N. E. Upham £3.50

978 0 7478 0508 3 (Album 110) 32 pp, 43 ills. 

This book tells the fascinating story of how anchors evolved from their primitive origins to the special designs required for huge modern bulk carriers of half a million tons dead weight.

N. E. Upham served in cargo liners and cargo passenger liners until he joined the staff of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. He was Deputy Head of the Ships Department until his retirement.

Ancient Boats and Ships
New colour edition - now available

Seán McGrail £5.99

978 0 7478 0645 5 (Shire Archaeology 31) 72 pp, 21 colour and 33 b/w ills.

After an introduction to the topic of maritime archaeology and an account of the way maritime archaeologists work, Seán McGrail describes the building and use of rafts, boats and ships in north-west Europe up to about 1500. The evidence for early sea voyages and for navigation without instruments is surveyed and there follows a summary of present knowledge about early water transport in the Mediterranean, Arabia, India, south-east Asia, China, Australia, the south Pacific and the Americas. There is a glossary of technical terms, a list of places to visit and guidance on further reading. This volume is a revised and expanded version of Ancient Boats, first published in the Shire Archaeology series in 1983.

Seán McGrail served in the Royal Navy from 1946 to 1968, the last sixteen years as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, and qualified as a Master Mariner. Since 1993 he has been Visiting Professor at the Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University of Southampton.

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER ARCHAEOLOGY TITLES

Egyptian Boats and Ships

Steve Vinson £4.99

978 0 7478 0222 8 (Shire Egyptology 20) 56 pp, 36 ills.

This comprehensive survey of Egyptian nautical archaeology and history from the Predynastic period to the end of the Ptolemaic period is based on the latest findings in nautical archaeology and research. In particular, the book takes advantage of the study of possible or certain Early Dynastic boat remains from Tarkhan and Abydos, the discovery of large Middle Kingdom ship timbers from Lisht and the find of a Persian-period boat near Heliopolis. Beginning with an examination of the physical environment of the Nile Valley, which has important implications for the development of nautical technology in Egypt, the author surveys the principal chronological divisions of Egyptian history, concentrating as much as possible on the actual remains of boats but also using artistic representations and historical sources. A final chapter surveys the place of boats in Egyptian religious beliefs and practices.

Steve Vinson is Assistant Professor of Ancient History at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He earned a master's degree in nautical archaeology at Texas A&M University in 1987.

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER EGYPTOLOGY TITLES

The English Seaside in Victorian and Edwardian Times

John Hannavy £9.99

978 0 7478 0571 7 (HIC 14) 128 pp, 194 colour ills.

Photography and the seaside holiday developed together. As holidays became increasingly popular, the number of photographs offered for sale as mementoes of the magical week by the coast grew enormously. When ingenious methods of colouring photographs became available in the 1890s, the coloured holiday photographic print, and later the picture postcard, defined the seaside memory. Through a wonderful collection of coloured photographs covering all the major – and several minor – resorts around England’s coast, this unique book celebrates the heyday of the seaside holiday.

John Hannavy, Professor in Art and Design at Bolton Institute, is a well-known photographer, and a writer and broadcaster on the history of photography. Other titles for Shire by this author are:

Lighthouses

Lynn F. Pearson £4.99

978 0 7478 0556 4 (Album 312) 48 pp, 104 colour and 5 b/w ills. 

The story of the lighthouse is as fascinating and diverse as the design of the buildings themselves. This book relates the story of their construction, often in desperately dangerous and stormy conditions, looks at the lives of their keepers and considers how automation has changed the modern lighthouse. A gazetteer gives brief details of over 180 lights around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland.

Lynn Pearson is an architectural historian and photographer specialising in unheralded structures, from seaside architecture to multi-storey car parks and mausoleums. Other titles for Shire by this author are:

Sailing Barges

Martin Hazell £3.50

978 0 7478 0492 5 (Album 13) 32 pp, 50 ills. 

In 1900 the majority of British shipping was still under sail. This book is intended as a general introduction to sailing barges – it tells a little of their history, shows the main parts of the modern sailing barge and summarises the activities of the barges and those who sail them today. The south-east coast of England is the barge’s traditional home and mention is made of the barge centres and races. A number of quite rare historical pictures are included.

Martin Hazell first became interested in sailing barges whilst still at school. He now lives in south-west England and is on the committee of the South West Maritime History Society.

M. K. Stammers £4.99

978 0 85263 642 8 (History in Camera 4) 88 pp, 104 ills.

This is a photographic survey of the ships, seamen and ports of the west coast of England and Wales from the mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century. This period saw the most far-reaching changes in the history of seafaring and ships, and these photographs reflect many of the changes. Many different vessels are featured, including estuary sailing barges like the Mersey flats, schooners, fishing boats, steam coasters, tugs and all kinds of service vessels, together with the deep-sea vessels they served. Many different ports are illustrated. Most of the photographs have not been published before.

M. K. Stammers is Keeper of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, and is responsible for one of the largest collections of ships models, pictures and maritime artefacts outside the National Maritime Museum. Other titles for Shire by this author are: