Derek Law's Bibliography

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ID Description Categories
4955

CABELL, Craig. Ian Fleming’s Secret War. xxv, 182p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2008. ISBN: 9781844157730.

A somewhat disjointed and in places sparse biography, which gives a good picture of Fleming’s role in naval intelligence. Reprinted in paperback in 2016 by the same publisher, ISBN: 9781473853492.

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4956

GLYN-JONES, Anne. Morse Code Wrens of Station X: Bletchley’s Outer Circle. xiv, 163p., illus. Exeter: Amphora Press, 2017. ISBN: 9781845409098.

A very personal and readable account of the realities of daily life at Bletchley Park for those working at the coal face.

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4957

HOBSON, Lucia. Land Girl to Leading Wren: A Second World War Coming of Age, edited by Kate Hobson. 128p. [kindle], Hobson Books, 2015. ISBN: 0957530803.

Starting as a 14-year old Land Girl in Yorkshire, she joined the WRNS in 1943 and served for four years first on boats and then as a car and lorry driver. Edited by her daughter.

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4958

ROBERTS, Hannah. The WRNS in Wartime 1917-1945. x, 276p., bibliog., illus., index. London: I.B. Tauris, 2018. ISBN: 9781788310017.

Created in 1917, the WRNS was re-formed in 1938. Using twenty-one new oral histories and a host of archival personal records, the author describes the huge role of Wrens in both world wars.

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4959

KONSTAM, Angus. Tirpitz in Norway: X-craft Midget Submarines Raid the Fjords, Operation Source 1943 (Raid 51). 80p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford: Osprey, 2019. ISBN: 9781472835857.

 A routine retelling of this heroic raid.

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4960

HILLIER-GRAVES, Tim. Heaven High, Ocean Deep: Naval Fighter Wing at War. xii, 212p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford: Casemate, 2019. ISBN: 9781612007557.

From April 1944 to August 1945 the 5th Fighter Wing based on Indomitable fought many long, intensive battles in the Pacific. Based on personal memories, logbooks and a wide range of sources, this is a good account of and by those who fought.

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4961

HENSHAW, John. Town Class Destroyers: A Critical Assessment. 96p., bibliog., illus., index. Ramsbury: Crowood, 2018. ISBN: 9781785004018.

Well-illustrated with photographs and plans, the author takes a fairly negative view of their value.

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4962

BROWN, Les. Black Swan Class Sloops: Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans. 128p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2020. ISBN: 9781526765963.

Based on copies of the builder’s plans held in the Imperial War Museum, this beautifully illustrated book shows the plans for one of the best escort ship designs. The design was gradually improved and this book uses plans of four selected ships to chart that development. These comprise: Black Swan as built; Flamingo as modified later; Starling, the single most successful U-boat hunter of the war, as in 1943; and Amethyst, as refitted after her clash with Chinese communists on the Yangtze in 1949.

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4963

FRIEDMAN, Norman. British Submarines in Two World Wars. 432p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth; Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781526738165.

Another excellent study from this major author. There are two introductory chapters on RN submarine organization and the basics of propulsion and hull structure, but the focus is on submarine design and development. Profusely illustrated with excellent plans and drawings, there is also a large number of appendices on everything from wireless telegraphy to midget submarines. 

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4964

WATERMAN, J. The Fleet Air Arm History. 104p., illus. London: Old Bond Street Publishing, 1970.

A booklet produced to celebrate sixty years of naval aviation, this is a straightforward brief account, with good coverage of WW2.

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4965

ROUSSEL, Mike. Pacific Avengers: The Story of a Fleet Air Arm Pilot's Training and Service with 857 Squadron in the British Pacific Fleet. xiv, 229p., bibliog., illus. Southampton: Little Knoll Press, 2015. ISBN: 9780992722074.

The story of Sub Lt (A) Geoffrey Wright and his service during the final phase of the Pacific War.

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4966

FRIEDMAN, Norman (ed). British Naval Weapons of World War II. The John Lambert Collection edited with an introduction by Norman Friedman. 3 vols., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2019-20.

John Lambert died in 2016. He was a renowned draughtsman who specialised in smaller naval vessels and left some 850 sheets of drawings and plans, covering everything from turret guns to underwater weapons. These have now been published with excellent photographs added, edited with an introduction by an acknowledged expert in Norman Friedman. Volume I covers destroyer weapons (ISBN: 9781526747679); Volume II covers escort and minesweeper weapons (ISBN: 9781526750471); Volume III covers coastal forces weapons (ISBN: 9781526777102).

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4967

HOBBS, David. Aircraft Carrier Victorious: Detailed in the Original Builders’ Plans. 160p., bibliog., illus. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2018. ISBN: 9781526737342.

Using the original plans as the centrepiece of this book, an acknowledged expert gives a full description of the design and construction and service of the famous aircraft carrier as well as her post-war reconstruction and service. Profusely illustrated.

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4969

BROWN, Robert. Battleship Warspite: Detailed in the Original Builders’ Plans. 144p., bibliog., illus. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2017. ISBN: 9781526719379.

Another in the series based on the original drawings preserved in the National Mari-time Museum. Covers her entire technical history from 1912 to 1947 with full details of repairs, additions and reconstruction.

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4970

RAVEN, Alan. British Cruiser Warfare: The Lessons of the Early War, 1939-1941. 320p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2019. ISBN: 9781526747631.

A comprehensive chronological account is followed by chapters on lessons learned on everything from surface gunnery to damage control and technological developments.

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4971

WATERS, Conrad. British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development and Performance Southampton & Belfast Classes. 288p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth: Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781526718853.

The ten Town class cruisers were built between 1937 and 1939 and were the largest six-inch gun cruisers built for the RN. Four were lost in action. This is a quite excellent and well-illustrated account of their design, construction, active service, repairs and modifications right through to 1971 when Belfast became a museum ship.

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4972

WATERS, Conrad. Cruiser Birmingham: Detailed in the Original Builders’ Plans. 144p., illus. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2018. ISBN: 9781526724977.

Another in the series based on the original drawings preserved in the National Maritime Museum. Unusually, three separate sets of plans survive: as completed in 1937, as refitted in 1943, and as modernised in 1952 which allows this novel form of anatomy to cover the whole of the ship’s long career.

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4973

HENSHAW, John. V & W Class Destroyers: A Developmental History. 160p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2020. ISBN: 9781526774828.

A comprehensive and profusely illustrated guide to these workhorse destroyers and their various modifications.

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4974

ROBERTS, Charles C. The Boat That Won The War: An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP. 128p., bibliog., illus. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2017. ISBN: 9781526706911.

Literally thousands of these American designed landing craft were built, including those serving with the RN. A good detailed account of their development, construction and deployment.

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4975

ARMSTRONG, Craig. Edinburgh at War 1939-45. 216p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2018. ISBN: 9781473879638.

From air attacks on the River Forth to Royal visits, this book paints a strong picture of the Home Front in central Scotland.

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