Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922

Book Description

In this book, the sequel to the highly-acclaimed Warrior to Dreadnought, David Brown brings his knowledge and experience as a warship designer to the story of the Royal Navy's development of World War I warships and the influence of that conflict on future warship design. The building of the new Dreadnought battleships and the controversial battlecruisers are covered in this book, as well as developments in the design of cruisers and smaller craft, and the new weapons of naval warfare--submarines and aircraft carriers. Brown provides a full analysis of the experience of battle damage along with an examination of the effect that damage had on post-World War I designs to the Washington Naval Treaty of 1923.

Heavily illustrated with 200 contemporary photographs and line drawings of the most significant ships, this book will be a vital addition to the collections of naval historians and enthusiasts.

Customer Reviews:

covers design process from a new angle.......2005-04-27

This is not a "how to design a battleship" book like Norman Friedman's excellent work, nor a design review and history like R. A. Burt or Oscar Parkes might produce, but more a technical history of which problems and threats were understood and when, what technologies were available to address them, and how warship design evolved to accomodate them.

He has fascinating sections on oil fuel, masting etc. He povides many charts and graphs, including such things as incidence of seasickness by length of ship! Overall, this is a wonderful resource for wargamers.

A mixed-bag........2000-06-10

I was somewhat disappointed in "The Grand Fleet 1906-1922," this latest effort by D.K. Brown. It's just not up to the standard of his earlier works, of which I have a high regard.

He second guesses US designer's analysis of British ships (like I always say, 20-20 hindsight is a wonderful thing) but then admits that these were probably for ships for which he (Brown) lacks references for. He then puts up future DNC Goodall's contemporary analysis of US designs without noting the errors contained in them that have been exposed for literally decades (see Friedman's "US Battleships" for one).

Mr. Brown also raises the old bug-a-boo about the all-or-nothing protection scheme of the "Standards" as being possibly overwhelmed by numerous hits on their unprotected ends. Somehow, he seems to be forgetting the fact that every post-war British capital ship design used nearly the same scheme, to say nothing that such fears were shown groundless by the pummeling that the USS Colorado received during WWII. If the all-or-nothing protection scheme was so bad, why then was it copied in most of its essentials in British post-WWI capital ship designs? Why didn't the Nelson's, KGV's, Lion's and Vanguard continue to use the incremental armor scheme so favored in the pre-war dreadnoughts? Perhaps Mr. Brown is saving such thoughts for the next volume in this series, but it's a glaring omission, nonetheless.

But, my very favorite passage was where Mr. Brown discusses the wartime exploits of British battlecruisers. In what can only be called revisionist history, Mr. Brown states that "the author believes that the basic concept of the battlecruiser was sound. Invincible's glorious career at Heligoland Bight, Falklands and Jutland justifies that statement. The three magazine explosions at Jutland (and the later case of Hood) have obscured the real value of such ships."

Sorry, but that just reminds this reader of that famous U.S. saying, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" The exploits of a single ship, no matter how glorious, can not be said to justify a ship type that is most remembered for "sinking and leaving barely enough survivors to man a Yugo," to use a phrase I wish I'd thought of first (my hat's off to Cen). I'm afraid that the author's admiration for these ships' undeniably powerful appearance has kept him from applying his considerable talent for design analysis to their equally obvious flaws.

That said, this book does offer very interesting insights into the ships of all classes being built in Britain in the 1906-22 time frame. If you stick to following what the author knows best, the British design process, you won't go far wrong. His examples of British naval design thinking are mostly original, and include details for the lessor known ships, such as destroyers and submarines, that are so hard to find for pre-WWI vessels.

Finally, he cleared up something that has always puzzled me; why the British were so reluctant to fit super-firing turrets on their warships. For that alone, this book was a worthy addition to my library.

