As can be seen from this photograph ...
... I have been buying WARSHIP ever since it was first published nearly fifty years ago!
For the first twelve years, it was published as a quarterly in softback format but then moved over to being produced as a hardback annual. Luckily, I was able to buy bound copies of the first twelve year's issues, so I now have a shelf and a third full of these invaluable reference books.
I am guess that several sure sighted blog readers will also have noticed that I have well-thumbed copies of the reprints of JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS for 1898, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1919, 1924, and 1931 as well as a reprint of JANE'S ALL THE WORLD'S AIRCRAFT for 1913. There are also several other books by Fred Jane (THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN NAVY, THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY, and THE BRITISH BATTLE-FLEET) as well as a copy of his biography.
These books represent about a third of my naval book collection ... which probably gives you some idea about how strong my interest in the subject is!
Far out, Bob -
ReplyDeleteThat is a considerable library, if that pic is of a mere third of your inventory of books! That certainly bespeaks a major interest! I think I can count seven books on naval matters in my own library! One of those is a certain volume on Portable Naval games... Of course I am not counting my Hornblower or Jack Aubrey books...
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteIf you’re interested, I’ll try to photograph the rest of the collection at some point.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
DeleteIt would certainly be revelatory - just what books are out there? But it is unlikely (at least for now) that I'll be adding to my small 'collection'.
Thinking about writing on naval matters, probably one of the earliest and most exciting was an article I found in a 'Girls' Annual'. My mother had a few of these from her teenage years in the 1940s. Mostly stories of the adventures of Pippa of the Lower Fourth, or how Rita Grey made good on the hockey pitch, or the come-uppance of Dierdre MacPhedre of the Upper Fifth. All about as memorable as they sound. But there was this article about piracy in the Mediterranean during I think the 15th and/or 16th centuries. 'The Corsairs' was the piece, an article about the times, and an exciting, blood-soaked, sword clashing narrative it was, full of pirate galleys full of men storming pilgrim or treasure ships. Just the sort of thing one should expect of a teenage girls' Annual...
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI never understood why girl’s books seemed to be so obsessed with life and relationships in single-sex schools. I don’t remember the equivalent boy’s books covering that sort of topic.
An article about piracy (and - I suspect - slaving) in the Mediterranean must have been a real change of direction for such a book … but it must have been interesting if you still remember it.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteWow! I reckon my entire naval collection would not take up much more than the space that a third of yours has! It would be good to see the rest of it in due course but what is more impressive is that yours appears to be relatively focussed - especially compared to mine! I have books on matters naval related from the Ancient Greeks to Tom Clancy style ‘Cold War turned hot’ 1980s stuff so it is probably more diluted than yours.
All the best,
DC
PS I expect you have a fair number of the Ian Allan titles as well!
David Crook,
DeleteI have been collecting naval books for a very long time, and was lucky enough to buy lots of discounted reprints and second hand copies from various bookshops … especially the one at Falconwood.
I hope to feature some more photographs of my naval books in the near future.
All the best,
Bob
Nice collection. I have only one Jane's Warship as I got it from one of the ships my dad was working while a visit there. Only 'modern'ships fro all nations. Today they would be classified as 'Cold War'.
ReplyDeleteRoger,
DeleteThere’s nothing to compare with a copy of Jane’s Fighting Ships, regardless of its era. I’ve often looked longingly at old copies in a local specialist second-hand bookshop.
All the best,
Bob
Wow, respect!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteWait till you see the rest of the collection! I’ll be uploading a blog post about it in the near future.
All the best,
Bob