Product Description

The life, legend and rediscovery of a British naval icon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #189158 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Synopsis
In June 1941, the Ark Royal won one of Britain's most famous naval victories. The German destroyer, Bismarck, had been ravaging the British fleet in the Atlantic. Sailing through a ferocious storm the Ark Royal tracked the Bismarck. A dozen swordfish bombers took off from her deck and pounded shell after shell into the German battleship, sending her to the ocean floor. It was a signal victory that resonated around the world. Hitler, furious at the loss of the German fleet's flagship, demanded that the Ark Royal be destroyed at whatever cost. HMS Ark Royal is one of the Royal Navy's most iconic ships. When she was launched in 1938 she was one of the most sophisticated weapons at the disposal of British military command. The aircraft carrier was the latest, and soon to be one of the most feared, developments in naval warfare. In her first two years of operation the Ark Royal survived countless attacks, and was considered one of the luckiest ships in the Navy. But her air of invincibility was to prove wishful thinking. Within one month of sinking the Bismarck, the Ark Royal too was destroyed while sailing off the coast of Gibraltar.

And there she has rested, one kilometre below the surface of the Mediterranean, until her wreck was discovered by Mike Rossiter in 2004. In gripping detail, and using the testimony of survivors of the sinking and men who lived, flew and fought on the Ark Royal, Mike Rossiter tells the remarkable story of the life and legend of this most iconic of ships. Also, and for the first time, he reveals the story of the quest to discover the wreck of this naval legend.

From the Inside Flap
HMS Ark Royal is one of the Royal Navy’s most iconic ships. When she was launched in 1938 she was one of the most sophisticated weapons at the disposal of the British Admiralty. The aircraft carrier was the latest, and soon to be one of the most feared, developments in naval warfare. In her first two years of operation the Ark Royal survived countless attacks, and was considered one of the luckiest ships in the Navy.

In June 1941 the Ark Royal won one of Britain’s most famous naval victories. The German battleship Bismarck had ravaged the British fleet in the Atlantic. Sailing through a ferocious storm, the Ark Royal intercepted the Bismarck. A dozen swordfish torpedo-bombers took off from her deck and, facing a barrage of shell fire, launched torpedo after torpedo at the giant ship, which was crippled and sank the next day. It was a signal victory that resonated around the world. When the Ark Royal returned to the Mediterranean, where her aircraft continued to defy the Luftwaffe, Hitler was determined to sink her.

Within weeks, the Ark Royal was destroyed while sailing off the coast of Gibraltar, torpedoed by a German U-boat. There she has rested, one kilometre below the surface of the Mediterranean, until her wreck was discovered by Mike Rossiter in 2004.

In gripping detail, and using the testimony of survivors of the sinking and men who lived, flew and fought on the Ark Royal, Mike Rossiter tells the remarkable life and legend of this most famous of ships. He also reveals for the first time the true story of the quest to discover the wreck of this naval legend.

From the Back Cover
HMS Ark Royal is one of the Royal Navy’s most iconic ships. When she was launched in 1938 she was one of the most sophisticated weapons at the disposal of the British Admiralty. The aircraft carrier was the latest, and soon to be one of the most feared, developments in naval warfare. In her first two years of operation the Ark Royal survived countless attacks, and was considered one of the luckiest ships in the Navy.

In June 1941 the Ark Royal won one of Britain’s most famous naval victories, sinking the German battleship, the Bismarck, after she had ravaged the British fleet in the Atlantic. It was a signal victory that resonated around the world. When the Ark Royal returned to the Mediterranean, where her aircraft continued to defy the Luftwaffe, Hitler was determined to sink her.

Within weeks, the Ark Royal was destroyed while sailing off the coast of Gibraltar, torpedoed by a German U-boat. There she rested, one kilometre below the surface of the Mediterranean, until her wreck was discovered by Mike Rossiter in 2004.

In gripping detail, and using the testimony of survivors of the sinking and men who lived, flew and fought on the Ark Royal, Mike Rossiter tells the remarkable life and legend of this most famous of ships.

Customer Reviews

Ark Royal
"Ark Royal": Sailing into Glory
This book is a fascinating glimpse into the history of a very famous Royal Navy ship. However it is marred by some rather annoying mistakes which crop up with monotonous regularity. If the reader knows nothing about maritime history especially about the Royal Navy and its' adversaries it would pass as a good read both historically and also for the frustrations that producers and makers of documentaries face in gaining finance and approval for the production of television programmes. Some of the mistakes which tend to grate are the classification of various ships and aircraft. HMS Hood was a battlecruiser not a battleship likewise HMS Renown was also a battlecruiser. HMS Berwick gets several honourable mentions as a battleship in reality she was a County Class heavy cruiser the same applies to the German Heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen it to was identified as a battleship. A couple of destroyers are wrongly identified as cruisers and HMS Rodney was described as a battlecruiser a relic from the first world war. If we ignore these errors the book is an enjoyable read and worth adding to the collection.

A fascinating insight into a historic Royal Naval warship
I was given this book as a birthday present which was ideal given my interest in Naval history. I've grown up only really knowing the present HMS Ark Royal so I was particularly keen to read about one of the historic predecessor namesakes that played a major part in WW2.

The book is split into two main themes the ship's historic life and the author's quest to find the wreck over 60 years later. The author takes the reader through "the Ark's" life from construction, her wartime service and eventual loss including interesting information provided by veterans who served aboard. Interspersed within the book are photos taken throughout HMS Ark Royal's life including images from the wreck showing her present condition.

All in all, I found this a fascinating book that gave me a much better understanding of the role HMS Ark Royal played during the Second World War; and the incredible bravery of all who served. Very much recommended for Naval historians or individuals interested in learning more about some of the key RN Naval battles of WW2.

Adam Harcourt-Webster
This is a must read for anyone interested in Second World War naval history. Not only is this a fascinating tale of underwater search and discovery, but it's also a moving account too of the men who served aboard this iconic ship.

The origins and unique design of the Ark Royal is well explained and from this it's possible to understand why she was a technological masterpiece of her time, and why she ended up operating in the crack naval task group Force H. The story of Britain's failure to appreciate the importance and potential of the aircraft carrier in the inter-war years, despite pioneering naval aviation in the First World War, is well covered, and should perhaps provide some important background for current policy makers.

I think the greatest achievement of this book is to help us all to understand something of why it is everybody knows the name Ark Royal, when the names of so many other British warships have been long forgotten. The author explains that the Ark's exploits were followed closely in the newspapers, she became known as the "Daily Mirror' ship, and a film was made on board, which despite being regarded as pretty awful by the crew, was released in Britain after she was sunk. Why? Because she was a winning ship. In the dark days of 1940 and 1941, the Ark symbolized hope for a nation that had got used only to bad news.