Battleship Books

Eric Grove again proves why he's among the best of today's military historians with a fresh and insightful look at the classic December 1939 confrontation between the Graf Spee and Harwood's cruiser squadron in the South Atlantic. Purists consider this the last of the "old fashioned" naval battles -- pre-ULTRA, and so on. Grove makes a compelling case for the fact that regardless of the state of technology, the human factor remains key to the outcome of battles. The author's portrait of Langsdorff -- "warts and all" -- is free of the propaganda-induced biases that have plagued some other writers. The book shows the man to be undone in large part by his desire to make a definitive statement about the effectiveness of German sea power in the earliest days of the war, and his willingness to do so in spite of strict orders from his superiors to avoid engagements with enemy warships. The author's portrait of Harwood, Bell, and the others on the Allied side is cogent and insightful as well. Grove's analysis of the (relative in-)effectiveness of the gunnery on both sides is well presented, and he does a good job of interpreting the Graf Spee's battle damage in terms of its effects on the vessel's fighting and seakeeping capabilities, should a breakout from Montevideo have been attempted. He does the same with the intricate post-battle political sparring that helped seal Graf Spee's destiny, and offers a comprehensive look at the fates of the people involved on both sids of the fighting. Grove also provides some brief but interesting commentary on the 1956 movie done on the Battle. Throughout the book he makes minimal use of "hindsight" and succeeds in presenting a familiar story in a fresh and compelling manner. The only flaws I found in the book could have been rectified by some careful proofreading; in one instance the date of the battle moves from December to January and in another the word "judgment" is spelled two different ways on the same page. But the book overall is an excellent addition to the WWII naval history cannon and delivers keen insights into one of the war's most publicized engagements. Highly recommended!!

Eric Grove's superbly researched and written "The Price of Disobedience" recounts the first major naval battle of World War Two. This British victory hinged on the first major deception of the war.

The German Panzerschiff (pocket battleships) Deutschland and Graf Spee were at sea when war broke out in September 1939. Deutschland sank two ships in the North Atlantic, then was ordered to return to German waters. Graf Spee headed to Cape Horn and began sinking British shipping in both the South Pacific and South Atlantic. By December 1939, Graf Spee had sunk nine British ships.

Captain Harry Harwood, commanding the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles, used some remarkable deduction and found Graf Spee off Uruguay. His ships engaged on 13 December 1939. Exeter, severely damaged, was sent back to the Falklands, two of Ajax's four turrets were disabled, and the magazines of Harwood's squadron were down to a seventh of their ammunition.

Graf Spee, hit over twenty times, was seriously damaged and her captain, Hans Langsdorff, ran her up the neutral River Plate to Montevideo, where Langsdorff hoped to make repairs. Harwood summoned the cruiser Cumberland to join the squadron at the mouth of the Platte, while the Admiralty ordered the battleship Renown, the carrier Ark Royal, and an escort of cruisers and destroyers to sortie from Cape Town to reinforce Harwood.

Churchill, as First Lord, orchestrated the British and neutral press coverage of the engagement to deceive Lansdorff and the Kriegsmarine into believing Graf Spee was bottled up, by not just Harwood's hors de combat squadron, but the Renown battle group, soon to be joined by the French battleship, Dunkerque. The New York Times' front-page headlines claimed a "reinforced allied fleet" awaited the Graf Spee. Rumors were circulated and printed that Renown and Ark Royal had refueled in Rio de Janeiro (when the British ships were 2,500 miles away). In German-leaning Argentina, the two largest newspapers quoted "reliable sources" that "more than five cruisers were waiting" for Graf Spee.

Uruguay ("England's butcher") heavily favored British interests and, refusing Langsdorff's pleas for repair and resupply, Uruguay ordered the Graf Spee to sail under the neutrality rules, i.e., in forty-eight hours. The British, however, wished Graf Spee to remain in Montevideo until the Renown battle group had reinforced Harwood. The British naval attaché ordered a British merchantman to depart Montevideo. Under international law, Graf Spee could not follow an adversary's departure for 24 hours. The British attaché stretched out British sailings over several days (until the Uruguayans caught onto his ruse) and used clever diplomacy to trap Langsdorff and the Graf Spee in Montevideo.

