifications of the various Gordon Williamson. E-Boat vs MTB, The vessels and begins with the S-Boats but English Channel 1941-45. Oxford, UK: inconsistent descriptions for the armament Osprey Publishing, www.ospreypublish is confusing. Next come the German R- ing.com, 2011. 80 pp., illustrations, maps, Boats which were relatively fast vessels that tables, bibliography, index. UK £12.99, US performed various tasks such as convoy $17.95, CDN $19.95, paper; ISBN 978-1- escort, sub-chasing, mine laying, 84908-406-2. minesweeping and air-sea rescue work. There are interesting data in this chapter but This book is part of a new Osprey series and again, it is inconsistent and one-sided. For looks at the “duel” in the English Channel example, German torpedoes merit one full between the German Schellboot (S-Boats) page versus six lines for two types of and various British Motor Torpedo Boats British torpedoes. The strategic situation (MTB) and Motor Gun Boats (MGB). It is follows for both sides regarding the aimed at a general readership and provides employment of torpedo-boats; interestingly, an account of this often overlooked aspect both sides were targeting the opponent’s of the Battle of the Atlantic by means of shipping with their MTBs. The MTBs had seven unequal chapters and a very concise insufficient protection against heavier bibliography. It features many good colour warships but they could battle each other. plates of boats and weapons that will be The author then looks at the combatants useful for the modelers, as well as full- beginning with the national organization of colour recreations of scenes and a number the S-Bootwaffe and the British Coastal of black and white photographs; some of Forces. The flotillas of both nations were which have often been seen before. There not permanently located at any specific port are no line drawings of the various craft so and were often supported by tenders. Both modelers will have to look to another source used the torpedoes against large targets and to assist their work. guns or machine-guns against their The first chapter offers a short counterparts. overview of both English and German The next subsection covers the MTBs leading up to the Second World War tactics employed by both sides. Most of the while the second chapter looks at their actions occurred at night using only a few design and development; Germany formations. Typically, the boats cruised at produced their first S-Boats after 1931 and around 25 knots until the enemy was these proved the basis for all future S-Boat spotted, then they reduced speed to 9 knots development. The author spends more time for an approach. Once on site, the engines describing the development of the British were cut and the crew waited until the MTBs but it is to be expected as Britain enemy vessels crossed in front. Following developed a greater range of small boats an attack with guns and machines-guns, the Book Reviews 465 MTB would speed up to avoid retribution along with Some American Contributions to while generating a smokescreen. British the Art of Navigation, 1519-1802. MGBs often joined the MTBs to conduct an Providence, RI: The John Carter Brown attack or pursue the S-Boots. Library, , 2011. xv+203 pp., illustrations, The major engagements in the appendices, references, index. US $65 + English Channel are described in the shipping, cloth; ISBN 978-0-916617-70-7. following chapter which is divided into the first combats in 1939-40, the build-up of The field of maritime history has been 1941, the success of the S-Boats in 1942 in indelibly influenced by numerous Operation Cerberus, the Saint-Nazaire and exceptional scholars whose work Dieppe raids, the turning of the tide in 1943, collectively stretches back well over a the defeat of the S-Boats in 1944 with the century. For those of us who study exception of Exercise Tiger and the final humankind’s relationship with the seas, actions in 1945. As expected, this chapter oceans and waterways of the world, the on the actual duels is the longest. names of these pivotal figures are A brief statistical analysis of the undoubtedly familiar. Mahan and Morison, forces of both sides follows, featuring tables followed by Braudel, Davis and Parry gave of MTB’s lost on both sides according to rise to more recent major contributors month and year. What would have been including Broeze, Fischer, Rediker, Rodger interesting was statistics about the numbers and Vickers. John Hattendorf also occupies of ships sunk by the MTBs during the war this select list, for his labours to enrich as well as tables showing the new maritime history these past four decades construction of these vessels by month. have been nothing short of outstanding. His These data would improve the reader’s latest effort resurrects the stature and work understanding of the MTB situation. of Lawrence C. Wroth–a pioneer in the The conclusion presents the “kills” study of maritime history, whose invaluable expected in the previous chapter but they works on the histories of cartography and are generic and are not broken down. It navigation shaped the way generations of discusses the immediate post-war future of scholars thought and wrote about the art and MTBs but it doesn’t indicate which boats science behind the movement of ships. were better. A very light bibliography is Originally appearing in 1937 and provided comprised of mostly recent titles. 