12.08.2017
THE UNITS OF THE NAVY

At the end of the Second World War, Italy was no longer a naval power. Besides the many months of long conflict against the Allies - which has caused heavy losses of men and equipments - there were problems ensued from the armistice of September 8th, 1943-Recalling the 37,000 miles sailed during the conflict, the loss of 270,000 tons of warships and the sinking of 412,000 tons of enemy vessels, it's possible to note the Royal Italian Navy became a cornerstone and a starting point from which the Nation was capable to rebuild her fortune.

On the VE-Day (May 8th, 1945), though the Royal Italian Navy had been almost destroyed after five years of war, she was the sole organization able to grant some kind of continuity. The remaining naval forces were relevant as a whole, but most of the ships were too old and in poor conditions. They were: two battleships (Italia and Vittorio Veneto), three older ones which had been refitted 10 years earlier (Andrea Doria, Caio Duilio and Giuliu Cesare), nine cruisers, eleven destroyers, thirty six submarines and an average of forty composed by escort vessels and corvettes, forty-four fast Patrol Boats and fifty minesweeper and sixteen landing traits. There were also a number of ocean-going, coastal and inshore auxiliaries among which the bail training ships Amerigo Vespucci and Cristoforo Colombo.

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12.08.2017
THE UNFORGIVING COAST — MARITIME DISASTERS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

As the twenty-first century dawns, the undiminished public fascination with the sinking of the Titanic, an event that took place only a dozen years into the twentieth century, is a clear indication of the inherent interest that disasters at sea hold for most people. This is particularly true for younger generations who are unlikely to make ocean voyages, except on cruise ships, in their lifetime, nor to encounter the potential perils of the sea.

For these people the vicarious, or in today's terminology the virtual, voyages they make aboard the Titanic may be their only taste of the sea. Adding to the sustained interest in maritime disasters today is the existence of technology capable of examining ships on the ocean floor, a potential which has been provided by advances in deep diving and in self-contained and robotic submersibles. The possibility of even raising sunken wrecks not only exists, but, fortunately, has already spawned its own concern for ethical guidelines...

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12.08.2017
THE TURNING POINTS IN THE PACIFIC — THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY AND THE GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN

Japan's Pacific War against the United States was a massive gamble from the outset. When her seemingly endless struggle for the dominance of China had turned into an attritional slugging match. Japan had found it difficult to secure the raw materials she needed in order to continue, particularly rubber and oil. Lacking domestic supply, it might have been reasonable for Japan to plan on the basis of imports from other countries in Asia, but such supplies were largely controlled by Western democracies opposed to her expansion.

Britain ruled Malaya, where most of the rubber might be sourced; while a Free Dutch administration still controlled Indonesia, despite Holland having been overrun by Japan's German allies in 1940. Indonesia had oil and rubber, but exports to Japan had been suspended by the colonial government. The alternative choice for oil was the USA herself, but she too opposed Japan's brutal imperial expansion, banning oil exports in 1941.

As a result. Japan therefore reasoned that it should seize a "Southern Resource Area" to address this problem. Once Malaya. Indonesia and other Allied holdings in Eastern Asia were secured. Japan would be able to prosecute and complete the war in China. Once that was done. Japan would be able to exploit Chinese economic potential fully, which was the main strategic goal...

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12.08.2017
THE TROLLER YACHT BOOK

Here is the twenty-first century update of the world popular book written by the professional yacht designer to serve as a sort of guide to the safe and efficient offshore cruising yachts. It has been loaded with detailed technical information covering the design theory, construction and outfitting of the yachts. This book will be very useful to all people who are in the boat design and construction.

The publication has gained the popularity because of the author's approach to the important questions - he is actually looking at them at a slightly different angle, That is why the book is treated as a really great read for all boat and yacht designers and constructors. The style of writing used by the author has made this book very easy and interesting to read.

The way he explains the various design features of yachts and boats enables the readers to better understand the theoretical principles that are usually considered quite difficult. In his book, the author has covered the hull shapes, machinery, propulsion arrangements, sails, decks and actually all aspects one needs to be aware of in order to understand all design matters. Very informative and opinionated publication and a must-have for every boater due to a wealth of information provided.

