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Books
Here you will find links to buy all of Richard's books online, however, if you would like a signed copy please send an email, a Facebook message or visit the contact page to buy direct from the author.
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Amazon vs Author sales
Most of Richard's books are available on Amazon, however they take a hefty cut!
If you buy from the publisher/printer an author will receive a fairer percentage of the profit from the sale. The best way to support an author is to buy direct from them. All books are available direct from Richard (often cheaper than online bookstores) by sending an email, Facebook message or visiting the contact page.
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2024 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
When the Royal Navy finally introduced submarines at the turn of the Twentieth Century it was a revolution for the service and its new submariners, but few people know of the many years of struggle by numerous designers and inventors to make this happen.
Even less known are the names James Ellis Howard and Charles Seymour Allan, who were hard at work making their dreams into a reality from the far side of the world, travelling thousands of miles in an attempt to persuade the Admiralty that their designs were worth building. But their names never made it into the history books, their designs only being mentioned in newspapers of the day before being forgotten about once again.
Now read the story of these two remarkable men and their journeys to become the first inventor of submarines for the Royal Navy, only to both have it snatched out from under them, in the ultimate arms race that would change the world.
2024
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There are a number of projects being worked on including more shipwrecks, more memorials, more forgotten history. Watch this space and follow me on social media for more updates.
2024 Amberley
The East Yorkshire town of Bridlington has over 1,000 years of history. Starting off as two smaller settlements, built around the medieval priory and the harbour, it was developed as a fashionable resort in the nineteenth century and had merged into one town by the early 1900s. Bridlington has seen its fair share of tragedies, triumphs, special events and royal visitors as well as being home to some unique stories and characters, from the award of the very first George Cross, the work of Lawrence of Arabia between the wars and bombing raids of the Second World War, to the Great Gale of 1871, the burning of the Royal Victoria Rooms in 1933, a visit by Queen Henrietta Maria and a lifeboat that goes back over 200 years. In A–Z of Bridlington, author Richard M. Jones reveals the history behind Bridlington, its streets and buildings, industries and the people connected with the town. Alongside the famous historical connections, he includes some unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well-known. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to all those with an interest in this coastal Yorkshire town.
2024 Amberley
The stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth has been one of the busiest shipping areas around the British Isles since antiquity. It is no surprise that the Solent has claimed so many ships in its time. The Royal Navy has been based in Portsmouth for centuries and the ocean liners have been regularly sailing from Southampton since the nineteenth century, and this waterway has endured war, storms and accidents throughout its history, as well as witnessing numerous maritime celebrations and everyday passage of boats and ships. Among the shipping disasters on the Solent have been the unexpected sinking of the Mary Rose in 1545, the mystery of the Flag Theofano, missing from her anchorage in 1990, and the fight to save the disabled car carrier Höegh Osaka in 2016. The world’s worst hovercraft disaster in 1972 and the celebrations as the Mary Rose was raised ten years later show that the Solent is, and always has been, a place for history and drama. In Shipwrecks of the Solent author Richard M. Jones reveals the stories behind the shipping disasters in the Solent. Illustrated throughout, it will appeal to all those with an interest in shipping and shipwrecks, as well as those interested in the history of this part of the south coast of England.
2021 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
When you think of something being lost at sea, you imagine a ship sinking gracefully, the survivors being rescued or a tragedy being caught on camera. But what if a ship is lost at sea without trace? What if an aircraft takes off on a routine flight and is never seen again? This book details over fifty of the most mysterious vanishings, ships that have made headlines but have never been found, both famous and forgotten cases that have left an outward ripple of tragedy and mystique.
Most people have heard of the Mary Celeste crew vanishing, but how many knew that this was not the last case of an entire crew going missing? What about the three Scottish lighthouse keepers who were never seen again? Or the world famous aviation pioneers who took flight to never return?
This book will tell you that MH370 was not the first airliner to disappear over the sea, nor was the Bermuda Triangle actually the cause of so many disappearing ships. How could six airplanes disappear in one day? Why did a ship with over 300 people on board not send a single distress call? Which ships vanished and then later messages in a bottle suddenly turn up, not just once but two separate shipwrecks?
Lost at Sea in Mysterious Circumstances will cover all these and more as we reveal the stories of some of the most fascinating incidents above and below the waves.
2021 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
Cretil is a cat who loves to roam around. But one night he gets stuck up the Eiffel Tower. Who does he meet and what should he do? Follow Cretil on his adventure through Paris.
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Although available online, we suggest buying from the author, who heavily discounts this book.
2022 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
Spanning 20 years of diving and 30 years of shipwreck research, take a journey around the world with Richard as he visits and dives some of the globe's most incredible submerged wonders of maritime history.
2021 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
Treasure hunting trio Sidney, Ali and Gemma are back in what might be their most challenging quest yet.
