Nicholas Courtney – författare

This elegant book is the definitive historical account of one of the world?s most important and extensive stamp collections, and the monarchs and keepers who have contributed to it.Inaugurated by Queen Victoria, and enlarged by five successive British monarchs, the main body of the Collection came into being under George V, whose passionate and shrewd acquisition of many other private collections has ensured the unique and comprehensive character of his own.The Queen?s Stamps is a story told through the stamps themselves, many of the most famous of which are produced here in full colour, as well as through astonishing anecdotes featuring the kings, queens and courtiers who brought them together. This informative, surprising, highly illustrated volume is written to appeal to the general reader with an interest in Royal history, as well as to the specialist enthusiast.

Few who hear the shipping forecast, with its familiar sequence of numbers denoting the expected force of the wind, know what lies behind the man who gave the world the Beaufort Scale, a system that has never been bettered or replaced, but Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort’s enduring contribution to maritime science is just one part of his remarkable legacy.In this richly detailed biography, bestselling author Nicholas Courtney brings to life the adventurous and accomplished career of Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774–1857). From a self-taught midshipman to Hydrographer to the Navy, Beaufort's life reads like a blend of Hornblower and Longitude, filled with pirates, wars, and royalty. His impact extended far beyond his famous scale, influencing polar exploration, meteorology, and even the voyages of the HMS Beagle that brought Charles Darwin to fame.Drawing on Beaufort’s personal letters, journals, and naval records, Nicholas Courtney uncovers both the public and private life of a nineteenth-century hero whose contributions to science and exploration remain crucial to this day.