The Royal Navy in the Cold War Years, 1966–1990 (ePub)
Retreat and Revival
File Size: 23.5 MB (.epub)
Pages: 728
ISBN: 9781399041249
Published: 5th July 2024
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During the period covered by this new book the Royal Navy faced some of its greatest challenges, both at sea confronting the increasingly capable and impressive Soviet Navy, and on shore when it faced policy crises that threatened the survival of much of the fleet. During this remarkable period, the Navy had rarely been so focussed on a single theatre of war – the Eastern Atlantic – but also rarely so politically vulnerable.
The author sets out to analyse shadowing operations and confrontations at sea with Soviet ships and submarines; the Navy’s role in the enormous NATO and Warsaw Pact naval exercises that acted out potential war scenarios; individual operations from the Falklands and the 1990–91 Gulf War to the Beira and Armilla patrols; the development of advanced naval technologies to counter Soviet capabilities; policy-making controversies as the three services fought for resources – including the controversial 1981 Nott defence review; and what life was like in the Cold War navy for ratings and officers. The book, the first to cover this subject in depth for more than thirty years, will make use of the full range of archival sources that have been publicly available over the last two decades, but of which little use has been made by historians.
This work is destined to become a definitive naval history of the period, and also provide a fascinating and gripping narrative of a navy under threat from many directions but which survived and eventually prospered, winning a remarkable victory in the far South Atlantic more than 7,000 miles from its expected battleground in the North Atlantic. Elegantly written for a wide audience, it will be a very significant volume for professional and enthusiast alike.
As featured in
The Association of Royal Navy Officers (ARNO) Newsletter
"If you are interested in our recent naval history, this book is a must..."
Warship World - October 2024
Edward Hampshire makes best use of the experience and knowledge he gained by working for a number of years at the National Archives at Kew and currently at the Ministry of Defence’s Naval Historical Branch. It is now over thirty years since the end of the period covered in his book, meaning that the Government and MoD files of the time are open for public scrutiny. His ability to utilise a vast amount of information and to interpret it in an accessible form for the reader is possibly the most remarkable achievement of this fine work.
Navy Books - Lawrie Phillips
"Put simply, it is an outstanding work of scholarship and I give it my highest recommendation."
Australian Naval Institute
Read the full review here
"This work is destined to become a definitive naval history of the period, and also provide a fascinating and gripping narrative of a navy under threat from many directions but which survived and eventually prospered, winning a remarkable victory in the far South Atlantic more than 7,000 miles from its expected battleground in the North Atlantic. Elegantly written for a wide audience, it will be a very significant volume for professional and enthusiast alike."
Society for Nautical Research
What Hampshire has achieved is to make public what needed to be. He has smashed apart the nervousness and trepidation over serious impactful writing about the Royal Navy in the latter 20th century. The 1990s and beyond are now calling to scholars. In conclusion, The Royal Navy in the Cold War Years, 1966-1990: Retreat and Revival, is an achievement and considerable contribution to the fields of naval history and military history, a very notable one, one beyond just its content and context. To that end, this book should become a discussion point for students and military personnel when considering the past, present and future or for those wise enough to try and garner some much-needed wisdom of what to and what not to do, out of the people, problems and decisions that Hampshire has covered so accessibly in his latest book.
The Naval Review
Read the full review here
‘This book provides a definitive history of the Royal Navy from the 1960s to the end of the Cold War, and demonstrates a mastery of detail while keeping a firm eye on the bigger picture, weaving together an impressive range of themes and issues. It is a remarkable achievement.’
Tim Benbow, Reader in Strategic Studies, King’s College, London
‘Important and authoritative new light is shed on nearly all the major issues of a turbulent time, and it is hard to imagine anyone ever writing a better book about a subject so illustrative of Britain’s foreign and defence policy in the latter half of the twentieth century.’
Geoffrey Till, Rajaratnam Chair in Maritime Studies, RSIS, Singapore
‘This book, the first thoroughly researched assessment of British naval policy and operations in the post Admiralty era, will define the era it examines and enhance our understanding of this critical period in the Royal Navy’s long history.’
Andrew Lambert, Professor of Naval History, King’s College, London
About Edward Hampshire
Edward Hampshire is an historian at the Naval Historical Branch, Ministry of Defence; he is also a member of the Naval Staff’s analytical ‘Red Team’. Previously he has lectured at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He also worked for ten years at the National Archives. He has a doctorate and master’s degree in War Studies from King’s College, London, and a bachelor’s degree from Magdalen College, Oxford.
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