The Grand Fleet.......2000-05-25

The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906-1922 covers exactly what the title sugggests, the developement of primarily the British fleet in the years leading up to, during and immediately after World War I. In my opinion this was a well written scholarly book that focuses on the design process and underlying assumptions that led to the developement of the modern battleship navy. The work is broken down into sections for each class of ship, I found the section on aircraft carriers to be extremely informative on the British methods of carrier operations and the developement of this naval arm. Each section is chock full of technical drawings and photos of the ships concerned. The actual descriptions of the shipos in combat during the World War is rather limited so I would not consider this book as a source for combat operations, the focus of this volume is on naval architecture. If you read John Massey's Dreadnought and are seeking more technical information then this book is definetely for you. If you are looking for a light read then I would steer elsewhere.

A Hanging Offense: The Strange Affair of the Warship Somers

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2 for the price of 1
An article expanded to book length
Philip Spencer
very strange affair....
Fascinating chronicle of the early American Navy

A Hanging Offense: The Strange Affair of the Warship Somers
Buckner F. Melton Jr.
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743232836

Book Description

Mutiny on the Bounty is one of history's greatest naval stories -- yet few know the similar tale from America's own fledgling navy in the dying days of the Age of Sail, a tale of mutiny and death at sea on an American warship.

In 1842, the brig-of-war Somers set out on a training cruise for apprentice seamen, commanded by rising star Alexander Mackenzie. Somers was crammed with teenagers. Among them was Acting Midshipman Philip Spencer, a disturbed youth and a son of the U.S. Secretary of War. Buying other crew members' loyalty with pilfered tobacco and alcohol, Spencer dreamed up a scheme to kill the officers and turn Somers into a pirate ship.

In the isolated world of a warship, a single man can threaten the crew's discipline and the captain's authority. But one of Spencer's followers warned Mackenzie, who arrested the midshipman and chained him and other ringleaders to the quarterdeck. Fearing efforts to rescue the prisoners, officers had to stay awake in round-the-clock watches. Steering desperately for land, sleep-deprived and armed to the teeth, battling efforts to liberate Spencer, Somers's captain and officers finally faced a fateful choice: somehow keep control of the vessel until reaching port -- still hundreds of miles away -- or hang the midshipman and his two leading henchmen before the boys could take over the ship.

The results shook the nation. A naval investigation of the affair turned into a court-martial and a state trial and led to the founding of the Naval Academy to provide better officers for the still-young republic. Mackenzie's controversial decision may have inspired Herman Melville's great work Billy Budd. The story of Somers raises timeless questions still disturbing in twenty-first-century America: the relationship between civil and military law, the hazy line between peace and war, the battle between individual rights and national security, and the ultimate challenge of command at sea.

Customer Reviews:

2 for the price of 1.......2007-09-06

Excellent story! While trying to prevent a mutiny in 1842, Commander Alexander Mackenzie, of the US war ship "Sommers" hung a few of the mutinous sailors. The decision was abnormally intensified and complicated since Commander Mackenzie was a rising star in the officer ranks and one of the sailors hung was Midshipman Philip Spencer, son of the Secretary of War!! Not going to look good on the Commander's resume! Awesome story in itself, to choose what to do and the search for who were the main mutineers. It even gets better! Upon returning to the US, an expected uproar in the national press occurred. A major trial ensued to find if Commander Mackinzie had followed proper procedures and hung the correct sailors. The O.J. trial to the third power! Was it Mackenzie's turn to get the noose, be exonerated, or have his career virtually ended!

An article expanded to book length.......2006-05-29

The story of the Somers is worth the recounting, and Bruckner Melton, who knows his ships and sea lore, certainly writes well enough. (Occasionally his prose does head over the top, as when he compares his pirate manqué with the new nation "where the lights of civilization grew dim and everything, even human life, was in flux."[26]) Nevertheless, Melton here presents a thoughtful and levelheaded version of the events that occurred aboard the Somers in November 1842.

