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Alexander McKee, the son of a surgeon in the Royal Navy, spent most
of his early years moving from port to port. He preferred flying to the
sea, however, and took his first solofight at the age of fifteen. When
a bad eye kept him out of the R.A.F. during World War II, he served in
the British Army, taking part in the Normandy campaign and later being
assigned to an Army radio station in Hamburg as a writer and producer.
He was one of Britain's formost documentary writers, with scores of B.B.C.
broadcasts to his credit. He is an accomplishld diver, and as a member
of the British Sub-Aqua Club, he has taken part in the underwater exploration
of the original church and village of Hayling, which sank into the sea
in the 14th century. As part of his extensive research for The Golden Wreck,
he explored for himself the treacherous rocks off the coast of Anglesey
where the Royal Charter ran aground.
He became well known during the final stages of the raising of the
Mary Rose in 1982 and was awarded the OBE for his twenty years of work
in finding and excavating the Tudor warship, often in the face of public
scepticism. A keen diver and underwater photographer, he is well-known
for his carefully researched books on aspects of military, naval and aviation
history and has so far published more than twenty titles. His most recent
sccesses include How We Found the Mary Rose and Dresden 1945:
The
Devil's Tinderbox, and he has also received high praise for
his studies of the Normandy campaign, the Battle of Arnhem, the Battle
of Britain and the mutiny on the Bounty. |
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DEATH RAFT - The Human Drama of the Medusa Shipwreck
Alexander McKee.
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First published in Great Britain by Souvenir
Press, 1975, and simultaneously in Canada by J.M.Dent & Sons., as hardcover,
268 pages.
Illustrated.
Paperback (as shown, immediate left) by Fontana Books,
William Collins & Co., Glasgow, 1976.
Tells the story of the frigate Medusa, abandoned off
the north Africa coast in July 1816, and the "hour by hour nightmare of
mutiny, death and cannibalism as 150 men struggled to survive". A true
story of one of the most horrifying sea tragedies of all time.
"The brilliant re-creation of what happened in July 1816
when the frigate Medusa was abandoned off the North African Coast.The hour
by hour nightmare of mutiny,death and cannibalism as 150 men struggled
to survive.The true story of one of the most horrifying sea tragedies of
all time."
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HISTORY UNDER THE SEA
Alexander McKee.
Originally published in UK in 1968. Published by:
E. P. Dutton & Co, USA in 1969
Hard cover with cream boards and dustjacket; 342
printed pages.
Dimensions: 25.5 cms tall by 19 cms wide.
This edition reviewd is the 1969 USA version of the book
that had been published in the UK, the previous year in 1968. The
book reputedly sheds light on the history of underwater archaeology – not
just from the 20th century but back to the early 19th century, in England.
The book is broken down into six parts and in turn, each part is sub-divided
into sections or chapters. Parts are broken down: 1 Spithead AD 1500-1800,
England 1828-1844. 2 The Ancient World 1200 BC- AD 700, Mediterranean
1900-1967.
3 The North AD 200-1800, N W Europe1879-1967. 4
Hispaniola AD 1555-1800, Caribbean 1949-1967. 5 Solent Area AD 1500-1800,
English Channel 1965-1967.
6 Submerged Land Surfaces.
The second date against the sections, describes the underwater
archaeology undertaken. For example, in section 1, the dates “England
1828-1844” describes the early underwater archaeological work undertaken
by the Deane brothers and Colonel Pasley of the Royal Engineers.
[pt] |
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HOW WE FOUND THE MARY ROSE
Alexander McKee |
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FROM MERCILESS MAIDENS.
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Alexander McKee.
First published by Souvenir Press, London, 1963.
Second edition completely revised and reset, with additional
material, 1987.
Hardcover, dustjacket, 286 pages.
mono prints and drawings.
"The overthrow of the Spanish Armda in 1588 has come
down in histiry as one of England's finest hours."
Image left is from second edition, 1987. [ps] |
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King Henry VII's MARY ROSE
Its Fate and Future.
The story of one of the most exciting projects in marine
archaeology.
Alexander McKee. |
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TARQUIN'S SHIP
The Etruscan Wreck in Campese Bay.
Alexander McKee.
First published by Souvenir Press, London, 1985.
Hardcover, dustjacket, 216 pages, colour and mono prints.
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THE GOLDEN WRECK
THE TRAGEDY OF THE ROYAL CHARTER
Alexander McKee,.
Souvenir Press 1961. First Edition. 8vo, 220 mm x 1450
mm. Hardcover, dustjacket, 221pp, 8 pp b/w plates, appendices: list of
survivors, list of witnesses.
William Morow & Co. New York, 1962. (Image left),
very slightly smaller at 212 x 145mm, 224 pages, lacks the list of survivors.
The wreck of the Royal Charter, the fastest passenger
liner of her day, only a few miles from her home port of Liverpool, shocked
the nation when the news hit the headlines in October 1859. With only 40
men saved out of a complement of passengers and crew numbering more than
500, it was one of the greatest peacetime disasters in maritime. Most of
the crew and passengers returning to Britain from Australia died when the
bullion-carrying fast passenger liner the Royal Charter was wrecked in
a ferocious storm a few hours' steaming distance form her home port of
Liverpool. [ps]
New updated reprint edition published by Souvenir Press
in 1986. Hardcover, dustjacket, 240 x 182 mm, 222 pages, mono and colur
prints.
Includes two extra chapters, and more deatils on the
location and salvage of the ship. Also more photographs. [ps] |
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