{"title":"Books by Les Brown","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781036150334","title":"ShipCraft 23: Rodney and Nelson - Revised Edition","description":"The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.The two ships covered in this volume were the only capital ships designed and built between the wars - a special concession of the Washington Treatys ban on new battleships - and they were unlike anything before them, with the superstructure three-quarters aft and all main armament turrets forward of the bridge. During the war Nelson survived mine and torpedo damage, while Rodney played a major part in the destruction of the Bismarck, both surviving to be broken up post-war.LES BROWN is a leading light in the Small Warships Group of the IPMS and the editor of their newsletter. He is the author of a number of titles in the ShipCraft series, including two on British destroyers, and, with John Lambert, he produced two larger works, one on ‘Flower’ class corvettes and another on Allied torpedo boats. He also wrote the volume on Black Swan Class Sloops in Seaforth’s ‘Original Builders’ Plans’ series. ROBERT BROWN is a Canadian ship modeller, who has contributed a number of volumes in the ShipCraft series, the most recent being British Aircraft Carriers published in 2024. He is also the author of Battleship Warspite, the first in a new series based on original builder’s plans.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296193196405,"sku":"9781036150334","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036150334_a1e6ec9e-fd9f-4bb2-8000-f402e42c653f.jpg?v=1786017224"},{"product_id":"9781399022859","title":"Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels, 1870-1914","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe self-propelled, or locomotive torpedo was a game-changer in the history of naval warfare. For the first time the largest warship could be sunk by a weapon carried by the smallest, and most navies were quick to see the potential. Although the 19th-century Royal Navy had a reputation for technological conservatism, it was an ‘early adopter‘ of the torpedo and was instrumental in the development of the small fast craft that became the delivery system of choice, the steam torpedo boat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore Robert Whitehead‘s revolutionary invention that made the self-propelled torpedo a practical weapon, torpedoes were derived from earlier underwater explosive devices – mines, spar and towed torpedoes. The Admiralty was so impressed it purchased the rights to Whitehead‘s device, and thereafter the Royal Navy made much of the early running in torpedo boat design. In this they were greatly assisted by existing boatbuilders like Thornycroft and Yarrow who already specialized in small fast craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLes Brown has written an in-depth study of the steam torpedo boat in the Royal Navy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe core of this book is a detailed developmental history of British torpedo craft, from the early experiments like Vesuvius and Polyphemus, through the 1st Class TBs to the so-called Coastal Destroyers of the early twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are also separate chapters on 2nd Class boats, on Torpedo Gunboats and on the ‘Torpedo Depot Ships‘ Hecla and Vulcan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book concludes with appendices devoted to background issues like quick-firing guns and reports on performance of the boats in various circumstances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs it fills a surprising gap in the technical history of British warships, this book should appeal to naval enthusiasts, modelmakers and historians.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298512548213,"sku":"9781399022859","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399022859_e216703f-c093-4ed1-adf1-cf6599a3c1ec.jpg?v=1786019873"},{"product_id":"9781399030564","title":"ShipCraft 31: British Light Cruisers","description":"The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.   This is the first of two volumes covering Royal Navy 6-inch cruisers of the 1930s and later, this one devoted to three related designs armed with twin mountings. This group includes some of the most celebrated ships of the Second World War, like Ajax, Achilles, Penelope and the Australian Sydney. The next volume will feature the later classes armed with the triple 6-inch mounting - the 'Towns', 'Colonies' and their derivatives.   With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous cruisers.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298514317685,"sku":"9781399030564","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399030564_11a4de86-2f5b-423a-a8c0-2ca16a7fcb56.jpg?v=1786019907"},{"product_id":"9781399081757","title":"Shipcraft 28: British Escort Destroyers","description":"The  ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.   This volume covers the many variations of Royal Navy wartime escort destroyers, both the purpose-built  Hunt' class and the conversions from older fleet destroyers. The  Hunts' were built in four groups (Types I to IV), while the old  V\u0026amp;W' classes were modified to Long Range Escort, Short Range Escort and  Wair' (anti-aircraft) variants. Also included are the fifty ex-US  flush-deckers' that became the  Town' class.   With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build any of these numerous escort types.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298698572149,"sku":"9781399081757","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399081757_59059a78-e8fc-493d-b6a3-08b21b09b74c.jpg?v=1786019786"},{"product_id":"9781526793874","title":"ShipCraft 27 - British Sloops and Frigates of the Second World War","description":"The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.   This volume covers the majority of British wartime escort classes, from the inter-war ASW and minesweeping sloops that culminated in the superb Black Swan class, to the wartime designs that were originally known as 'twin-screw corvettes' but were eventually classed as frigates - the 'River' class, and their derivatives of the 'Loch\/Bay' classes that were modified for prefabricated construction. Also included are the American-built destroyer escorts which became RN 'Captains' class frigates and the earlier ex-US Coast Guard cutters that were listed as sloops.   With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build any of these numerous escort types.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302853554549,"sku":"9781526793874","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526793874_ffe4990a-724c-46cb-84e8-9486b6d78a65.jpg?v=1786022017"},{"product_id":"9781526765963","title":"Black Swan Class Sloops","description":"An illustrated reference featuring the superbly drawn plans for these highly effective anti-submarine ships.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the “as fitted” general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-colored inks and washes that represent the acme of the draftsman’s art.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Today they form part of the collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, which is using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality. This book is one of a series based entirely on these drafts, depicting famous warships in unprecedented detail—complete sets in full color, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear. Captions point the reader to important features, and an introduction covers the background to the design.