Hanging Offense also treats a host of loosely connected (but often fascinating) ancillary subjects, from the beginnings of Anti-Masonry, to the nature of ancient sailing rigs, to the medical consequences of being beaten with a cat-`o-nine-tails. These digressions help Melton camouflage an obvious limitation of his topic--that it could have been adequately managed in a long article or book chapter.

What leads Melton astray is that, as a law professor, he finds more engaging than will most of his readers the details of the subsequent naval inquiry and court-martial. The inquiry was frankly lackluster, and the most notable feature of the court-martial was a zealous (if sometimes bumbling) judge advocate who conducted a fruitless fishing expedition in an attempt to uncover a post-hanging conspiracy. Unless the reader is a lawyer, he may wish to skip those chapters--more than a third of the volume--because Melton has already mined the records for earlier sections of the book.

Philip Spencer.......2005-01-28

O here's to Philip Spencer, who when about to die.
When crashing down beneath the waves, loud shouted out Chi Psi!

very strange affair...........2003-12-01

I found this book to be highly informative and interesting reading material. Obviously, there seem to be several different accounts of this incident but I found Buckner Melton's version to be pretty close to the mark. Other reviews before me have written much about it but I would add little bit of review, the book could have used some illustrations, of the ship, the primary players of this incident and maybe even a blue print of the Somers. Considering level of teen violence today, Melton's accessment sound pretty reasonable to me.

Fascinating chronicle of the early American Navy.......2003-09-07

"A Hanging Offense" is a brief but powerful account of an early Amercian Naval incident. In order to squelch a possible mutiny aboard a warship in the early 1840s, the ship's commander executed three accused conspirators, including the alleged reingleader, son of the sitting secretary of war. While it's easy to pick apart the commander's decision, it's important to look at the events from his perspective and within the context of the times. Melton provides a balanced chronicle of this event and what possibly motivated the ship's commander to hang three sailors without benefit of a legal court martial. As a result, this book serves as an important lesson in leadership in general, and not just the military arena.

It's important to remember that the Somers' commander was a politically-connected rising star who was all too aware of the consequences of hanging a cabinet secretary's son, but nevertheless felt his actions were necessary. The Somers was a small but swift vessel whose loss would be both an embarrassment to the pride of the fledgling US Navy and a danger to other vessels. The Somers was crewed by mostly teenage trainees who, the captain feared, would fall under the influence of the mutineers into killing the ship's officers and becoming pirates. Although this entire premise sounds absurd, the circumstances provide a conundrum that would challenge the best military leaders in the world.

Customer Reviews:

PART 1 OF A SERIES OF 3 TOTALLY WORTHWHILE REFERENCES.......2007-09-09

IN A NUTSHELL: VERY CONCISE & YET COMPREHENSIVE

At the end of World War 2, the 'Director of Naval Construction' had the teams involved with the design and development of England's wartime navy create a detailed chronicle of their wartime activities [1939-1945]. That chronicle has been drafted into this 3 volume text, with editorial footnotes, insights, and some line drawings from David Brown, a retired Deputy Chief Naval Architect. The result is this first of a 3 volume series which altogether equals a kind-of concise anatomy of the British Navy during World War 2.

SO WHAT'S IN VOLUME 1?

Naturally, Volume 1, titled, 'MAJOR SURFACE VESSELS' is the book that grabs most peoples interest and probably is more in demand than the other two volumes. The reason is simply in 'The Table of Contents';

Chapter 1: Battleships and Battlecruisers,

Chapter 2: Monitors,

Chapter 3: Fleet Carriers,

Chapter 4: Light Fleet Carriers,

Chapter 5: Escort Cruisers,

Chapter 6: Cruisers,

Chapter 7: Fast Minelayers,

Chapter 8: Destroyers.

Quite a list of topics!

