Talbot Court Press 

Paperback

175 pages

ISBN: 978-0-9555012-0-3

EAN: 9780955501203

Price: £9.99 + £2.00 P&P

Sometimes at Sea gives a fascinating insight to the great changes witnessed by the author in a naval career spanning 40 years. From wartime Dartmouth cadet in 1940 to Cold War captain in 1979, Captain Pakenham’s career began in an era when the battleship was still a symbol of national might and naval dominance, and ended when ‘might’ and ‘dominance’ had been replaced by ‘deterrence’ in the form of Polaris submarines controlled from Downing Street. 

The period also covered marked changes in naval operational concepts, and as a deep communications specialist Captain Pakenham was very much involved in the process as systems evolved from terrestrial radio to global satellite links.

This view of modern naval history is illuminated by colourful anecdotes; from the awfulness of wartime troop trains to the short but eventful life of HMS Vanguard, the last of the battleships, which acted as Royal Yacht for the Royal Tour of South Africa in 1947. The stories also include: a knees-up in the royal quarters; a flagship party from which an inebriated guest left headfirst down the gangway; and personal encounters with the ghosts of Greenwich. 

The book is well illustrated, humorously written, and part of the historical record. It is also a ‘good read’.

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More information...

About the author (CV)

Peter Hennessy's introduction

Index

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