In the original dust jacket. Black cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

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At the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries, with the British Empire encompassing the globe, the Royal Navy indisputably ruled the waves. Times change but the magnificence and drama of warships at sea, whether in peace or war, remain an inspiration to artists. This fine book brings together a collection of superb art works which bear witness to the majesty of these mighty ships in action and, at the same time, are a memorial to the dangers, heroism and victories at sea. The reader is treated to a feast of the finest maritime paintings depicting the Royal Navy’s dramatic confrontations of the last 120 years. Masters such as Norman Wilkinson, Richard Eurich and William Wyllie cover the two World Wars. Other works illustrate the crucial role of the Navy in the Falklands War and the latest aircraft carriers are also represented. The author draws on his own naval service experience to describe the background to, and significance of, the ships and conflicts that these paintings so vividly record.

Reviews:

• • “…it would be difficult to find a better artistic collection on the Royal Navy during one of the most critical periods in its history.”– “National Maritime Historical Society”

• “These dramatic and evocative depictions have been superbly chosen and attractively reproduced.”-– “The Northern Mariner”

• “The text explains the paintings and puts the subject within the context of the battle or campaign. Naval art is wonderful in itself, but the explanations and anecdotes offer details that a painting on the wall of a museum can’t fully bring to light.”– “Historical Miniatures Gaming Society”

About the Author: John Fairley is the author of Fighting in the Sky, Horses of the Great War, Armistice and Aftermath, Heartbeat and Beyond, all published by Pen and Sword Books. He has also written The Art of the Horse and is joint author of The Monocled Mutineer, about a First World War mutiny, which became a celebrated BBC television series. A noted television producer , he was Managing Director of Yorkshire Television. Born in Liverpool, he served in the Mediterranean as an RNVR officer aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Albion. A scholar of The Queen’s College, Oxford, he is married with three daughters and lives in North Yorkshire.