Average customer rating:

A Nice Tactical Overview
Poor graphic editing
Solid...Wonderful Art
A great companion for lovers of nautical fiction

Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail
Bernard Ireland
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393049833

Amazon.com

The life of an ordinary sailor in the 18th and 19th centuries was no easy matter, as Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin and C. S. Forester's Hornblower novels depict so well. Quite apart from the dangers from howling storms and whistling cannonballs, seamen were paid and fed poorly and subject to all manner of inhumane discipline. Given all that, Bernard Ireland wonders, how could it have been that sailors under English--and French, Spanish, and American--flags could have performed with such heroic distinction at sea?

His answer arrives at many points throughout his encyclopedic study of the "age when the man counted, and not the technology." Profiling such figures as John Paul Jones and Lord Nelson, as well as many of those ordinary sailors, and such little-known events as the siege of Acre and the War of Jenkins's Ear, Ireland provides a highly readable survey of the great age of sail-driven combat, when mighty navies traversed the world to secure empires for the great powers of two continents. He turns up dozens of illuminating oddments from the historical record, such as the Duke of Wellington's refusal to command England's forces during the War of 1812 and Napoleon Bonaparte's failure to coordinate his navy with his land forces, which contributed to his ultimate defeat. (A similar failure, Ireland writes, led to England's defeat in the American Revolution.)

Along the way, too, Ireland provides terminology and copious illustrations that will be useful to readers of the aforementioned O'Brian and Forester novels, for which this book makes a fine companion volume. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

A colorful history of the men, ships, and tactics that made Nelson's navy the most feared fighting force on earth. Covering the classic era of sailing ship warfare from the mid-eighteenth century to the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail reveals how warships were built, sailed, and fought in the era made popular today by the novels of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. The often-dense technical detail of these works is explained here for the general reader through text and illustrations that bring the period vividly to life. Through his discussions of single-ship actions, fleet operations, famous commanders, and the day-to-day routines of the men who worked the ships, Bernard Ireland investigates how the navy of King George III came to dominate the high seas, ushering in a century of British maritime supremacy. Acclaimed naval artist Tony Gibbons illustrates every type of sailing warship from ships of the line, frigates, and sloops to privateers' schooners, bomb ketches, and xebecs. Color illustrations throughout.

Customer Reviews:

A Nice Tactical Overview.......2006-04-01

Ireland gives detailed verbal descriptions of naval battles that I was actually able to understand, no mean feat. He also posits reasons why some commanders made particular decisions in these battles. I also appreciated his biographical descriptions of figures in naval history.

The wealth of wonderful pictures and his ability to express tactics make this a fine book. If you pair it with Lambert's "War at Sea in the Age of Sail", for its grasp of history and strategy, you will end up with a nice understanding of the early British Navy.

Poor graphic editing.......2002-03-05

I found this book appealing for the many color images presented of period paintings. The diagrams depicting the trim of the yards and sails during certain evolutions (e.g. tacking and boxhauling) also were informative.

Unfortunately, there are several inverted images. Examples include: p. 11 "Plymouth Dockyard" (Pocock); p. 135 "Admiral John Jervis" (John Hoppner); p. 196 "Forcing the Passage of the Sound 1807" (Robert Dodd); and p. 123 "Brunswick v. Vengeur 1794" (John Harvey).

I was also disappointed that the editors chose to split the image of "Howe on deck of Queen Charlotte" on pp. 132-3 across the page - Howe is bisected by the spine!

There were also some surprising technical errors. Unless many other sources are mistaken, Ireland's statement on p. 113 that a Sixth Rate was a commander's billet is problematic; all vessels that were "rated" were post ships and, thus, a post captain's command.

Although Hibernia (p. 185) certainly was enlarged relative to Ville de Paris 110, Hibernia was 'rated' at 110 guns, not 120 (citing Brian Lavery's "The Ship of the Line" and the Naval Chronicle. Of course, the relationship between rating and the actual number of guns was not precise. It is also interesting to compare the bows of Hibernia (p. 185) and Caledonia (p. 193); it appears that Caledonia does not exhibit the round bow, though in her draft (R. Gardiner - "Warships of the Napoleonic Wars," Naval Institute Press) the round bow is clearly indicated.

