Brian Lavery

Brian Lavery (born 18 July 1945), is a British naval historian, author, and Curator Emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, England.

Biography Lavery was born in Scotland and brought up in Dumbarton. Upon graduating, Lavery worked first as a teacher, then in the printing industry, before gradually fulfilling his interest in maritime heritage as an author, consultant, and curator, building a solid reputation as a highly respected authority in the field. He has since published over 30 books, covering marine architecture, ship construction (including several in Conway's Anatomy of the Ship series), and naval warfare from its infancy to present day. He is a leading expert in the career of Nelson and the broader Royal Navy. Patrick O'Brian found Nelson's Navy (1989) to be "the most nearly regal that I have come across in many years of reading on the subject." The Times labelled the same book a "masterpiece on life in the Senior Service under England's favourite seafaring son."

In addition to editing works such as Deane's Doctrine of Naval Architecture 1670, Lavery produces articles which feature regularly in maritime magazines and journals.

Lavery was a historical consultant on Peter Weir's 2003 blockbuster film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. His naval expertise was also utilised "on the replica constructions of Captain Cook's Endeavour and the emigrant ship Susan Constant", the latter being the subject of his 1988 book.

In 2007, Lavery released Churchill Goes to War. In November of the same year, Lady Mountbatten presented Lavery with the Desmond Wettern Maritime Media Award at a ceremony aboard the MV Silver Sturgeon. According to the Maritime Foundation, the award "was made to Mr Lavery as an author, broadcaster, and adviser on major feature films, which have contributed to our understanding of the social structure of Britain's maritime power and all maritime aspects of British national life."

Awards Society for Nautical Research's Anderson Medal (2008) Desmond Wettern Maritime Media Award (2007)