Vibrant oil and watercolour paintings depicting Port Adelaide as a booming commercial and recreational hub will be exhibited for the first time at the South Australian Maritime Museum. Opening on February 6, 2009, Captured on Canvas: John Giles' Port Adelaide 1930-1960 will showcase paintings by the highly talented, but largely unrecognised South Australian artist, John Giles.
The paintings are on loan from the artist's family who were keen to show Port Adelaide's vitality during this period. John Giles loved the port. While working as a local tailor, he spent every spare moment capturing the colour and movement of the bustling working harbour. Lugging his easel, stool and paint box, he executed his paintings on the spot – recording snapshots of the port at work and play. The paintings depict the port's boat building yards, its sugar and flour mills, the picturesque wooden ketches that hauled grain from the Gulf to Adelaide, lumbering cargo ships, and the tiny recreational sail boats that flitted in between them. They highlight the dramatic changes in the working port over the 20th century. Many of the structures depicted have been demolished and traditional port industries such as boat building, milling and fishing have been displaced. In the exhibition, several of Giles' paintings will be juxtaposed by contemporary photographs of the same views by local photographer James Bateman, to highlight the lost maritime heritage.
"John Giles' work is extremely important as the photographic record of Port Adelaide is often incomplete — particularly during the war years when few photographs were taken," said Kevin Jones, the South Australian Maritime Museum's Director. "His paintings are often a unique record of the port during certain periods. Many of the vessels depicted in his work are named and numbered. We are hoping the exhibition will attract locals who will share stories relating to some of these ships and sailboats, and their memories of working and living in the Port."
Several of Giles' strongest work depicts the slips and boatyards that maintained the vast traffic of wooden ketches and steel ships that handled cargo in Port Adelaide. McFarlane's boatyards supported five generations of boat builders in Port Lincoln and Port Adelaide. Fletcher's slip was established in Port Adelaide's Inner Harbor in 1851 and serviced wooden clippers, steamships and fishing vessels for 150 years.
Captured on Canvas: John Giles' Port Adelaide 1930-1960 is a collaboration between the Giles family, the Port of Adelaide Branch of the National Trust, and the South Australian Maritime Museum. It is proudly sponsored by AGL Torrens Island Power Station.
Authors: Steve Ritchie and follow writers
Publisher: GITC
From Baird Online:
"Hydro International", is the trade magazine of the world hydrographic industry. It is focussed, professional and, naturally, truly global.
What might, at first, appear to be a dreary and highly technical subject is actually made lively and interesting in many of the magazine's pages. Of those, though, undoubtedly the most fascinating have been these historical vignettes or essays.
They cover hydrography, of course, but also oceanography, cartography and a lot of maritime history.
This facsimile collection from the best of "Hydro International" is a great read.
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GITC
Lemmer, The Netherlads
Web: www.reedbusiness-geo.no
Authors: Malcolm Dippy and Tony Starke
Publisher: Nautical Association of Australia
From Baird Online:
Taking over from where the old and much lamented AMSA listing of Australian vessels left off, this incredibly detailed and carefully researched history shows the benefits of a "free enterprise" approach.
Effectively, it is a very comprehensive listing of some 774 Australian flag vessels of greater than 100GT or 25 metres in length. While it covers all kinds of work and cargo vessels, sadly there are now only a handful of true cargo ships flying the Australian flag.
Nevertheless, this provides a snapshot or balance sheet of the Australian flag fleet at May 2008. It is a great record of the nation's working vessels including most of its tugs, ferries, excursion, sail training, dredgers, dive-charter, ice-breaking, research, pearling and many of its fishing craft. There are a total of 40 what could loosely be called cargo vessels. They include FPSOs and bunker barges.
The compilers deserve great praise for what can truly only be described as a labour-of-love.
A very valuable effort.
Ordering Information:
Nautical Association of Australia
Caufield, Australia
Web: www.nautical.asa.au
Author: Brian Lavery
Publisher: Conway Maritime Press
From Baird Online:
Given that the Royal Navy was, in Nelson's time, undoubtedly the world's pre-eminent maritime force, there must be valuable lessons to be learnt from studying its history.
