Royal Navy at Gibraltar Since 1900 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is yet another photographic journey through time in a single place. In this case that "place" is the historic country of Gibraltar with it's equally historic dockyard and connections with the Royal Navy. From early photographs of the almost complete dry docks taken in 1904, right up to the latest visits by RN ships - including the latest HMS Ark Royal, in the new millennium, we are treated to a photographic journey through time and history itself..
Like so many people who have visited Gibraltar, I have had a love affair with this country ever since I first clapped eyes on the most famous rock in the world. That was in 1977 and whilst my own interest stems from the superb wreck-diving to be found offshore, in researching the history of those shipwrecks I found myself drawn into the wider elements of this truly historic piece of real estate time and again. It was, therefore, with a little knowledge of that history that I sat down to read this book. I was not disappointed.
Set out in date order, one of the early photographs is of HMS Cormorant which was the Gibraltar Depot ship for an incredible 52 years. Another shows HM Ships Hood, Repulse and Renown alongside the detached mole at the same time, yet another depicts a flight of Fairey 111D biplanes over the rock and yet another shows not one but two cruisers inside the same dry dock at the same time. Such is the calibre of the photographs included in this excellent book.
By the 1950's we are treated to such pictures as an aerial shot of the South Mole where HMS Vanguard and two Aircraft Carriers are berthed. Is that the famous, but ill-fated, Cruise Liner Andrea Doria behind HMS Agincourt in 1956? Another Aircraft Carrier HMS Victorious appears in 1959. HMS Belfast - as Flagship of the Reserve Fleet, makes an appearance in 1963 and the penultimate HMS Ark Royal makes her first appearance in 1965 and her last in 1978 - flying her paying-off pennant.
I could so easily go on - mentioning each and every photograph as the story of Gibraltar's dockyard and it's role throughout the 20th Century slowly unfolds in pictures.
Personally, I would like to see more text - but not at the expense of any photograph or even at the expense of reducing those photographs in size. But I would wouldn't I - after all I am a shipwreck historian and information on ships is my craving...
Otherwise an excellent book with many new and previously unpublished historic photographs.
NM.


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