Iain Ballantyne, who was born In Scotland but has lived in England for most of his life, numbers among his forebears builders of ships, a naval dockyard doctor, as well as reputedly the master of a tall ship and both merchant marine and Royal Navy sailors. His most recent WW2 era book, 'Killing the Bismarck' (Pen & Sword), has been awarded a 'Certificate of Merit' by a distinguished panel of judges who paid fulsome tribute to its qualities. The citation describes 'Killing the Bismarck' as 'a book of intense drama, compiled with painstaking accuracy and vividly portrayed through the meticulous accumulation of first hand witness accounts.' The 'Mountbatten Maritime Award for best literary contribution Certificate of Merit', to give the award its full title, also said of Iain's work, that it forms an 'authoritative and compelling description of the Bismarck's last days, and how the loss of HMS Hood influenced the national mood, turning the pursuit and destruction of the Nazi battleship into a battle for survival.' On the 70th anniversary of the Bismarck Action this May (2011), the claim by two British veterans of the Bismarck Action that some sailors in the German battleship may have been trying to surrender while their shipmates fought on received national newspaper coverage in the UK, including in The Times and the Daily Mail. These stories were followed up by newspapers from Australia to India and also in Poland. Iain's next book, to be published summer 2011, 'HMS Victory - First rate 1765' (Seaforth) is primarily a photo profile of Nelson's legendary flagship by Iain's good friend and colleague Jonathan Eastland, but also features essays by Iain on naval warfare in the Age of Sail and accounts of the warship's battles. It is their second book on HMS Victory, with the previous ('HMS Victory', 2005) part of the Pen & Sword's 'Warships of the Royal Navy' series and primarily a work of words, rather than pictures though Jonathan's images feature throughout. A former newspaper journalist, Iain's experiences covering naval operations around the world have provided him with insights into the character and methods of navies, informing all of his books. In 2007, his work in the maritime arena was saluted with a Special Recognition Award from the British Maritime Charitable Foundation (BMCF), for making 'a consistent and unwavering contribution to raising maritime awareness over the years'. In addition to being Editor of the globally renowned naval news magazine WARSHIPS International Fleet Review, Iain continues to write on naval affairs for newspapers as well as magazines. He has also created scripts for video productions and multi-media productions of a naval flavour, including a documentary on the Battle of the Atlantic narrated by Lord Attenborough and the inside story of the Royal Navy's part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Iain has been to sea in aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines, assault ships, frigates, destroyers and mine-hunters. Iain's most recent time at sea with the Royal Navy was a visit to the frigate HMS Chatham, 'up-threat' in the northern Gulf , on the line of confrontation with Iran, and aboard the frigate HMS Somerset, on NATO counter-terrorist patrol in the Mediterranean, as well as a visit to the hunter-killer submarine HMS Sceptre. His first book 'Warspite' was recently published in paperback and Iain was honoured last year (2010) to give a talk at the National Museum of the Royal Navy on 'KIlling the Bismarck'. This year he has given talks on modern naval affairs and also the Bismarck Action to both war veterans in Portsmouth and a historical society in London.