When their expertise is requested by an unlikely source, they embark on a clandestine hunt to find one of the most significant shipwrecks in US Naval history. As ever, they are not the only ones searching for the prize, and it seems it is more than just history on the line.
With international security at stake and a two hundred year old ship with an explosive secret, have the team taken on more than they can handle this time?
2021 The History Press
Is any disaster really forgotten?
It is never forgotten by the survivors who lived through the trauma. It is never forgotten by the emergency services who tried to save the day. It is never forgotten by the relatives of those who never came home.
Britain’s Lost Tragedies Uncovered is a look at the tragedies and disasters that may not have stayed in public memory, but are no less terrible than their more famous counterparts. From a late-nineteenth-century family massacre in London to two separate fatal crashes at Dibbles Bridge in Yorkshire, and the worst-ever aviation show crash in post-war Farnborough to the horrifying Barnsley Public Hall disaster – here are twenty-three accounts of true devastation and stunning bravery. They are tales that deserve to be remembered.
2021 Pen & Sword Publishing
When you think of a shipwreck, what image springs to mind? A tall sailing ship on the rocks, or perhaps the sinking Titanic surrounded by lifeboats? Historian Richard M. Jones has put together 50 stories of lost ships throughout history that are among the most important, infamous and in some cases tragic ships in the whole of history.
When did two liners collide and lead to one of the greatest rescues in history?
How did a Scotsman become an American hero against his own country?
Which warship sank with gold bullion on board during the Second World War?
This book tells the story of these fascinating cases plus many more, explores the largest shipwrecks, the treasure wrecks and the ones that are talked about still as the most famous. Starting at the tiny island of Alderney in 1592, we take a journey through history, through the First and Second World Wars, into the age of the passenger ferry and finally to the modern day migrant issues in the Mediterranean Sea.
Never before have these fifty wrecks come together in a book that really brings home to the reader just how many lost vessels there are, how deadly many can be and what this teaches us today about our own history.
2021 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
In the early hours of Sunday 15th February 1970, the quiet town of Farsley was shocked by the double murder of a police officer and a night watchman during a failed robbery. What followed was a huge manhunt across two counties that led to a career criminal who had led a life of violence from an early age. Now, over five decades since those fatal shots, we go back to the scene of the massive police operation to track down a killer and hear just how one mindless act of murder left two families devastated. With eyewitness accounts from the people who were there and the families of the victims, we can now tell the story of The Farsley Murders.
2021 Lodge Books
On 23rd October 1970 two tankers, the Pacific Glory and Allegro, collided off the Isle of Wight and set in motion a chain of events that would lead to a huge fire on the Pacific Glory, an almost impossible salvage operation, a potential environmental disaster … and fourteen people dead.
Now for the first time the story of the battle to save not only the Pacific Glory but the southern coast of England can be told. After several years of research the fire fighters, tug crews, naval personnel and eyewitnesses come together to talk about the three weeks that all eyes of the maritime world were gazing on, where after a lot of hard work the miracle was achieved with minimal pollution and at last these coastal towns could breathe a sigh of relief.
The story of the fight to save the Pacific Glory is one of heroism and bravery from all sides. Although this was a disaster that shouldn’t have happened, it was one that had a lot of lessons for many years to come.
2021 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
For over 400 years the Royal Navy has been the pride of the British Isles, but it wouldn’t be the organisation it is today without the people who make up the crews of these ships and establishments. Here is a collection of over a dozen stories from people who have served their time in the Royal Navy and now recollect their experiences serving their country in the senior service. From the 1950s boy sailor to the sailors who currently serve, we read about the runs ashore, the lifelong friendships, the funny stories, near incidents and the ships they served on.
- What happened in New York harbour when a boat was taking crew to shore?
- Who caused a huge tailback of traffic outside Faslane naval base?
- What did Prince Philip whisper to a Chief Petty Officer during an inspection?
- Which submariner saved a man from certain death from electrocution only to be snubbed later?
These stories plus much more will help the reader understand why matelots, when asked how they are, reply with, “I’m living the dream, serving the Queen!”
2019 Lodge Books
If Sidney Baron thought he could relax after the success that followed the discovery of the Boleyn Gold, he was wrong. Already rushed off their feet, a chance encounter with an American antiques dealer leads him and the team to drop everything and launch a quest for a document that could challenge what the world thinks it knows about regency England’s most famous novelist.
But why do things go very wrong so quickly? What happens when a false press report makes the team consider who they can really trust? Most of all who is the mysterious stranger who insists on sabotaging their every move?
Sidney, Ali and Gemma are back for a new adventure in a race against time to prevent a treasure trove from being destroyed by an unknown adversary. Can they get there first? Or will the Austen Secret be lost forever?
2019 Lodge Books
Most people have learned about the tragic story of the luxury liner Titanic, but how many could list the links the ship has to the small town of Bridlington in East Yorkshire? Years of Titanic research has led to the author compiling these links into one book which answers questions such as:
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• Which Titanic survivor was shipwrecked in Bridlington Bay?