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e This volume is devoted to the sloops of the Black Swan class and its improved derivatives, widely regarded as the “Rolls-Royce” of Second World War convoy escorts. Heavily armed and superbly equipped for their role, they were among the most effective anti-submarine ships of the battle in the Atlantic. The design was gradually improved and this book uses plans of four selected ships to chart that development. These comprise: Black Swan as built; Flamingo as modified later; Starling, the single most successful U-boat hunter of the war, as in 1943; and Amethyst, as refitted after her clash with Chinese communists on the Yangtze in 1949.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303279440245,"sku":"9781526765963","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526765963_3d7100ce-f022-43ed-848b-35fc937680c0.jpg?v=1786021653"},{"product_id":"9781722503284","title":"The Power of Purpose","description":"Learn how to find your life's work, to focus, take action to pursue your greatness and become a powerful presence in every area of your life.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57688177082741,"sku":"9781722505486","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56303601615221,"sku":"9781722503284","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781722505486.jpg?v=1792686083"},{"product_id":"9781848320642","title":"Flower Class Corvettes: Shipcraft Special","description":"The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references  -  books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This volume includes all the features of the regular series but the extent has been doubled to include far more detailed drawings of a class of ship that was built in huge numbers and in many variations.   Mainstay of the Atlantic battle against the U-boats, Flower class corvettes were used by the British, Canadian, French and US Navies.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308571111797,"sku":"9781848320642","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781848320642_59b762f2-ecd0-4ba6-a644-fd0f7b45449b.jpg?v=1786029184"},{"product_id":"9781036150303","title":"Ship Craft Queen Elizabeth Class Battleships - Revised Edition","description":"The ShipCraft series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.This volume covers the five ships of the highly successful Queen Elizabeth class, a design of fast battleship that set the benchmark for the last generation of dreadnoughts. Since its first publication in 2010 this popular class has been the subject of many new kit releases and these, and related accessories, are covered in depth in this revised edition.LES BROWN is a leading light in the Small Warships Group of the IPMS and the editor of their newsletter. He is the author of a number of titles in the ShipCraft series, including two on British light cruisers, and, with John Lambert, he produced two larger works, one on ‘Flower’ class corvettes and another on Allied torpedo boats. He also wrote the volume on Black Swan Class Sloops in Seaforth’s ‘Original Builders’ Plans’ series.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312110809461,"sku":"9781036150303","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036150303_208b1736-61b8-437b-b750-9c4a6585407d.jpg?v=1786017223"},{"product_id":"shipcraft-33-british-light-cruisers-2","title":"ShipCraft 33: British Light Cruisers 2","description":"The ‘ShipCraft’ series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references – books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.This is the second of two volumes covering Royal Navy 6-inch cruisers of the 1930s and later, this one devoted to the ‘second generation’ designs armed with triple mountings. The Southampton class marked a return to large cruisers, but the urgent requirement for numbers led to the smaller ‘Colonies’ from which all the later RN 6-inch cruisers were derivatives. These ships formed the backbone of British cruiser forces during the Second World War.With its unparalleled level of visual information – paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs – this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous cruisers.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483520868725,"sku":"9781399037532","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399037532.jpg?v=1786178694"},{"product_id":"shipcraft-7-british-battlecruisers-of-the-second-world-war","title":"ShipCraft 7 - British Battlecruisers of the Second World War","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe ShipCraft series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber 7 in this series, first published nearly 20 years ago, covers the three ships of this First World War type,\u003cem\u003e Hood, Repulse \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eRenown\u003c\/em\u003e, which survived to fight in the Second. Still the fastest capital ships in the world in 1939, their protection was not up to contemporary standards and two were famously lost in action. \u003cem\u003eHood \u003c\/em\u003ein an old-fashioned gunnery duel, but \u003cem\u003eRepulse \u003c\/em\u003esuccumbed to the more modern threat of aerial attack. The one modernised ship, \u003cem\u003eRenown\u003c\/em\u003e, survived an adventurous wartime career. This completely updated and revised new addition introduces new kits and models and lays before today's modeller's everything they need to build a kit of one of these famous Royal Navy ships.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483533451637,"sku":"9781036153144","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036153144.jpg?v=1786178709"},{"product_id":"shipcraft-35-british-anti-aircraft-cruisers","title":"ShipCraft 35 - British Anti-Aircraft Cruisers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe ‘ShipCraft’ series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references – books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis volume completes Les Brown’s coverage of British cruisers of the Second World War, concentrating on ships with a primarily anti-aircraft role. It begins with the innovative inter-war conversions of old ‘C’ class ships and moves on to the Dido class – not originally designed as AA ships but armed with a new 5.25in dual-purpose gun that made them effective air-defence ships. Also included are the small number of merchant ships converted to cruiser-standard AA ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith its unparalleled level of visual information – paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs – this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous cruisers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483534172533,"sku":"9781036153175","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036153175.jpg?v=1786178709"},{"product_id":"shipcraft-19-county-class-cruisers","title":"Shipcraft 19 County Class Cruisers","description":"The ShipCraft series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This completely revised and updated edition contains new model products and showcase models.This volume covers the British 10,000-ton Treaty Cruisers, thirteen of which were built to three slightly varying designs between the wars. With three funnels and a high freeboard, they were impressive ships, and all enjoyed very active wartime careers - three were involved in the Bismarck action and another with the sinking of the Scharnhorst.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483542528373,"sku":"9781036157043","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781036157043.jpg?v=1786178719"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-les-brown.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}