Treasures Of The National Maritime Museum

The diversity of the museum's collections is reflected in this stunning A-to-Z companion, which showcases more than 300 carefully considered, beautifully photographed items. Each fascinating and unique piece is accompanied by an exhaustively researched account of its historical significance, written by the museum's curators. Some of the most special items include a love token from Nelson to Emma Hamilton and a watch from the Titanic. Short but informative essays are interspersed among the objects, introducing subjects as intriguing and diverse as polar exploration, slavery, and the history of Greenwich itself.

Gloria Clifton is the curator of navigational instruments and head of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. Nigel Rigby is head of research at the National Maritime Museum.