{"product_id":"2026100011484-secondhand-australian-colonial-navies","title":"Australian Colonial Navies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore the Commonwealth of Australia united its colonies under a single flag, each territory commanded its own naval force — and Australian Colonial Navies charts the remarkable story of these forgotten fleets. Colin Jones presents a meticulously researched account of the maritime defence forces maintained by Australia's individual colonies throughout the 19th century, detailing the ships, the men, and the political motivations that shaped each force in an era of Imperial rivalry and coastal vulnerability.\n\nThis authoritative volume draws on archival records held by the Australian War Memorial to reconstruct a largely overlooked chapter of antipodean military history. Jones illuminates the tensions between colonial independence and Imperial obligation, arguing that these nascent navies were as much instruments of political identity as they were tools of war. A must-read for enthusiasts of naval and Australian history, the book leaves open the tantalising question of how these disparate maritime traditions ultimately forged the foundations of the Royal Australian Navy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50572514427099,"sku":"2026100011484-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/faae4376-0cd0-4b11-a2ee-d3cdef196e09.png?v=1791166690","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100011484-secondhand-australian-colonial-navies","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}