The sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage in 1912 is one of the most dramatic stories in maritime history. The largest passenger steamship in the world, fitted with more advanced safety features than any of her rivals, she was proclaimed to be virtually unsinkable. Just how and why the Titanic foundered on such a beautiful April evening is the subject of this fascinating book.Author Rupert Matthews has written a highly readable account of the story of the Titanic, from the building of the liner to the excitement surrounding her launch, the slow unfolding of an unimaginable tragedy, the investigations, and finally the discovery of the wreck. He also explores the evidence behind the stories of heroism and cowardice related by survivors, and investigates the many theories surrounding the great ship's tragic loss.Includes:• Photographs of the Titanic, her crew and passengers• Eye-witness accounts• Personal memories

The battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz Islands, and Philippine Sea showcase the power of ship-based air power.But how did naval aviation emerge? And why was the Pacific such a ferocious battleground for aircraft carriers and their planes?This book is perfect for fans of Ian Toll, James D. Hornfischer, and N.A.M. Rodger.Beginning with the origins of naval aviation, Donald Macintyre traces the use of aircraft by naval forces from their fledgling days just prior to World War I to their apex of power at the Battle of the Philippine Sea during the Second World War.Wings of Neptune examines why, after witnessing the potential of naval air power during the First World War, navies diverged in their approaches. While British forces were provided with an inadequate air component, the Japanese and United States embraced air arms as integral to their sea power. The second part of this book explores the intense conflicts between these naval aviation proponents in the Pacific theatre of World War II.Drawing on his expertise as a convoy commander who liaised with supporting air cover and his renowned historical research, Macintyre provides a thorough investigation into the emergence of aircraft carriers during World War II and why air power became crucial to modern navies.“interesting and useful coverage of the naval aviation side of World War II.” U.S. Naval Institute

An enlightening and lively interpretation of an important but neglected historical period.' Kirkus ReviewsIt was a time of revolution.The Roman Revolution describes the little known “crisis of the third century”, and how it led to a revolutionary new Roman Empire. Long before the more famous collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, in the years between AD 235-275, barbarian invasions, civil war and plague devastated ancient Rome. Out of this ordeal came new leaders, new government, new armies and a new vision of what it was to be Roman. Best remembered today is the rapid rise of Christianity in this period, as Rome's pagan gods were rejected, and the emperor Constantine converted to this new religion. Less well remembered is the plethora of other changes that conspired to provide an environment well suited to a religious revolution.Drawing on the latest research, Nick Holmes looks for new answers to old questions. He charts the rise of the Roman Republic and the classical Roman Empire, examining the roles played by sheer good luck and the benign climate. For example, he emphasises the unexpected death of Alexander the Great and the subsequent weakness of the Greek successor states as the ideal political environment for Rome's expansion. But Rome's good fortune did not last. The rise of Sasanian Persia, the growing strength of the German barbarians, and the brutal effects of the Antonine plague caused the near collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century. Focusing on the reigns of the critically important but under-researched emperors in the third century, such as Aurelian, Diocletian and Constantine, he vividly brings to life how Rome just escaped catastrophe in the third century, and embarked on a journey that would take it into a brave new world - one which provided the foundations for modern Europe and America.This book is the first of a multi-volume series that will chart the full course of the Fall of the Roman Empire from the third century AD to the seventh. The second book, The Fall of Rome, continues the story of Rome's decline up to the sack of Rome by Alaric the Goth in AD 410. The third book, Rome and Attila, covers the period from 410 to the western empire's final demise in AD 476. Further books will look at the Roman reconquest of Italy and North Africa under the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, followed by the rise of Islam and the demise of the Eastern Roman Empire in the seventh century.