In one of the most sensational and perplexing incidents in naval history, Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt, a much-voyaged veteran and outstanding officer, drowned along with more than 800 crew and many civilian visitors on a calm summer's morning and in a familiar anchorage. This new work examines that tragedy–the sudden capsizing at Spithead on 29 August 1782 of the mighty flagship HMS Royal George.
This is the first comprehensive account of the calamity and is based on a wide variety of contemporary sources, including reports by survivors and eyewitnesses. Catastrophe at Spithead will bring to a new audience an extraordinary tale from the heyday of Britain's naval power.
HILARY L RUBINSTEIN has spent a lifetime writing on British naval history during the age of sail. She has a PhD in History from the Australian National University and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society; she was a former Council member of the Navy Records Society and edited the Society's newsletter. She also contributed to Nelson's Band of Brothers: Their Lives and Memorials, edited by Peter Hore.