I found the book appealing from a visual perspective; if one is interested in finding quantitative detail regarding the ships of this period, other sources might be found more useful.

Solid...Wonderful Art.......2002-02-19

Ireland's history is excellent. It covers all of the major points, and gives good insight into topics that rarely make a basic history. His commentary on the major battles, tactics, and personalities is excellent. His background chapter on the Royal Navy provides important instruction on sailing and naval vocabulary. However, wonderful art and illustrations really make the book special. All too often, excellent histories are undone because readers can't picture the events. Ireland solves that problem for us. Every page includes relevant illustrations. We see the ships; we see the men; our minds can build an accurate and detailed picture of the events. Given that, the absence of maps in strange and dissappointing. But that's about the only criticism I can level at this otherwise outstanding volume.

A great companion for lovers of nautical fiction.......2001-04-21

This is an extremely well illustrated and beautiful volume, accompanied by interesting text--shedding light on the ships, battles, and men of the "age of sail". Bernald Ireland has written widely on this period. If you enjoy C.S. Forrester, James Nelson, Marryat, Pope, O'Brien, etc. but are basically a landlubber, you need this book. The illustrations are fascinating and the boxed inserts on notable admirals, ships, battles are a nice touch.

French Warship Crews 1789-1805: From the French Revolution to Trafalgar (Warrior)

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French Warship Crews 1789-1805: From the French Revolution to Trafalgar (Warrior)
Terry Crowdy
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 184176745X
Release Date: 2005-05-08

Book Description

This book gives a detailed and authentic account of the life and experiences of French warship crews from the Revolution up to Trafalgar. It describes the recruitment and composition of crews, the different duties performed and the living conditions they had to endure at sea. Their experiences of fighting the British are covered in depth; from preparing the ship for action, to the violent discharges of heavy calibre guns, the often gruesome realities of sea warfare are revealed through pictures and contemporary testimonies.

The Alabama and the Kearsarge: The Sailor's Civil War (Civil War America)

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A Solid Contribution to Civil War Naval Literature

The Alabama and the Kearsarge: The Sailor's Civil War (Civil War America)
William Marvel
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Naval Strategies of the Civil War: Confederate Innovations and Federal Opportunism

ASIN: 0807822949

Book Description

On June 19, 1864, the Confederate cruiser Alabama and the USS Kearsarge faced off in the English Channel outside the French port of Cherbourg. About an hour after the Alabama fired the first shot, it began to sink, and its crew was forced to wave the white flag of surrender.

Working with personal papers and diaries and contemporary reports, historian William Marvel interweaves the stories of these two celebrated Civil War warships, from their construction to their climactic encounter off Cherbourg. Just as importantly, he illuminates the day-to-day experiences of their crews. From cabin boys to officers, sailors have been one of the most ignored groups of the Civil War.

The sailors' lot was one of constant discomfort and monotony, interspersed with riotous frolics ashore and, occasionally, a few minutes of intense excitement and danger. Housed in damp, crowded quarters, their wartime mortality rate did not reach that of their army counterparts, but service-connected diseases shortened their postwar lives disproportionately. Most of the crewmen ended their lives in nameless obscurity, and their story has remained unwritten until now.

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Contribution to Civil War Naval Literature.......2000-04-11

The Civil War is one of the last bastions of the amateur historian, and has given rise to a lot of amateurish work--but not in this case. Author William Marvel has cast aside many of the hackneyed myths that surround the Alabama and her last battle and has gone back to primary sources. Using these obscure logbooks and diaries, he alternately describes the lives of both the Alabama and the Kearsarge and particularly their crews. What emerges from Marvel's combination of conscientious research and lively writing is a tale both scholarly and enthralling, a detailed and fascinating slice of Civil War life at sea. I have read no other account of the Civil War-era sailor that gives such a vivid and convincing picture of his origins, thoughts, work, fights and ultimate fate. To back up the narrative there are a few interesting photographs (no plans for modelers, though), plenty of footnotes, a complete bibliography, a glossary and crew rosters. This book stands head and shoulders above the standard glory-mongering Civil War tales of derring-do, and will delight the armchair historian or naval history buff.

