When Thomas discovers a strange stone covered with symbols and runes near Hadrian’s Wall, he finds himself drawn into the mystery of a secret, ancient organization known as the Stewards. Consulting his fellow academics, the archaeologist is determined to learn more about this elite group and their apparent connection to extraterrestrial visits to Earth over the course of human evolution.The protagonist slowly unravels a hidden story of Alien influence, from early agricultural devel...

This fully illustrated study details Germany and Italy's failed development of World War II aircraft carriers, and the naval aviation ships that the two Axis powers sent into action in their place.The quest for a modern aircraft carrier was the ultimate symbol of the Axis powers' challenge to Allied naval might, but fully-fledged carriers proved either too difficult, expensive or politically unpopular for either to make operational. After the Anglo-German Naval Agr...

The rival battlecruisers first clashed in January 1915 at Dogger Bank in the North Sea and although the battle was a British tactical victory with neither side losing any of its battlecruisers, the differences in the designs of the British and German ships were already apparent.The two sides responded very differently to this first clash; while the Germans improved their ammunition-handling procedures to lessen the risk of disabling explosions, the British drew the...

We all have our ups and downs. Life comes charging at us full force, knocks us down, and then what? We search for inspiration, motivation, maybe even faith. All three can be found within the pages of A Glimpse of Life. Filled with inspirational verses and stories, this book will soon become your "go-to" in those times when you seem to lose your way along the journey called Life. So, find a nice quiet place and begin to feel better. That is the goal of this book.

With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence.Yet ten of the 12 battleships were already over 20 years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict. Angus Konstam offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to th...

In the early 20th century Britain's largest colonies established their own small naval presence, and their ships fought alongside the Royal Navy during World War I.These fleets were expanded during the inter-war years, and in 1939 the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy willingly joined the fight on behalf of the British Commonwealth. For the most part these small navies consisted of a few cruisers and destroyers, designed ...

Designed with little more than a passing nod to the international naval treaties of the inter-war period, the Imperial Japanese Navy's heavy cruisers were fast and heavily armed.Like the other vessels of the Japanese Navy, the heavy cruisers were technologically superior to and far more innovative than their Allied rivals, whom they met in many of the major Pacific Theatre battles, including Midway and Leyte Gulf.Mark Stille continues his study of the IJN o...

The most critical naval fighting during the War of 1812 took place, not on the high seas, but on the inland lakes of North America: the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.Carrying between 12 and 22 cannon, the British and American sloops-of-war were ship-rigged, brig-rigged or schooner-rigged vessels. Lakes actions often involved two ships facing each other broadside to broadside, the best example of which was the battle of Lake Erie in 1813 where HMS Detroit ...

A highly illustrated account of the hunt for the Bismarck.The break of the German battleship Bismarck into the North Atlantic in May 1941 was one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II. It began with a battle between the Bismarck and the British battleship Prince of Wales and the heavy cruiser Hood. The Hood was blown to pieces, while the battered Prince of Wales managed to escape. The British th...

In the build-up to World War II both the United States and Japan believed their battleships would play a central role in battle, but after the Pacific War began in December 1941, the role of the battleship proved to be much more limited than either side expected.There would be only two battleship vs battleship actions in the Pacific in World War II, both of which are assessed in this engaging study. At Guadalcanal in 1942, Kirishima faced two modern US bat...

A detailed, illustrated look at the earliest seven classes of destroyer fielded by the Imperial Japanese Navy of World War II.Several classes of Japanese destroyer were built before the war. This includes the famous Fubuki class (called “Special Type” by the Japanese, which were, when completed in the late 1920's, the most powerful class of destroyers in the world). This design forced all other major navies to follow suite and provided the basic design for the next...

This book examines the major warships of the Imperial Russian Navy which participated in the Russo-Japanese War. The focus is on the battleships, coastal defence warships, and cruisers of the Pacific Squadron and Baltic Squadron that fought during the war.It discusses in detail their design and development between the years of 1885 and 1905, concentrating particularly on battleships and cruisers. The book explores, in depth, the mutually influential relationship be...