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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A photographic journey across 100 years and more., 13 Sep 2004
Commencing with an historic photograph of the four wooden hulks (which today would not look out of place if they were preserved alongside HMS Victory) which once formed the very first floating barracks at Chatham, this book takes the reader on a photographic journey across Chatham Dockyard and is enough to bring a tear to the eye of any sea-hardened mariner.It was here that HMS Achilles (the biggest steam warship in the world in 1863!) was built and often repaired. It was also here that HMS Africa (the largest battleship ever produced at Chatham) was also built and so many casualties of two world wars were repaired. Famous ships and submarines of all types were either built or refitted here and the quite excellent collection of photographs - all arranged in date order, tell the story of this famous dockyard in a way in which words can never compete. Aerial shots, the buildings, the dry docks, the church and even the ropery are all included but most of all it is the photographs of those great ships which evoke memories for sailor and non-sailor alike. It is such a national disgrace to think that none of the greatest British Ships ever to have flown the white ensign were allowed to survive the breakers torch. How ironic that had they been made of bricks and mortar - they might have been classified as listed buildings... Coming to an end with pictures of HMS Hermione - the last RN ship to be refitted at Chatham in 1983, and then on to an aerial photo of how this historic dockyard is today becoming a public exhibition, the final photograph is, fittingly, of the dockyard gates themselves - through which, as the caption states, "generations of sailors have passed." If I were to suggest an improvement to this excellent work, it would be the addition of an annexe which records the briefest details of each ship depicted within the book. Details such as; Type, laid down, technical specifications, armament and most of all "fate." Otherwise an excellent book with many new and previously unpublished historic photographs. NM
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