Today was all about the enthralling subject of Sea Power: How the world went from maritime forces that stood on their own to an integrated system, making it easier and quicker to starve the enemy.
It stands to reason, really. As ships became more manoeuvrable then so it became easier to cut other ones off. (Coincidentally I’m presently reading Bernard Cornwall’s Sharpe’s Trafalgar which graphically paints the situation with ships trying to blockade harbours and ports. These days it’s a lot easier.)
The reason today was all about Sea Power is because I have now returned to the library store and, having completed the shelves on How To Be A Seaman/Stoker/Navigator/Cook/etc from every year since 1670, I have now started the ones on Sea Power.
And who’da thunk there’d be so many? I glanced at some as I went and, to be honest, I did find a few things I read very interesting. The sea-change, regardless of pun, from sail to steam is obvious (though the need for vast mountains of coal did tend to be a bit of a problem) but the generally international change to a combination of air, sea and land forces working as a single force is relatively new.
Reading about Trafalgar, I realised that the sea battle is generally placed alone in terms of the Napoleonic Wars just like Waterloo was for the army and yet they were both decisive battles within a decade of each other against the same enemy.
Fast forward to 1915 and, looking at the Gallipoli landings. There is a complete change as the troops landing on the beach were supported by the navy and the fledgling air force.
And look at today. Sea blockades can stop supplies reaching just about every country in the world and, given the effects and now dominance of containerisation, the results can be catastrophic. Think back to the sieges of the Middle Ages but magnify them massively.
Anyway, that was my day. Adding the copies to the library system, deciding whether to ditch, review or keep them then changing the location to align with the new naming conventions. The latter is a new thing and Heather reckoned I’d been promoted.
Speaking of Heather, last week was a misunderstanding as she was in Sunderland and thought she’d told me she wouldn’t be in the office. I’m fairly certain she didn’t but who knows. No harm done, anyway, and all is as it should be.
I managed to almost finished one row but had to leave about three books in order to catch my train home.
All of the books this week were quite ‘modern,’ without fun and interesting pictures so, rather than have the usual strange images, I’m including the photo above just because it’s in Portsmouth.
That was good are you still doing it two days a week . love mum xxxx