The period during which Horatio Nelson dominated was that in which Britannia truly began to rule the waves. It was the period during which Britain established itself with a navy that would dominate most of the world for nearly one and a half centuries.
This big, beautifully produced book has been, deservedly, the most popular produced by Conway Maritime, the noted British maritime history house. It has seen two editions and ten reprints, surely a record in nautical history.
Every imaginable aspect of naval activity in this vital period is covered. Officers and men, politicians, finances, designs, construction, rigs, equipment, armaments, strategy, tactics, victualling, providoring, bureaucracy, even the social milieu, are all very richly described. The illustrations are good and well chosen.
Still a brilliant book.
Ordering Information:
Conway Maritime Press
London, UK
Web: www.conwaymaritime.com
Publisher: Sellerio
From Baird Online:
Corporate histories can be dry and sometimes boring but they are important components of complete historical structures. The Italians are very good at them, particularly their histories of shipping companies.
Italy has a very strong maritime culture. Italians continue to vigorously celebrate their maritime history. This is particularly fortunate in this case as Rodriquez has been a very important contributor to Italy's illustrious maritime history and culture.
This story starts in Lipari in 1866 and runs until 2000. It tells of one of the most inventive, innovative shipbuilders anywhere. From the early 1950s, when the company commenced building hydrofoils, it became a fast craft pioneer. They were pioneers in construction materials, too, starting with aluminium.
Much of the current fast ferry, fast patrol and fast yacht industry owes a lot to Rodriquez which happily continues to thrive.
An important and beautifully produced history.
Ordering Information:
Sellerio
Palerm, Italy
Web: www.sellerio.it
Author: Jeffrey Grey
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
From Baird Online:
This highly refined book is valuable if only for its brilliant bibliography. It, of course, has many other attributes to the effect that it is a first rate all-round reference for anyone interested in an overall picture of Australia's military history.
Published in 2008, this edition of the book is as up-to-date as it is possible to be. Its comments on recent events such as the 'Tampa' affair, the 'SEIV X', former Defence Minister Peter Reith, and the incarceration of David Hicks are important and forthrightly dealt with.
Necessarily, the book is also a very useful political history of Australia. The obviously close connection between politicians and the military does not reflect well on many of Australia's politicians, particularly ministers, in the period covered. They continue to be a problem.
The author is relentlessly objective. The result is the fairest, most all encompassing, hard hitting but balanced history this reviewer has come across.
The disconcerting thing that comes out of this excellent book is that Australia, its politicians and many of its peacetime military commanders have learnt so little from history. They would undoubtedly benefit from a careful study of Professor Grey's important work.
Ordering Information:
Cambridge University Press
Port Melbourne, Australia
Web: www.cambridge.org
Producer: North of England P&I Association
Publisher: Anchorage Press
From Baird Online:
Protection and indemnity insurance is one of those seemingly arcane services with which the global shipping industry is replete. But, as with most of those apparently archaic services, without them the shipping industry would simply cease to function.
The other name for P&I insurance is marine liability insurance. And, in another ancient and very traditional manner, that insurance is provided through so-called "Clubs" or mutual insurance societies. Despite their archaic image, the P&I clubs mutually insure more than 90 percent of the world's ocean going merchant ships.
This clearly written and very comprehensive book well describes the structure and workings of the P&I insurance business. It is a useful guide to both newcomers to the industry and for those who would like to know more about this important component of profitable shipping.
Ordering Information:
Anchorage Press
Twickenham, UK
Web: www.anchoragepress.co.uk
Author: Kennth H Goldman
Publisher: University Press of Florida
From Baird Online:
Kenneth Goldman is a noted American naval historian. This book, though, is different as the author's father served as an officer on the 'USS Carroll' for most of its very busy wartime career.
This connection was obviously valuable in sourcing material for this first rate ship history but it is handled with a relatively light touch. As well as his father, Goldman interviewed many other members of the ship's crew.
