True Glory: The Royal Navy Arthur, Max

Acclaimed historian Max Arthur pays tribute to the Royal Navy from 1914 to 1939. Drawing on the personal stories of those who have served during this period, he has created a unique narrative history of the senior service.Through extensive research he has sought out and interviewed over thirty survivors of the First World War Royal Navy - Jutland, Gallipoli, Zeebrugge, Q ships, K boats and flying in the RNAS are recalled in their own words. There are vivid accounts from ten men who fought at Jutland, where over 6000 were killed and from two privates of the Royal Naval Division who tell of the horrors of trench fighting at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. All recall the rigours of training and discipline during the early days of this century, including the oldest survivor of the Royal Navy at 103 years old.After the First World War, the scene shifts. For the first time a Royal Marine officer reveals details of the mutiny of his men during the 1919 North Russian campaign against the Bolsheviks. There is action in China as well as flag-showing royal tours and early deck landings by the Fleet Air Arm. The book ends at the start of the Second World War, with the sinking of the Royal Oak and the heroic fight by the Exeter, Ajax and Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate.