Signalling an interesting read

David Craddock, who received his own signals training from a seafarer who served as a boy signaller at the Battle of Jutland, explores 2,500 years of visual communication at sea.

Beginning with flag signalling and moving on to semaphore, light signalling and pyrotechnics, Craddock explains the history of signals in naval warfare from the Age of Sail to the modern era.

He presents a range of flag systems, which look resplendent in the full-colour illustrations, and also demonstrates how they were used, with the famous example of Nelson's signal at Trafalgar and an extended discussion of signals at Jutland. Peace-time signalling is not the focus, but it isn't neglected either – commercial codes and signals from ship to shore are also included in this thoroughly accessible history of the technology and practice.