Mike Roussel

This fascinating book provides a unique record of the careers and final underwater resting places of ships of the Cunard Line, whose rich history spans over 300 ships and nearly two centuries. Many books have been published on Cunard’s heritage but the final fate of these ships is often little more than a footnote of history. Authors Sam Warwick and Mike Roussel have taken the shipwrecks as a starting point to create a vivid new history. Featured vessels include the well-known Caronia, Lancastria, Campania, Lusitania, Malta, Oregon, Scotia and Carpathia, famous for rescuing the survivors from the Titanic, as well as many others. Events surrounding the wrecking of each vessel are thoroughly explored and unique diver accounts are incorporated, along with never-before-seen underwater images of the wrecks. Finishing off with practical data for interested divers, this book offers a fresh analysis of Cunard’s maritime history.

The creative and technological genius of the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, led to the first powered and controlled flight. Born in Ohio, USA, the brothers’ fascination with flight began at an early age. Their first powered aeroplane, ‘The Wright Flyer’, was tested at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Wilbur’s first flight was on 14 December 1903, but quickly stalled and crashed. Three days later, after repairs, Orville flew to 540ft and landed safely after 12 seconds; this was the first powered flight in aviation history. Packed with facts, figures and little-known details, this book charts the triumphs and tragedies of the Wright brothers as they set about making history together.

The rich history of the P&O Line began in the 1830s when steam power was still in its infancy, and this, coupled with longer voyages, meant that shipwrecks became inevitable – all part of the risk of running a pioneer shipping company at that time. Shipwrecks of the P&O Line explores these losses, starting with the inaugural mail service sailing of the wooden paddle steamer Don Juan, which ran aground in fog in 1837, and ending 120 years later with the cargo liner Shillong (2), which sank following a collision in the Red Sea in 1957. Sam Warwick and Mike Roussel include a detailed history of each vessel leading up to the time of its loss and meticulously investigate the events surrounding the wrecking of each vessel, with exclusive accounts from divers who have explored the wreck, along with striking underwater images. Complete with practical data for divers, this unique history offers a fresh analysis of maritime history, of interest to maritime history enthusiasts as well as the many who have taken up diving as a leisure sport.

A pioneering aviator and advocate of women’s equality, Amelia Earhart was, and continues to be, an inspiration to people the world over. Her fierce determination to break records and push the boundaries of aviation led her to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, as well as the first person (man or woman) to fly solo the trans-Pacific flight from Hawaii to California in 1935. Not content to leave it at that, Amelia set her sights on becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the world, but her brave attempt was cut short when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished over the Pacific Ocean on the final stretch of the challenge in 1937. Eighty years on and our fascination with Amelia Earhart continues. Here, Mike Roussel charts her life and experiences, exploring the investigations and theories surrounding her mysterious disappearance and revealing the naturally courageous spirit that made her one of the most daring of twentieth-century women.

When the Wright brothers finally took to the air in the Wright Flyer in 1903, it was the realisation of one of humanity’s oldest dreams. From there on in, the sky really was the limit, and the early twentieth century was a time of pioneering technical skill and bravery, as men took to the air in primitive, experimental flying machines. Soon, various organisations sought to encourage innovation in the design and construction of aircraft by pitting them against one another in races offering trophies and cash prizes. Most prestigious among them was the Schneider Trophy, launched in 1913 by French industrialist Jacques Schneider to promote the development of seaplanes. The race was fiercely competitive, and many of the pilots were First World War veterans who were willingly putting their lives on the line once more. Crowds flocked to spectate and winners were feted. Aircraft designers were brought together from across the globe, resulting in the rapid sharing, or perhaps stealing, of new technology and ideas. Year by year, dramatic improvements in the winning speeds – often breaking records – charted the progress made, and this eventually had a great impact on the development of fighter aircraft in the Second World War and the future of the air industry alike. Eighty-five years since the British entry won the final 1931 Trophy, this highly illustrated volume brings to life the ‘quest for speed’ once more.

The Union-Castle Line’s heritage spans over a century. It provided the mail service to South Africa for 120 years and established an unrivalled reputation for punctual schedules. From the middle of the nineteenth century it ran ‘like clockwork’ until its demise in 1977, a victim of emerging competition from jet aircraft, increasing fuel costs and the containerisation of cargo. As a company, the Union-Castle Line used the latest technical innovations of the day, constantly striving to improve speed, reliability, customer comfort and safety. Its lavender-hulled ships were some of the most impressive vessels of the time. Yet the story of the Union-Castle Line is also one of people – the passengers and crew ensured that the line survived for so long. This book tells some of their fascinating stories, including tales of shipwrecks, war service, missing gold bullion, escaped wild animals and even the occasional murder on board. Utilising previously unpublished diaries, letters and photographs, this illustrated volume chronicles the shipping line from its glorious beginning to its tragic end. It is a multifaceted history of the Union-Castle Line, which examines some of the company’s shipwrecks as well as the fond legacy of the line today.

The Supermarine Spitfire was a classic design, well known for its efforts in defending British shores during the Second World War. However, while Reginald Mitchell is rightly celebrated for his original design of the Spitfire, the role of Joe Smith in the development of the Spitfire is often overlooked. Smith was an integral member of the design team from the earliest days, and on Mitchell’s death in 1937 he was appointed design office manager before becoming chief designer. Smith’s dedicated leadership in the development of the Spitfire during the war, as well as his efforts on post-war jet aircraft, deserve their place in history. Charting the fascinating history of Supermarine from 1913 to 1958, when the company ceased its operations in Southampton, shortly after Joe Smith’s death in 1956, this book tells its story through the eyes of apprentices and many other members of Smith’s team. Marvellous photographs add to the sense of what it was like to work under Joe Smith at the drawing boards of one of Britain’s most famous wartime aviation manufacturers.

This book contains 250 photographs and illustrations, including many published for the first time. Interviews from management, unions, 'dockies' and other involved sources give interesting, enlightening and often humorous first-hand accounts of life in and around the docks during this time. Southampton has a long maritime history that can be traced from the invasion of Britain by the Romans in AD43, but the construction of the docks really began in earnest in 1803, when an Act of Parliament made it possible to develop quays and warehouses. "The Story of Southampton Docks" traces the history and development of the docks over the last two centuries. It looks at dock management and the construction of both the Old and New Docks during the period when the docks were known as 'railway docks', managed by London & South Western Railway and later the Southern Railway. It was a time when the docks became famous as the 'Gateway to the World' during the period known as the 'Golden Age of Ocean Travel.' With the outbreak of the Second World War the docks came under the control of the War Department, and during hostilities the docks were heavily bombed.From 1945 the docks' management was faced with competition for trade from abroad, the need to reconstruct the docks after the wartime bombing and labour disputes. The book highlights when the ports were privatised and recalls the introduction of Associated British Ports to manage Southampton Docks. The huge reduction of the dock labour force through redundancies and the retraining of the remaining workforce compelled the docks to be more competitive in the world market. 21st-century trade is increasing in Southampton Docks, with larger container ships and car carriers visiting, but the biggest change witnessed in Southampton is the development of the cruise industry.