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Warships of the World to 1900
Lincoln P. Paine , and Lincoln P Paine
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395984149

Book Description

Lincoln P. Paine's SHIPS OF THE WORLD: AN HISTORICAL HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA was honored as one of the best reference books of the year by the New York Public Library, and Library Journal described it as "clearly the most fascinating book of the year." Now, in two equally fascinating new books, Paine focuses on two of the most interesting areas of maritime history: WARSHIPS OF THE WORLD TO 1900 and SHIPS OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION. WARSHIPS OF THE WORLD TO 1900 traces the history of naval warfare through the stories of more than two hundred of the most famous and important fighting ships, from the earliest triremes and Viking longships to the Mary Rose, Wasa, Bonhomme Richard, HMS Victory, USS Constitution, USS Monitor, and Mikasa. Each ship is described in a vivid short essay that captures its personality as well as its physical characteristics, construction, and history, from the drawing board to the scrap yard or museum. Paintings and photographs show the grandeur and grace of these vessels that helped shape world events. An introductory essay, maps, and a chronology offer the reader a global perspective on the course of naval history from antiquity to the present.

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A UNIQUELY DETAILED BOOK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF WARSHIPS

Warship 1994 (Warship)

Manufacturer: Naval Inst Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0851776302

Customer Reviews:

A UNIQUELY DETAILED BOOK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF WARSHIPS.......2006-04-07

VOLUME #18, EDITED BY JOHN ROBERTS, PUBLISHED BY THE CONWAY MARITIME PRESS, 1994

STARTING WITH -- [depicts just one of 14 articles + a review section]

WHY THE BISMARCK SUNK -- WHAT DAMAGE IT SUSTAINED -- HOW MANY LARGE CALIBER SHELL HITS IT RECEIVED - WHERE - WHEN AND FROM WHAT BRITISH SHIPS OR PLANES!

NOT ENOUGH -- HOW ABOUT A MAP OF THE DAMAGE?!

This is a volume written for those of us who want to know how things work through empirical evidence. In this volume, that evidence is presented in 14 different articles about 14 different types of ships from different times, places and of different classes.

14 ARTICLES PLUS -- "WARSHIP NOTES" - "NAVAL BOOK REVIEWS OF THE YEAR" & "THE NAVAL YEAR IN REVIEW"

---*- WARSHIP NOTES: Short articles about some interesting details in naval history. This year's notes include drawings of the Dreadnought Audacious and a short discussion, photos of the "Prince of Wales" and an examination of the stress failure sinkings of World War 1 British Destroyers. This section begins with pictures and a few paragraphs about an obscure 19th century "Steam Turbine Paddle Sloop", the Janus. This stuff is very hard to put down, so make sure you have time when you start examining this book.

---*- NAVAL BOOK REVIEWS OF THE YEAR: Very detailed and illustrated reviews of some very hard to find subject matter for review - just a few for instance;

------ "ARCTIC CONVOYS", by Richard Woodman;
------ "STEAM, POLITICS AND PATRONAGE", by Basil Greenhill and Ann Giffard;
------ "BRITISH BATTLESHIPS 1919-1939, by R.A. Burt

This section closes with a bunch of short reviews and a long list of book announcements.

---*- THE NAVAL YEAR IN REVIEW: Compiled by Ian Sturton

This section this year discusses the events of 1993-94 in the navies of the world, but seems to have a heavy leaning toward the developing world trend toward disarmament. In this section, unlike the others in this book, we see a wide range of different current classes of vessels from a representative sampling of the world's navies. Photos are included for all.