1947 respectively, Wroth’s landmark works In general, this book is a light, The Way of a Ship and Some American occasionally unequal, treatment of smaller Contributions to the Art of Navigation have torpedo boats, and will appeal to those been revised and reprinted in this single interested in relative strengths of S-Boats volume marking the seventy-fifth and MTBs. There is little mention of anniversary of the first publication. The German R-Boats and the larger British John Carter Brown Library, where Wroth MTBs, such as the Fairmile-Ds, thus served as librarian between 1923 and 1957, limiting its scope. This book is handy, if the is home to the original manuscripts and reader has a sound background to support it. collections that formed the basis for his bibliographic essays appearing in these Karl Gagnon works. Wroth’s review and synthesis of the Ottawa, Ontario literature on the history of navigation in The Way of a Ship is organized into five main Lawrence C. Wroth. (Revised and edited by chapters, which together examine subjects John B. Hattendorf). The Way of a Ship such as the voyages of the Ancient World, 466 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the and even to Wroth himself. This said, it is problem of position-finding, longitude and often wished that Hattendorf had made dead reckoning, and the contents of the more of his expanded notations, not only to most important navigation manuals to underline the enduring effect Wroth had on appear since the late fifteenth century. the scholarship that followed, but also to Excerpts from key primary documents provide readers with an even more helpful dealing with the mariner’s astrolabe, resource to aid in their research. For Hadley’s Quadrant, Mercator’s Chart, and example, Wroth’s essay on “Longitude and the practice of tacking are found in the four Dead Reckoning” would communicate with appendices. This is followed by Wroth’s the present-day researcher more effectively Some American Contributions to the Art of if the enormously popular and well received Navigation; its eleven chapters chronicling Longitude (1995) by Dava Sobel had been the major developments in sailing and mentioned in a footnote. Similarly, the seamanship produced by the loosely addition of indispensable works by R.A. defined, albeit admitted by the author, Skelton, Norman Thrower and R.V. Tooley “American” navigators, which conveniently would enhance the list of suggested includes those of Spanish, French and readings. English origin including the founder of New An attractive volume, it is bound in France, Samuel de Champlain! Essays on navy blue cloth with its title and striking advances in cartography and other cover image of Hans Staden’s 1557 navigational aids for English North woodcut of a ship’s crew using the astrolabe American colonies such as Virginia, and the cross-staff stamped in gold. Clean Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as the and well-proportioned, this new edition is Chesapeake as a separate region, in furnished with numerous high quality combination with those on the post- reprints of title pages, charts and Revolutionary War production of maritime illustrations from the collections of the John atlases and one on the much less known Carter Brown Library. Wroth is owed a study into the Gulf Stream, remain tremendous debt by those of us who eminently useful for those interested in continue our attempts to understand and early modern era navigation, primarily in explain how ships and their cargoes have North American waters. gradually traversed the seas with increasing A prolific writer, Wroth’s prose certainty and safety since the world of the invited interest and appreciation from both Phoenicians. Maritime historians will be the specialist and the recreational historian. grateful to the John Carter Brown Library This accomplishment of making the and John Hattendorf for their efforts in complex field of navigational science revising and reprinting these foundational widely accessible is, of course, no minor works. feat. Hattendorf is to be congratulated for Michael F. Dove preserving the readability of the writing St. Thomas, Ontario while working from Wroth’s notes and the manuscript corrections appearing on his unfinished revision of the 1950s. Hattendorf expertly incorporates some of the more contemporary literature on various subjects within the original footnotes and his preface highlights a few recent publications relating to navigation science