Between 1967 and 1989 the British Royal Navy was very different from today. With about 140 warships and some 100,000 sailors – all of them men – it was a vast professional force operating worldwide, long before the age of the internet, social media or satellite navigation.



Using one word for each letter of the alphabet as chapter headings, this lively book opens a window onto that vanished naval world. Through dramatic, humorous and sometimes scandalous stories, the author recalls conflicts, storms, ice-bound bays and wrecks, as well as the traditions and camaraderie that shaped life at sea.



The result is an engaging portrait of a remarkable generation of sailors and the demanding, exhilarating years they served.