Description

During the past century, the Royal Navy and its support services at Portsmouth dockyard have experienced a pace of change not seen since the 15th century. This book examines the impact of that change on the ships, buildings, and personnel of the naval base. The dockyard has evolved continually as a support service, reinventing itself in response to changing social, economic, and political circumstances. The authors look at the dockyard's role in times of conflict, from World War I to the 1991 Gulf War, and consider the effects of privatization and cutbacks. Portsmouth is now ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century when it will be the Royal Navy's premier base. Richly illustrated with photographs from the Royal Naval Museum and Historic Dockyard collections and exclusive, newly-commissioned photographs, Home of the Fleet will appeal to anyone who is interested in Britain's naval heritage.