Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14445 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-16
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Authentic recent naval history
At first sight this may be thought to be a very well illustrated coffee table book as it has a brilliant cover and many magnificent photographs of ships and aircraft. But it is very much more than that. As well as serving in many ships John Roberts held many important appointments within the Ministry of Defence supporting many Admirals and including that of being the Secretary of the Defence Operations Staff during the Falklands War. (His book contains a detailed factual but exciting and well illustrated account of that war). He has had unrivalled access to naval reports and records and enjoyed the full support of the RN Museum. His lucid style is easy to read and the book contains such a wealth of detail of all the activities and operations of the Royal Navy and the leaders who controlled it, that it will become the essential reference book on this period of naval history for future years and generations of historians. Every naval officer and all who are interested in maritime matters should have a copy.

50 years of Royal Navy operations 1958-2008
Drawn mainly from official naval archives this is an authentic and comprehensive account of the Royal Navy's operations over the past 50 years. Of interest also to researchers & students of naval affairs, the main text is illustrated by many photographs, some official & some never published before, and enlivened by detailed explanations of several aspects of naval life and operations. It reveals how the Royal Navy, always short of funding, continually adapted with ingenuity and typical "can do" spirit to radical social and technological changes whilst "safeguarding the nation" and its vital maritime trade - on which this island nation depends for its survival - from a wide range of threats. These operations, many of them conducted unseen "over the horizon", therefore to this day remain unknown to and unappreciated by public & politicians alike. This book sets that record straight in authentic detail.
Captain John Roberts served for many years on several naval HQ staffs before becoming Chief Executive of the White Ensign Association, from which he recently retired. The WEA, sponsor of this book, is a registered charity which supports the whole Royal Navy community in financial and re-employment matters.