Before requisition into the US Navy, the 'Charles Carroll' had been a cargo/passenger vessel serving Central and South American ports. The 'Lucky Chuck' as she was nicknamed turned out to be a very effective troop ship. She was involved in many invasions including French Morocco, Sicily, Salerno, southern France and Okinawa. This one ship moved more troops than did all American trains and aircraft combined.
An efficient, effective ship that contributed enormously.
Ordering Information:
University Press of Florida
Gainesville, USA
Web: www.upf.com
Authors: Vecihi and Hatice Hurmuz Basarin
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
From Baird Online:
Recent publicity about the possibility of raising the wreck of the Australian submarine 'AE2' from 70 metres under the Sea of Marmara has brought this fascinating story to wider public attention.
It describes the 'AE2s' mission to "run amuck" while the Gallipoli landings were taking place. Eventually, after causing chaos along the Dardanelles, 'AE2' endured its final battle with the Turkish torpedo boat 'Sultanhisar' ending in victory for the Turkish vessel.
'AE2s' Captain, Henry Stoker, scuttled the submarine and 'Sultanhisar's' Captain, Ali Riza, captured the Australian crew who spend the remainder of the war in a prison camp.
This excellent and even-handed little book tells the dramatic story well from both sides.
Ordering Information:
Allen & Unwin
Crows Nest, Australia
Web: www.allenandunwin.com
Author: DR Rickard
From Baird Online:
A brief, succinct, all-encompassing and very useful history of the Royal Australian Navy from 1901 to 2001.
Only an author of fanatical dedication to naval history could have detailed so much information into such a small fountain of relevant and interesting history.
An unusual approach, but it show very clearly that the RAN has been remarkably busy and mobile during its first century.
Valuable.
Ordering Information:
DR Rickard
Brighton, South Australia
Email: drrickard@esc.net.au
Author: Peter Nunan
Publisher: Slouch Hat Publications
From Baird Online:
Having watched the 'Diamantina' heading south from Sydney into a strong southerly blow in the early 1970s, your reviewer has some sympathy for its crews. Running quite comfortably north in an 11 metre sailing yacht, we were amazed to see a large proportion of the ship's complement suffering obviously from sea-sickness.
An unpleasant memory somewhat contrary to those described by the author in this excellent ship history.
From anti-submarine frigate to survey vessel, 'Diamantina's' long and useful working life is covered in considerable detail in this well researched book.
Perhaps not the most exciting ship in the Navy, 'Diamantina' was a solid workhorse. She covered more than 600,000 miles, hosted the surrender of some notable Japanese officers and undertook invaluable survey and training work in the Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans.
A very fine record.
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Slouch Hat Publications
McCrae, Australia
Web: www.slouch-hat.com.au
Author: David A Ballentine
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
From Baird Online:
Co-incidentally, just before he read this book your reviewer spent most of a 16-hour trans-Pacific flight chatting with a former US Marine Huey pilot who is now a successful aviation lawyer. Like the author of this book, he still flies an ancient single-engine aircraft for fun.
The United States Marine Corps, of course, remains closely connected to the US Navy. Marines work off and from naval ships. So, there is a strong naval connection with this first rate memoir.
Both a warrior and an academic, the author is a professional historian and it shows. As well as remarkably detailed anecdotes of day-to-day combat life he places it all against the war and what, to some extent, it was about. He is introspective but not overly so.
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Naval Institute Press
Annapolis, USA
Web: www.nip.org
Author: Literary Productions
Publisher: WJ (Bill) Walshe
From Baird Online:
Another of the many well written personal memoirs of the Second World War that have flooded onto the market recently. Taken together they make an enormous contribution to the historical record of the war.
It is amazing how well so many of these elderly warriors remember their war some sixty or more years afterwards. This is a particularly good book. Born in 1925, Bill Walshe joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 just after Japanese aircraft bombed Australia for the first time.
After qualifying as a signalman he spent most of the war seconded to merchant ships participating in naval convoys. He spent five years in the RAN and saw a lot of the Indo-Pacific region. He had his share of near misses but led a charmed life and had a relatively good war.
