From the Admiral Popov, the circular Russian battleship that wouldn't steer straight, to the HMS Trinidad, a British cruiser that managed to torpedo itself, this copiously illustrated collection of incompetence on the high seas takes a serious if often entertaining look at the misjudgments of captains, fleet commanders, and ship designers from Roman times to the present day. Full of jaw-dropping anecdotes, Great Naval Blunders proves the old adage, "Worse things happen at sea."

Great Naval Blunders: History's Worst Sea Battle Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

Humor & Entertainment

REGAN, Geoffrey

Humor

Andre Deutsch

From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs and the Falklands War, military history has been marked by misjudgments and incompetence. Some blunders have ended in tragedy, some in farce, and some in a mixture of both. The stories in this instructive collection capture those moments of staggering battlefield ineptitude, human folly, and sheer bad luck, and they will appeal to both military buffs and general readers.

Great Military Blunders: History's Worst Battlefield Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

History

Historical Study & Educational Resources

From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs and the Falklands War, military history has been marked as much by misjudgments and incompetence as by gallantry and glory. Such blunders have sometimes ended in tragedy, sometimes in farce—such as the English troops, supposedly marching on Cadiz in 1625, who instead got drunk in a salt marsh. And sometimes they have ended in triumph, despite all the odds. In this fascinating and entertaining collection, author Geoffrey Regan not only recounts some of the staggering stories, but also highlights the kinds of difficulties that can lead to military disaster. His anecdotes encompass every aspect of warfare, from the insanity of commanders to the provision of inadequate supplies. This entertaining and instructive book will appeal to the military buff and general reader alike.

Who was responsible for the design of the Admiral Popov, the circular Russian battleship that wouldn't steer straight? Why did Lord Ansonset set out to circumnavigate the world with a crew of Chelsea pensioners? And how did the British cruiser HMS Trinidad manage to torpedo itself in the Arctic? The answers to these questions and details of numerous other entertaining and unbelievable historical events are revealed in this absorbing survey of naval incompetence from Roman times to the Falklands War. Geoffrey Regan certainly sets out to prove that there is truth in the old adage "Worse things happen at sea." Crammed with intriguing and often bizarre anecdotes and more than 50 illuminating illustrations, Great Naval Blunders takes a serious, but often entertaining, look at the misjudgments and oversights of captains, fleet commanders, strategic planners, and ship designers over the ages. Peppered with quotes from those who did their utmost (albeit unwittingly) to hinder naval progress, this entertaining and instructive book will appeal to the naval enthusiast and general reader alike.

Military

From the emperors of Rome to the princes of the present-day House of Windsor, those of royal blood have not always behaved with dignity fitting of their regal standing. In Royal Blunders, Geoffrey Regan casts a jaundiced eye over the lapses, gaffes, and indiscretions of kings, queens, and kaisers. Discover which Hapsburg emperor retired to a monastery for a quiet life and ended up eating himself to death. Learn which of Edward VII's sons was suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Read about the medieval French monarch who was utterly convinced that he was made of glass and the prince who confessed his marital infidelity on television.

Royal Blunders

This entertaining collection of military anecdotes, interlaced with unusual illustrations, brings together over 400 little-known snapshots of men and women at war. Drawing on an impressive range of sources from Plutarch to the present century, from medieval chronicles to the American Civil War, the book includes many famous characters - Wellington, Rommel, Napoleon, Frederick the Great - as well as a gallery of lesser-known individuals, from Basil the Bulgar Slayer to Soviet fighter ace Lily Litvak and the other General Lee. Ranging from David and Goliath to Prince Rupert's poodle, from the the officer who was not only obliged to provide the paymaster with a certificate that he was alive, but also had to get it back-dated to prove that he was alive the previous month, to the shy Allied airman forced to disguise himself as a prostitute to escape the Gestapo, the book takes in some three thousand years of the quirkier side of military history. This highly original collection provides a feast of insights, curiosities and entertainment drawn from the rich sidelines of military history.

Military Anecdotes

Engineering & Transportation

Engineering

TRAFALGAR SQUARE +

A fascinating and highly informative look at some of the less glorious moments in the history of aerial warfare. Military history expert Geoffrey Regan takes us on a grand tour de force from the early abortive attempts at manned flight in the Renaissance period through the first faltering attempts to harness balloons for military purposes in the 18th and 19th centuries, to two World Wars, the Falklands and beyond, From the Austrian unmanned bombing balloons that blew back over Austrian lines when the wind changed and discharged their cargo and the tale of the mis-design of the British BE9, a First World War plane whose gunner risked decapitation every time he swung around to fire at the enemy, to the tragedy of the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily in 1943, Airforce Blunders offers a wealth of absorbing thought-provoking and entertaining anecdotes.

Airforce Blunders

Carlton Books, Limited

From ancient times to the Bay of Pigs and the Falklands War, military history has been marked as much by misjudgements and incompetence as by gallantry and glory. Author Geoffrey Regan not only recounts some of the staggering stories, but also highlights the kinds of difficulties that can lead to military disaster. Incorporating 50 fascinating illustration and laced with famous last words ('Well, don't worry about it' - American officer at Pearl Harbor observing blips on radar screen), this entertaining and instructive book will appeal to the military buff and general reader alike.

Geoffrey Regan's Book of Military Blunders

Carlton Books Ltd.

Who was responsible for the design of the Admiral Popov, the circular Russian battleship that wouldn't steer straight? Why did Lord Ansonset out to circumnavigate the world with a crew of Chelsea pensioners? And how did the British cruiser HMS Trinidad manage to torpedo itself in the Arctic. The answers to these questions and details of numerous other entertaining and unbelievable historical events are revealed in this absorbing survey of naval incompetence from Roman times to the Falklands War. Bestselling author Geoffrey Regan certainly sets out to prove that there is truth in the old adage "Worse things happen at sea". Crammed with intriguing and often bizarre anecdotes and over fifty illuminating illustrations, Naval Blunders takes a serious, but often entertaining look at the misjudgements and oversights of captains, fleet commanders, strategic planners and ship designers over the ages. Peppered with quotes from those who did their utmost (albeit unwittingly) to hinder naval progress, such as Admiral Lord Sir Charles Beresford who stated, "The submarine can only operate by day and in clear weather, and it is practically useless in misty weather", this entertaining and instructive book will appeal to the naval enthusiast and general reader alike.

Naval Blunders

Fascinating, frightening and amazing by turns, Snafu details the military blunders and costly errors of Americans in battle from the 2700s to the Persian Gulf War. British historian Geoffrey Regan takes a sobering look at 18 famous battles and reveals what went sadly awry. Includes 8-page photo insert.

Snafu: Great American Military Disasters

Avon/Books

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Books by REGAN, Geoffrey

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by REGAN, Geoffrey. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Great Naval Blunders: History's Worst Sea Battle Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

Great Military Blunders: History's Worst Battlefield Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

Great Military Blunders: History's Worst Battlefield Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

Great Naval Blunders: History's Worst Sea Battle Decisions from Ancient Times to the Present Day

Royal Blunders

Military Anecdotes

Airforce Blunders

Geoffrey Regan's Book of Military Blunders

Naval Blunders

Snafu: Great American Military Disasters