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12.08.2017
THE SINKING SEQUENCE OF M.V. COSTA CONCORDIA

The vessel dealt with in this TUHH publication, Coats Concordia, sank five years ago off the Giglio island located in the Mediterranean Sea; the night before sinking the ship had hit the underwater rock during a high-speed turn. This had resulted in the powerless drift of the vessel to the Giglio harbor where she grounded again and that was the moment where the evacuation procedures commenced.

The list of the vessel gradually increased and finally Costa Concordia capsized. That was a real tragedy - thirty-two people lost their lives. Such accident shall never happen again, and the intention of the present volume is to restore in detail the sequence of the events and this is simulated using the PFS, standing for the progressive flooding simulation. The ultimate aim of the authors is to find out the real sequence of sinking and determine the influence of the various factors such as the opening/closing watertight doors, second contact with the ground in the harbor, wind and other aspects...

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12.08.2017
THE SHIP THAT WOULDN'T DIE — THE SAGA OF THE USS NEOSHO — A WORLD WAR II STORY OF COURAGE AND SURVIVAL AT SEA

Arthur Morey and Don Keith, the authors of the present publication, are the world recognized experts in the field of naval history. Most of the books dedicated to the Coral Sea Battle, are treating the Neosho attack as a footnote, while in this one a completely different angle has been taken sticking with Sims and Neosho ships, together with their crew members as they participated in the battles against Japanese armed forces.

The story told on the pages of this volume is full of heroic endurance as well as human failings. The author does not try to airbrush the actually inglorious facts. Instead, he makes his best to balance all associated elements in order to build a satisfying narrative text with the human interest and magnetic appeal. As a consequence, combined efforts of the authors have resulted in the best-selling title which has already been found to be one of the most successful volumes on naval history. The publication offers its readers a riveting portrayal of the people serving on board the Neosho naval ship and their courageous actions under the conditions of the extreme duress.

Note, however, that it is much more than just another saga dedicated to this vessel as the authors also go into a huge amount of various details related to the several aspects of the Battle of the Coral Sea, addressing how exactly these events were relating to the Neosho and people on board.

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12.08.2017
THE SHIP — LONG SHIPS AND ROUND SHIPS

The present publication was released to shows the readers the process of the development of both the merchant vessels and specialized ships of war, starting from the earliest times and up to the present day. The content was worked out by the National Maritime Museum and Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

The book is self-contained and incorporates the latest available information and the latest thinking on the subject, but they are readily intelligible to the non-specialist, professional historian or layman. Above all, as should be expected from the only large and comprehensive general historical museum in the world which deals especially with the impact of the sea on the development of human culture and civilization, the approach is unromantic and realistic.

Merchant ships were and are machines for carrying cargo profitably. They carried the trade and, in the words of the very distinguished author of this second book, the creation of wealth through trade is at the root of political and military power'. The vessel of war, the maritime vehicle of that power, follows and she is a machine for men to fight from, or with.

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12.08.2017
THE SEA STORY — MEGAPACK — 30 CLASSIC NAUTICAL WORKS

This excellent collection of the classic sea stories is consisting of thirty most fascinating nautical works that have been written by the world-famous writers including such the great authors as Robert Louis Stevenson, Victor Hugo, Charles Wesley Sanders, Morgan Robertson and Jack London, H. Lovercraft, Frank Norris, H. Tomlinson, Norman Duncan and others.

The titles presented in the pack include, for example, "The sea fogs" and "The brain of the battle ship", "The striped chest" and "The cruise of the Shining Light", "The trade-winds" and "Salvage", "The ship that saw a ghost", "Between the millstones", "Primordial", "The Striped Chest" and so many others. A truly excellent collection of marine novels for easy reading. Over past years, the Megapack series has been already found to be very popular among all sea lovers.

Thirty works that have been selected for inclusion into this pack are all very interesting and that was the reason of their great popularity among the readers everywhere in the world. We would of course highly recommend this set of books as the nice reading for virtually all categories of marine enthusiasts and all people with the interest in sea adventures. Have a look an you will definitely like all of the novels contained in the pack.

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