• What was thought lost for almost 100 years until going up for auction?
• How many people in Bridlington have spent their lives researching Titanic?
• Which Titanic victim had a plaque dedicated to them due to their time spent in Bridlington?
Compiled with original research and photographs this is a small book but packed with information on Bridlington’s connection to the world’s most famous ship.
2018 Lodge Books
On 12th December 1939, a collision in the Irish Sea led to the loss of the warship HMS Duchess and most of her crew. Only three months after the outbreak of the Second World War this disaster was immediately overshadowed by other wartime events, leaving this ship’s fate lost to history. Now for the first time the life and voyages of this proud ship and the tragedy of her loss are told in full and those forgotten voices are lost no more.
2018 Lodge Books
Sidney Baron is a treasure hunter who is down on his luck. With nothing to show from all his ventures, he jumps at the chance to track down a possible cache of artefacts after the discovery of a journal dating back almost 500 years.
What is this mysterious treasure and who is sabotaging their efforts?
With the help of his daughter and best friend, they must race against time to locate what could be a treasure that changes everything we know about the Tudors.
If they get to it first.
2017 Lodge Books
In the winter of 2016 author Richard M Jones had exclusive access to the personal collection of a Mr George Cutcher, a former Royal Marine who had fought in the First World War and had gone on to live a full and active life. Now for the first time his story is told with his entire diary published along with the story of his life. How he joined the Marines too young, how he trained future Kings in the gymnasium, going on to fight in both Gallipoli and the Somme before being medically discharged. His own accounts of the fighting in the trenches brings it home to the reader just how bad conditions were and his collection makes his entire story so very real.
2017 Lodge Books
From 1847 to 1933 a building complex known as the Victoria Rooms stood overlooking Bridlington harbour in East Yorkshire. In the 86 years it stood tall it was used for both entertainment, leisure and as the Town Hall, being given royal status in 1888 after a visit from the Duke of Clarence. But it was the drama of the building’s final demise in September 1933 that made this grand building hit the headlines. A huge fire and some heroic deeds by the local residents meant that no lives were lost that eventful night. Now for the first time in the history of the Royal Victoria Rooms a book tells the story of the life and times of this iconic structure.
2016 Lodge Books
On 4th March 1972 a hovercraft capsized in stormy weather on a voyage from the Isle of Wight to Southsea. Five passengers were killed, but in a dramatic rescue operation involving air and sea units from miles around, the twenty-two others on board were rescued. This book tells the forgotten story of the capsizing of SRN6-012, the heroes who rose that day to save the survivors and the investigation that followed.
2015 Lodge Books
On 28th February 1975 a London Underground train crash led to the deaths of 43 people and injured dozens more. Now for the first time in 40 years, stories of that day and the aftermath are brought together in one volume to give a terrifying account of a day that shook the rail network. Interviews from survivors, rescuers and the relatives of those killed answer questions that until now have remained hidden. How was a packed train able to overshoot a terminal station and crash with such devastating consequences? How were the rescuers able to pull people out of the wreckage alive over 12 hours after impact? Most importantly…what was the cause of the crash?
2013 Mereo Publishing
2020 Juliette Jones Editorial Services
In the early hours of an autumn day in 1947, a truck laden with German prisoners-of-war and their British guards approached a level crossing in a sleepy Yorkshire village. At the same moment, an express train was thundering towards the crossing. For some inexplicable reason, with the train just yards away, the soldier behind the wheel of the truck did not stop. Instead he pressed the accelerator pedal… The scene was set for a terrible tragedy - one which was largely forgotten, until author Richard Jones began to investigate the story over 60 years later.
2010 Atland Publishing (out of print)
2010 Mereo Publishing
On 26th July 1986 a train derailed after striking a van at an open level crossing in a remote East Yorkshire village. The resulting carnage killed nine people, injured 42 and left dozens of survivors and families reeling from the shock for the rest of their lives. Now for the first time the full story of that tragedy can be told by the people who were there. The horror of the survivors, the bravery of the rescuers and the heartache for the people left behind. From one disaster came a campaign to have open crossings banned and to make sure a disaster like Lockington will never happen again.
2010 Atland Publishing
​On the 10th February 1871 a storm of fatal severity swept into the calm coastal port of Bridlington Bay. With it rode dozens of helpless ships and it fell to local lifeboat crews to brave the implacable sea in attempts to save the floundering crews. Many of those heroic souls never returned to shore. In his detailed examination of the events of The Great Gale of 1871, Richard M. Jones shows the horror of the disaster alongside the selfless heroism of those rescuers. Among the individual stories of the storm is that of the Harbinger lifeboat and its crews’ ultimate sacrifice for their fellow sailors. The Great Gale of 1871 presents the events and the legacy of that fateful day.