He describes it well. Perhaps his subsequent career as an English and History teacher helped but he has an easy style that encourages the reader to devour his book in one sitting.
One of the best! A very valuable contribution.
Ordering Information:
Literary Productions
Jannali, Australia
By mail:
Envirobook
7 Close Street
Canterbury NSW 2193 Australia
Price: A$29.95
Author: Dan O'Sullivan
Publisher: IB Tauris & Co
From Baird Online:
Much has been written about Captain James Cook the noted British explorer, navigator, hydrographer and cartographer. He remains, nevertheless, an enigmatic character.
The author is a Cook fanatic. He even lives in the North Yorkshire village where Cook spent most of his childhood. He has in this book tried, apparently very successfully, to get behind the Cook enigma.
His technique has been to much more than usually thoroughly analyse Cook's own quite extensive writings. Obviously, this involves considerable guesswork and surmise. The result, though, is plausible and really very illuminating. A kind of realistic psycho-analysis.
A new and very worthwhile approach to Cook.
Ordering Information:
IB Tauris & Co
London, UK
Web: www.ibtauris.com
Author: Paul M Edwards
Publisher: McFarland Publications
From Baird Online:
Another of those very valuable examples of intensive research that will be valued for a very long time. This is fortunate for, compared with World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War has attracted comparatively little attention from historians.
As well as very thoroughly describing the smaller naval combatants of the Korean War, the author puts them and the war itself, into much wider perspective. This is useful and welcome.
It is not often remembered that, in addition to the US Navy, the navies of Australia, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Thailand and, of course, South Korea participated in the war against North Korea. They provided a very wide cross section of naval ships and boats.
The author has produced a detailed and comprehensive listing of all the vessels involved including warships and supply ships.
Ordering Information:
McFarland Publications
Jefferson, USA
Web: www.mcfarland.pub.com
Author: Frank Delaney
Publisher: Scribe Publications
From Baird Online:
An interesting story of seamanship, courage, heroism and perseverance which is rather diminished by the overwrought way in which it has been told. Something of a product of the television age.
It tells of a converted American Liberty ship, the SS 'Flying Enterprise' caught in a winter hurricane in the North Atlantic. The ship failed structurally and began to sink.
Her Captain, Kurt Carlsen, supervised the evacuation of her crew and passengers. He then decided to stay with his ship determined to save her. This caught the imagination of the general media. Carlsen became a celebrity.
While the author is overly heavy with the hyperbole, his book, nevertheless, recounts a very good yarn.
Ordering Information:
Scribe Publications
Carlton North, Australia
Web: www.scribepublications.com.au
Author: Ian Pfennigwerth
Publisher: Rosenberg Publishing
From Baird Online:
Commissioned in June 1939 and sunk in March 1942, 'HMAS Perth' had a short but hyperactive life.
Ans, at the time, very modern Light Cruiser, 'Perth' fought against the German, Italian, Vichy French and Japanese navies in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Pacific and Indian oceans and, ultimately, in the Java Sea where she was sunk by the Japanese.
This is a very good ship history told both in the usual way and through extensive interviews with surviving crewmembers and reference to their diaries.
The earlier adventures, where, despite some design and equipment faults, 'Perth' operated with distinction and minimal casualties, led inexorably and tragically to the Java Sea. There, after a ferocious battle, she sank. Thus were two thirds of the ship's company lost in the battle or in POW camps in its aftermath.
An exciting, readable and carefully researched history.
Ordering Information:
Rosenberg Publishing
Kenthurst, Australia
Web: www.rosenbergpub.com.au
Author: Gannon McHale
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
From Baird Online:
Another really good ship history written from the perspective of the "lower deck".
The author is a widely experienced actor who happened to spend three years of his youth as an enlisted man (rating) on the 'USS Sturgeon' during the late 1960s.
Perceptive and observant, the author describes life on that "hot rod" of the sea in a personal and fascinating way. He contrasts it with his final posting to the US Navy's last conventional submarine USS 'Dogfish', an amazing difference.
