The story of what the Royal Navy has achieved over the last fifty years is both a fascinating and proud one. Lord Boyce, former Chief of the Defence Staff. This new history of the Royal Navy, published to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of the White Ensign Association, is a full and exciting account of all the many campaigns, operations and deployments conducted around the world from the Cold War and the Cod Wars to the Falklands War and the Gulf Wars. It has been written and compiled from privileged access to secret and confidential Admiralty Plans and Commanding Officers' reports and contains a wealth of previously unpublished material. The story of how the Royal Navy has adapted to meet the many new challenges of the modern world and how it has carried out its vital roles from manning the nation's strategic nuclear deterrent to guarding the vital offshore oil and gas facilities as well as protecting Britain's worldwide interests is a truly fascinating one, while the development of ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons, tactics and strategies as well as the changes in personnel and life at sea are brought to life by contributions from people who served over the period. Profusely illustrated throughout with many previously unpublished photographs and paintings, this beautifully-produced volume is a magnificent golden jubilee tribute to the Royal Navy. AUTHOR: John Roberts spent over thirty years in the Royal Navy, and is uniquely qualified to write this book. He went to sea in aircraft carriers, cruisers, frigates and minesweepers, and served in the Far East, the Middle East, Aden, the Radfan and the Gulf. He later served on various Admirals' staffs, and spent ten years in the Ministry of Defence. SELLING POINTS: . Contains a mass of previously unpublished material and photographs . The only single-volume work covering the story of the Royal Navy over the last fifty years . Sumptuously produced with over 300 colour and black and white images ILLUSTRATIONS: 385 colour & b/w images