BOTTOM LINE: THE MOST INTERESTING AND LITERATE ARTICLES ABOUT HISTORIC WARSHIPS:

Warship is an annual publication whose focus is on the design, development, and the service history of the world's combat vessels. Well known experts in the field of naval history are the contributors of each year's articles' which are always well documented with authentic plans, tables and photographs. How about a big thumbs-up for "Warship 1994"!

Naval Shipbuilders of the World: From the Age of Sail to the Present Day

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A unique contribution to naval historical literature

Naval Shipbuilders of the World: From the Age of Sail to the Present Day
Robert Winklareth
Manufacturer: Chatham Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 186176121X

Book Description

From the construction of primitive war galleys in the first millenium BC to today's most technically advanced warship, historians have paid almost exclusive attention to the famous ships and their naval battles. This book fills a void in maritime history by providing comprehensive information on the shipyards--past and present--that built those ships. Concentrating on the last three hundred years, the author includes a concise history of the world's major naval shipyards, a map showing their locations, and for certain key shipyards, a diagram showing the general layout of the facilities. In addition, he covers warship evolution from wood and canvas to steam, steel, and electronics, as well as the concurrent changes in building methodology. Tapping a wide variety of international sources, this survey adds a fresh and fascinating perspective to the epic quest for seapower. Generously illustrated with photographs, maps and plans, it will be a welcome addition to any naval history bookshelf.

Customer Reviews:

A unique contribution to naval historical literature.......2001-07-18

The book by Robert Winklareth has undoubtedly a unique place among books concerning naval history. There are some books dedicated to history of individual shipbuilders, but this is probably the first book describing history of naval shipbuilders throughout the world.

The book consists of 12 chapters, glossary, bibliography, and index (384 pages of text plus 16 pages of illustrations). After introductory chapter about evolution of naval shipbuilding follows a description of all naval shipbuilders, country by country. Each chapter is dedicated to any of major naval powers (UK, USA, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia, The Netherlands) or groups of states (Scandinavia, Other European Nations, The Rest of World). There is a clear attempt to describe history of all naval shipbuilders and even naval facilities involved in maintenance of warships. Description of each shipbuilder usually includes its location, history, and names of major warships built there (however, there is not a separately list of those warships - their names are mentioned throughout the text). Description of major shipbuilders is usually accompanied by a simple scheme/map showing location of docks, slipways, basins, and other facilities. There are also simple maps showing location of dockyards, shipyards, and naval bases.

Not surprisingly, the most detailed description relates to shipbuilders from the UK and the USA. Comprehensive description is dedicated also to shipbuilders from France, Japan, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands (description of Russian shipbuilders will be examined separately). Shipbuilders of other countries are described sufficiently, although usually not in more detail. Moreover, the latest developments are omitted for some countries (for example, construction of the Halifax-class frigates in Canada during the 90s is not mentioned). However, as more problematic feature of the book seems to be omission of some countries as for example Finland, South Africa or both Koreas.

Another problematic feature of the book is unbalanced description of Russian shipbuilders. There is a sufficient description of shipbuilders located in Baltic area, especially in St.Petersburg. On the other hand, description of other major Russian shipbuilders is only brief and sometimes inaccurate. For example building of submarines in Krasnoe Sormovo Shipyard in Nizhni Novgorod (during Soviet era named Gorki) is described as only construction of "pre-fabrication of submarine sections that are transported to other shipyards for final assembly" (p. 307). Krasnoe Sormovo Shipyard has built, in fact, 21 nuclear subs (!) and dozens of conventional subs. Minor Russian naval shipbuilders are not mentioned at all. Not very detailed description of Russian naval shipbuilders is understandable because of absence of reliable sources in English language. There are, however, many books and articles in Russian language concerning history of naval shipbuilding in Russia/USSR published in recent years. The most comprehensive source seems to be the book "Istoria otechestvennogo sudostroenia" (History of Home Shipbuilding) in five volumes published during 1991-1996. Unfortunately, this excellent book is useful only for those naval enthusiasts who are able to read in Russian.

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