300 YEARS "DEVOTION TO DUTY". [NAVAL HERITAGE in the WEST.]

UK,slim Qrto wraps/softback,1st edn.[Printed and bound by Penwell Print Ltd.,Kelly Bray,Callington,Cornwall.The 4th of four volumes to date (1991) in Endacott's 'NAVAL HERITAGE in the WEST' series.] FINE-. No owner inscrptn and no price removal from stiff card cover. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy,wrap-around,sharp-cornered,original stiff card covers with a pale grey background with montaged colour pictorial artwork with a contemporary turn of the century (1900) colour photograph of Keyham Gate to its centre,illustrated panel to front cover,and dark blue and black-lettered title,black-lettered author name and white-lettered series name in red boat's hull, spine/backstrip with black-lettered author+title lettering,rear cover with a colour photograph of a DML-built yacht.Insides of both covers each with a b/w regional map - front map Plymouth Sound to River Tamar in 1643 and before Dockyard'sconception which would create Devonport and Torpoint,rear cover with b/w map of the Naval Base in 1991. Negligible shelf-wear,bumping, creasing to edges and corners - no nicks,tears or splits present - and very minimal, superficial scoring/indents.Top+fore-edges generally bright and clean'; contents bright,tight,clean, solid and sound - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips - possibly an unread copy? UK,slim Qrto wraps/softback,1st edn,1- 64pp [paginated] includes b/w illustration reproduction title page,an Introduction, profuse contemporary b/w illustration reproductions and contemporary b/w photographs throughout the text and the book. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional,and even internally,the book is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its age and nature, i.e. an ephemeral softback. It ireally is an exceptional copy for its cleanliness and brightness. The choice of Plymouth as a naval base was largely due to Sir Francis Drake whose home port was Plymouth and also Sir John Hawkins in the 1500s. During trhe reighn of King Charles I,Saltash,in Cornwall,had been chosen for a site of a Government Dock in 1625,but had to be abandoned after strong objections against a Naval Base on their sacred soil,which would destroy their fishing industry and livelihoods. Further areas were considered such as the Hamoze, Cattewater and even Dartmouth and estimates were sent to the Admiralty in 1689.A stone dock proposal was accepted and built on the Hamoze,begining on 2nd September,1691.By the end of 1692 the wet basin and the dry dock had been completed and constructed. The Navy rented the land used called POINT FORWARD,for an annual fee of £100 for the first seven years,and the work force totalled 74 menThis was to be the beginning of the largest Naval Dockyard in Europe,over a period of 300 years. Please contact seller, because of the weight/value of this item, for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note, stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded, after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.