Peter Smith

The story of Icarus leaves us wishing to equip our children with the character and skills to navigate through life and change course when flying too close to the sun. In today's world, young adults face unprecedented distractions and instantly gratifying messaging that challenge anyone's ability to focus, decide and/or execute a game plan for launch. Students, parents, mentors, and mentees may find themselves disoriented. "Icarus 2.0, parachute included"...

The Greek mythical story of Icarus leaves us wishing to equip our children with the character and skills to navigate through life and change course when flying too close to the sun. In today's world, young adults face unprecedented distractions and instantly gratifying messaging that challenge anyone's ability to focus, decide and/or execute a game plan for launch. Students, parents, mentors, and mentees may find themselves disoriented. Eject! Eject!...

The V 1, or Doodlebug or Flying-bomb came into use in June 1944 and, together with the V 2 Rocket, was Hitler’s final hope in face of the advancing Allied forces sweeping across Europe towards Germany. Of the 8,000 that were launched within the first 80 days, some 2,300 reached the London area where they caused more death and destruction to its population and buildings. As the front line moved eastwards, many of the ground-based launch ramps became...

Oxford Brookes University Boat Club has risen from obscurity to being acclaimed as probably the best rowing club in the world, winning no less than 13 titles at Henley Royal Regatta in the last two years. With a historical overview, analysis, photographs and interviews, this book lifts the lid on how inspirational coaches Richard Spratley and Henry Bailhache-Webb have taken Brookes to the very top of rowing, with athletes (men and women) who now compete...

This is the wartime history of the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign, along with the story of her four sister ships HMS Revenge, HMS Resolution, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Ramillies. These ships were built and launched during World War I and although old and slow, and bitterly criticised by Churchill and others as being "Coffin Ships", the Royal Sovereign class battleships in fact played a valiant and doughty role in World War II. The Royal Oak was an early...

The United Kingdom comprises thousands of islands and for many centuries transport between the main islands and the outlying communities has required reliable shipping routes, both long and short-haul, for commerce, trade and travel. Ferries have become an essential means of transport for many outlying populations and down the years routes have continually changed and been adapted to meet the requirements of the period. This remains so today, with...

A detailed memoir of a highly traumatic time where a fight for life was taken on by an observant and caring family, a professional hospital team and the patient himself. This story starts with a dramatic awakening in a hospital bed with, initially no clear idea of the reason for being there and no concept of how long those around have already been engaged with the fight already to save his life. The book describes the horror and confusion of hallucinations...

Peter C. Smith presents us here with the second release in his visually splendid Cruise Ships series. Whilst his first book concerned itself with the large-scale ships currently cruising through our seas (those weighing 40,000 GT and more) this volume focusses on the other end of the market; the ships that weigh in at less than 40,000 GT, but which are often much more stylish and aesthetically pleasing than their larger-scale counterparts. The elegant...

First complete retelling of an important but little-known campaign. Eyewitness accounts from a colorful cast of German SS troops, British commandos, partisans, spies, Greek pirates, and more.

For three hundred years or more the Royal Navy really did “Rule the Waves”, in the sense that during the numerous wars with our overseas enemies, British fleets and individual ships more often than not emerged victorious from combat. One French Admiral was to generously acknowledge that the Royal Navy possessed, “a tradition of victory.” And yet, in every other way, the waves were never ruled by any maritime power. Great fleets might wax and...