Ahoy there Paper Captain takes the reader through a century of nautical history with facts, figures, and stunning illustrations, then lets every fantasy sailor cut out and build twenty beautiful die-cut paper models--designed to float Devised by the author and designer of Paper Pilot, Paper Captain is a beautifully illustrated voyage into the world of model boats, from speed boats and tugs to luxury liners and naval catamarans, bringing together stunning archival photographs and colorful technical drawings with expertly designed di... read more

Lighting The Coast is the first comprehensive history of New ZealandÃÂÂÃÃÃ... read more

THIS BOOK tells the story of the trans-Tasman shipping service from the days of the earliest steam ship service to the liner Wanganella’s last voyage to New Zealand in 1963. The only Australian company to maintain a service across the Tasman Sea was Huddart Parker, who survived numerous attempts by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand to drive them off the route in the early days. Eventually the two agreed to share the route in several co-operative agreements. Towards the end of 1892, James Huddart, ... read more

This beautifully presented book describes the 140 New Zealand scows from the aspect of an essential part of the early, and definitive, mercantile development of New Zealand. It covers the contribution that they made to all aspects of the growth of the nation, its industry and society. The book is the result of 15 years dedicated research and a lifetime of enthusiasm by the author, David Langdon. It contains personal and family recollections, and many anecdotes recorded from scow sailors – capturing and recording ... read more

For many years the transport of goods between New Zealand towns was done by ships which would voyage from one port to another. Gradually as roads improved this trade died. The introduction of the inter-island roll-on roll-off ferries in 1962 finally killed most coastal trade. Many small ports simply ceased to operate and with them went a whole era of New Zealand social and maritime history. This book presents the stories of some of those who worked on ships and the history of the port of Raglan is presented as an illustrative ex... read more

An illustrated encyclopaedia of historic ship types from 1300 BC to AD 1900. The quick-reference layout guides the reader to the author's own illustration of each ship type, with a text briefly describing the name, type, rough date and purpose of each craft.

384 pages, 200 illustrations The seventeenth century saw the transformation of Britain from a minor state on the fringes of Europe into a global economic power, whose interests were protected and promoted by the largest navy in the world. The character of this navy was forged by a bloody civil war, three fiercely disputed conflicts with the Dutch, and the first of many wars with the French. In the process the ships themselves were transformed from the surviving galleons that had defeated the Spanish Armada, through huge prestige v... read more

DoP November 2009, Wellington 275x210mm /240pp Hardcover The cargo and passenger vessels recorded in this book have provided regular and scheduled services across Cook Strait since the late 19th century, establishing and maintaining the vital link between Wellington and the South Island ports of Lyttelton, Picton and Nelson. Many will forever be a part of our nation's history. Most are forgotten in time. Described are the ships that, year after year, in war and peace, carried our commerce and families between north and south.... read more

Man lives on land, but the seas of the world are crucial to his lot. Focusing on navies as instruments of power and analysing what they indicate about the nature of state systems and cultures all over the world, Black provides an overview of the most significant debates within the field. Organised into key historical periods and accessibly framed, this wide-ranging account emphasises the links between past and present throughout the history of naval power.

256 pages, 125 photos There are few books that describe accurately life on board sailing ships in the last days of sail, from the 1860s to the First World War; the romantic image conjured up by many who wrote from a safe distance belies the harsh realities which were a sailorman's lot. Domville-Fife, in collecting together the personal stories of seamen while they were still alive, was able to present a truer picture of the tough last days of sail. Long voyages on board nineteenth-century sailing ships were marked by isolation... read more

J.M.W. Turner's The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her Last Berth to be Broken Up (1838) was his masterpiece. Sam Willis tells the real-life story behind this remarkable painting. The 98-gun Temeraire warship broke through the French and Spanish line directly astern of Nelson's flagship Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), saving Nelson at a crucial moment in the battle, and, in the words of John Ruskin, fought until her sides ran wet with the long runlets of English blood...those pale masts that stayed themselves up again... read more

Over a period of about forty years, world shipping has undergone huge changes. Up to the early 1960s it was dominated by vessels of well-established companies usually following regular routes at predictable intervals. The sixties, however, marked the start of the container 'revolution' and, with it, the redundancy of fleets of relatively modern, fast, cargo liners. The 'box ship' also precipitated the closure of many cramped city docks throughout the world. Change continues and, with the exception of bulk cargo carriers and tankers... read more

A collection of gripping stories-both ancient and modern-of thrilling adventures at sea Tales of adventures on the high seas captivate both sailors and those who stand on the shore and gaze out across the oceans. In this original collection of sea stories, edited by veteran writer Dick Durham, the gamut of human experience is mirrored in a world of tragic shipwrecks and sea monsters, epic races and brave rescues, tall ships and tiny dinghies. Written in the author's inimitable powerful and poetic style, Amazing Sailing Stories bri... read more

Fully updated and presented in colour throughout, this Conway Classic is a comprehensive study of the world's capital ships from the emergence of Dreadnought in 1906 to the decommissioning of the last two of the US Iowa class - New Jersey and Winsconsin - scheduled for 2007/2008. For fifty years battleships represented the military might and pride of their countries. They threatened, they impressed, they surprised in a way no other symbol could. Their like will never be seen again, as large surface ships are no longer considered pr... read more

The ocean has been one of the wellsprings of the human imagination for almost as long as we have existed. Its immensity, its mystery and its restlessness speak to something deep within us, something fundamental to our natures. And from this source, great literature has been formed. Here bestselling novelist James Bradley has gathered together a stunning collection of writing, from extraordinary authors both Australian and international, to show the power and the drama of the sea.

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Mark Dodd arrived in Broome in 1978 as a 20-year-old looking for adventure, after working his way across northern Australia. There he fell in with the crew of the fabled DMcD, one of the last of the old wooden pearling luggers that still worked the Kimberley coast diving for pearl shell. He came aboard as a deckhand before graduating to become one of the pearl shell divers. He dived for four seasons, living a life on the luggers and in the pubs and exotic alleys of Broome that would have been recognisable to pearl divers for... read more

The eighteenth century was an era when brave mariners took their ships beyond the horizon in search of an unknown world. Those chosen to lead these expeditions were exceptional navigators, men who had shown brilliance as they ascended the ranks in the Royal Navy. They were also bloody good sailors.
From ship's boy to vice-admiral, discover how much more there was to Captain Bligh than his infamous bad temper. Meet a 24-year-old Master Bligh as he witnesses the demise of his Captain and mentor Cook; a 34-year-old Lieutenant B... read more

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Tupaia, lauded by Europeans as 'an extraordinary genius', sailed with Captain Cook from Tahiti, piloted the Endeavour about the South Pacific, and interceded with Maori in NZ. Until now his story has never been fully told. Tupaia, a gifted linguist, a brilliant orator, and a most devious politician, could aptly be called the Machiavelli of Tahiti. Being highly skilled in astronomy, navigation, and meteorology, and an expert in the geography of the Pacific, he was able to name directional stars and predict landfalls and weather thr... read more