Throughout, he emphasises that, whatever the boat, it is the people rather than the technology that really count.
An interesting approach and a valuable result.
Ordering Information:
Naval Institute Press
Annapolis, USA
Web: www.nip.org
Author: Craig R McDonald
Publisher: McFarland
From Baird Online:
The US Navy's large, long-ranging submarines were enormously effective. They were responsible for about 55 percent of the Japanese tonnage sunk in the war.
The author's father was a young sailor on one such submarine, the USS 'Puffer'. He contacted and interviewed fifty of his father's shipmates. They provided most of the input and many of the excellent photographs of this very interesting and inspiring ship history.
The US Navy had 272 submarines that saw action in World War II. Of those, 52 were sunk taking 3,617 men with them. The odds were only slightly less daunting than for US Air Force bomber crews. Brave indeed.
This very personal book captures life aboard from the perspectives of both officers and men. It does so very well.
Ordering Information:
McFarland
Jefferson, USA
Web: www.mcfarlandpub.com
Authors: Ray Adkins and Lesley Adkins
Publisher: Little Brown
From Baird Online:
While not a full-on World War, the wars between Britain, France and the United States and their allies from 1800 to 1815 involved at least a quarter of the globe. It was the widest ranging war in history until that time.
It was also the last big naval war under sail and in wooden ships. Perhaps the last "Romantic" war if such a thing is possible.
Despite its many setbacks, it was also the war that confirmed Britain in power over its vast empire that was truly worldwide. At the same time it ensured that Britannia would rule the waves without significant contest for a century.
This lengthy, wide-ranging, well-researched and very well written book explains well what happened in that turbulent and vitally important period.
Ordering Information:
Little Brown
London, UK
Web: www.littlebrown.co.uk
Authors: Rodyney Nott and Noel Payne
Publisher: Rosenberg Publishing
From Baird Online:
This book was published to right wrongs. It has a very strong message.
That message is that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the Royal Australian Navy played a significant and continuing role in the Vietnam War. This, the authors correctly contend, is both unfair and ignorant.
The Australian Navy, in fact, performed a number of very important roles in that misguided and much misrepresented war. There were, for example, an RAN Clearance Diving team and the RAN Vietnam Helicopter flight which provided sterling service.
Most obvious of all, though, and most unfairly ignored was the "Vung Tau Ferry" itself, 'HMAS Sydney' and its various escorts. They made 25 operational voyages supplying men and material to the Australian force in Vietnam.
This unusual but interesting little book corrects those many misconceptions. It is to be hoped that the histories of another misguided war, this time in Iraq, will not require such vigorous correction.
Ordering Information:
Rosenberg Publishing
Kenthurst, Australia
Web: www.rosenbergpub.com.au
Author: Michael Sturma
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
From Baird Online:
An interesting combination of an Australian historian writing about an ill-fated American submarine that was lost with most of its crew on its second long patrol.
The USS 'Flier' (strange name for a submarine) was a long, sleek, wide-ranging "fleet" submarine. She carried a substantial armament and up-to-date electronics. The fleet submarines were very effective boats once their early torpedo problems were overcome. They sank enormous amounts of Japanese shipping.
'Flier', however, was one of the unluckier boats of the class. This fine book describes, very dramatically, how and why.
Badly damaged in a grounding at Midway Island early on her first patrol, the accident prone submarine had much worse to come. After extensive repairs in Pearl Harbor and an "excusable" finding from the contemporaneous Board of Investigation into the grounding, 'Flier' departed on her second patrol. Her first resulted in the deaths of six American sailors.
The remainder of her first patrol was relatively successful with one Japanese cargo ship sunk at least. However, on her second patrol in Philippine waters 'Flier' was doomed. The submarine hit a mine and sank. Fourteen men of its crew of 86 survived the explosion, only eight survived ashore.
The amazing aftermath is particularly well described in considerable detail. A fascinating story.
Ordering Information:
The University Press of Kentucky
Lexington, USA
Web: www.kentuckypress.com
