Peter Marsden – författare

The raising of the _Mary Rose_ in 1982 was a remarkable feat of archaeology and her subsequent preservation and display at Portsmouth a triumph of technical skill and imagination. She is more than a relic, however. She has a story to tell, and her sinking in the Solent in 1545, when under attack by the French, and the reasons for it, have intrigued historians for generations. With the benefit of access to her remains, archaeologists have been able to slowly unravel the mystery of her foundering on a calm summer's day in July 1545.This new book by one of the country's leading experts on the _Mary Rose_ contains much that is published for the first time. It has the first full account of the battle in which Henry VIII's warship was sunk, and tells the stories of the English and French admirals. It examines the design and construction of the ship and how she was used, and develops themes begun when he was earlier commissioned by the Mary Rose Trust to write the multi-volume history of the ship. He shows for the first time conclusively that the French fleet arrived unexpectedly to seize the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth a day later than was once believed, that the many bodies found in the wreck reflect her at action stations, and that the ship had had an extra deck added and was therefore more unstable than was previously thought. Finally, the author makes it clear who was responsible for the loss of the _Mary Rose_, after describing what happened onboard, deck by deck, in her last moments afloat.The fascinating revelation will intrigue the general reader as well as the historian and archaeologist and the book is set to become the last word on the career of this most famous of ships.

Although the wreck of the Mary Rose was raised twenty years ago, the excavations and conservation work and indeed the ship itself have never been published in full. Now the Mary Rose Trust, with the Heritage Lottery Fund is publishing the complete history of the project and the research up to the present day in five highly illustrated volumes, revealing a wealth of information covering all aspects of the ship. Sealed by Time: The Loss and Recovery of the Mary Rose traces the history of the Mary Rose from great naval vessel to ruinous shipwreck to an outstanding museum display. The Mary Rose was an extraordinary ship. Built to a new design, she was one of the first great British warships. Her career spanned all but a few years of Henry VIII's reign and she took place in most of his wars. Combining for the first time all that is known from contemporary documents and the archaeological evidence, Peter Marsden and a team of specialists give a fascinating and detailed overview of her history. They set out details of the circumstances of her building, participation in three wars with France, repairs and rebuilds, and finally the tragic sinking with massive loss of life in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545 as she prepared to encounter the French fleet one more time. Also described are the place of the ship in naval and seafaring history, the novel aspects of her shape and construction, how she performed at sea, her structure, rigging and armoury. Bringing the story up-to-date, further chapters describe the epic project to excavate and salvage the ship that culminated in the raising of the hull in 1982, an event watched by millions on television, and subsequently how the museum and display of the massive hull were created. Beautifully illustrated with contemporary paintings and documents as well as photos of the excavations and some of the 26,000 objects recovered, this will be of great interest to everyone with an interest in maritime archaeology, conservation, and the history of the period.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, US allegations that Osama bin Laden's network was responsible, and the subsequent military attacks on Afghanistan, the Taliban have become the focal point of the West's difficult relations with the Islamic world. This book helps us understand what has been happening inside the country, the nature of radical Islamic movements, and the very difficult questions ahead which war cannot answer.The Taliban are a manifestation of the growth of radical Islam worldwide. This book explores what they stand for and the factors leading to their rapid rise to military and political dominance over Afghanistan. It considers the influences on their ideology and describes the continuing war.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, US allegations that Osama bin Laden's network was responsible, and the subsequent military attacks on Afghanistan, the Taliban have become the focal point of the West's difficult relations with the Islamic world. This book helps us understand what has been happening inside the country, the nature of radical Islamic movements, and the very difficult questions ahead which war cannot answer.The Taliban are a manifestation of the growth of radical Islam worldwide. This book explores what they stand for and the factors leading to their rapid rise to military and political dominance over Afghanistan. It considers the influences on their ideology and describes the continuing war.