HMS Temeraire, USS Olympia, and the American Racer – A Few Thoughts on Ship Preservation

Bernard Cornwell‘s introduction to his review of  Sam Willis’s book, “The Fighting Temeraire,”  is as dramatic as it is sadly accurate. He writes:  At Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, the battle-cruiser USS Olympia lies glorious and doomed. The oldest steel warship in … Continue reading

Eyewitness to Trafalgar 205 Years Ago Today

A letter which only recently resurfaced gives an ordinary seaman’s view of the famous battle which was fought 205 years ago today. ‘They won’t send their fleets out again in a hurry’: Remarkable letter from hero who survived the Battle … Continue reading