This concise guide to naval history and naval records is essential reading and reference for anyone researching the fascinating story of Britain's navy and the men and women who served in it. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual seaman, finding out about a medal winner or just want to know more about a particular ship, campaign or operation, this book will point you in the right direction. Simon Fowler assumes the reader has little prior knowledge of the navy and its history. His book shows you how to trace an officer, petty officer or rating from the seventeenth century up to the 1960s using records at the National Archives and elsewhere. The book also covers the specialist and auxiliary services associated with the navy – among them the Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm, the naval dockyards, the WRNS and the Fleet Auxiliary. In each section he explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can be used for research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs. His handbook is a valuable research tool for anyone who is keen to find out about the career of an ancestor who served in the Royal Navy or was connected with it. AUTHOR: Simon Fowler is a leading authority on military and family history and a prolific writer on these subjects. He once edited The National Archives' family history magazine Ancestors. For nearly twenty years he was an archivist at the Public Record Office. As well as publishing many articles in magazines and journals, he has written several well known books on military and family history. SELLING POINTS: . Indispensible, up-to-date introduction to researching the Royal Navy . Accessible, easy to use and wide ranging . Explains how naval organization has developed and changed . Information on all the major naval archives, museums, books, websites ILLUSTRATIONS: 50 illustrations *