THE BOOKS OF PETER C. SMITH
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SAILORS IN THE DOCK: Naval Courts Martial down the Centuries
H/B 2011 The History Press, Stroud (ISBN 978-0-7524-6562-3)
This is a detailed history of Naval Courts Martial over five hundred years of naval history up to the 21st century. The examination of not only the court cases, but of the battles and decisions that led to the trials in the first place makes a unique and fascinating pieces of Royal Navy history over several centuries, from Francis Drake to this modern-day sex-aboard-ship cases brought about by the decision to encourage mixed crewing. Not only is this book a very different look at how naval customs changed down the years, but is, in itself, a slice of British Social History as well.
The book is divided into several parts; there is a detailed history of the origins and developments of Naval Courts Martial; there follows examination of many of the most famous, or notorious, cases, including such cause celebre as Torrington's trial; Mathews and Lestock; Keppel and Palliser; the execution of Byng; the Bounty mutiny; Calder's dilemma; the Portsmouth Barracks mutiny; the Troubridge trial and the Royal Oak affair, among many others. The third part of the book is devoted to a kind of "scrap log", with stories and snippets from famous and forgotten cases, including sections on Mutiny and Desertion; Collision and Wreck; Losses in Battle; Murder (and worse); Unusual Cases and Strange Verdicts; Peacetime Mishaps and finally, and not least, Humour in Court.
There is a detailed Bibliography from the authors extensive Library of Courts Martial proceedings and published works dating back almost three hundred years. This is a very different historical record.