Meanwhile, Harwood skillfully maneuvered in the approaches to the Platte and signaled to Cumberland as if she were the Renown battle group, while the BBC broadcast an ongoing account of the mythical fleet waiting the trapped German Panzerschiff. Masthead spotters on Graf Spee reported the Cumberland's rigging as Renown, which the German attaché in Buenos Aires "confirmed," having fallen for the deceptive refueling story. The BBC vividly reported Ark Royal (still far distant) joining Harwood, and the German spotters on Graf Spee, expecting to see the British carrier, did. The BBC reported Dunkerque and a second British battleship would soon join Ark Royal and Renown.

Langsdorff believed the Graf Spee was doomed. Hitler ordered Langsdorff not to allow the ship to be interned, and to breakout or scuttle. Langsdorff scuttled her. When he and the German crew arrived in Buenos Aires, Langsdorff learned the Ark Royal and Renown had just reached Rio, over 1,000 miles from where Graf Spee lay scuttled. Knowing Hitler's likely reactions to his obedience, Langsdorff wrapped himself in the Kriegsmarine's ensign and shot himself. Pictures of the burning scuttled Graf Spee circled the world. So did news of Langsdorff's suicide. The Battle of the River Plate, the first great naval victory for the Allies, resulted from highly skilled and coordinated naval deception.

On 13 December 1939 the Graf Spee, a German pocket battleship commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff engaged three British cruisers in the South Atlantic. Questions remained as to (1) why did Langsdorff disobey orders and engage a British force; (2) why did the damaged Grap Spee make for British-friendly Uruguay instead of German-friendly Argentina; and (3) why did Langsdorff scuttle his ship instead of making a nightime escape across shallow water to Argentina? The author, Eric Grove, addresses these questions in a well researched account much of which is from previously unpublished private sources.

Contrary to popular belief, under the limitations of the Versailles Treaty the German pocket battleships were not designed as commerce raiders but were built to counter a naval threat in the Baltic Sea. However, with the outbreak of W.W.II, these ships were employed as commerce raiders, and the text narrates the Graf Spee's 1939 commerce raiding in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

In direct disobedience of standing orders not to engage enemy naval forces even if they were inferior, when returning to Geermany for a shipyard overhual Captain Langsdorff decided to attack escorted convoys. On 13 December Langsdorff closed range to attack a convoy encountering not a convoy but the British cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Achilles and HMS Exeter under the command of Commodore Henry Harwood. The author notes that Langsdorff could not run because the British cruisers would shadow the Graf Spee until reinforcements arrived so that "Langsdorff knew he had to sink or disable all three enemy ships."

The text contains a good account of the battle. The Graf Spee was hit at least 23 times and sufferred 37 killed and 57 wounded including the captain who remained in command as Graf Spee was chased towards neutral water. Unaware of the pro-British feelings, Langsdorff put in to Montevideo where he hoped Grap Spee could repaired for a return to Germany. Commodore Harwood remained off shore in neutral waters with HMS Achilles and HMS Ajax; the damaged HMS Exeter was sent to the Falklands for repairs. Grap Spee was trapped in Montevideo. The text gives an excellent account of the gamesmanship played by British and Germans diplomats in Montevideo; the Germans wanting their ship repaired and the British working to delay its departure until naval reinforcements arrived. Uruguay decreed that Graf Spee carry out essential repairs and leave by 2000 hours on 17 December.

Germany did not want the Graf Spee interned in Uruguay but the ship was not seaworthy on 17 December so that Langsdorff had three options (1) fight the British; or (2) run for Argentina; or (3) scuttle the ship. Erroneously believing British naval reinforcements had arrived, the options of fighting or running weren't considered feasible so the Graf Spee left Montevideo on 17 December and was scuttled. The German crew was picked up by Argentine ships and were interned in Argentina. Criticized by the press for not going down with his ship and having no future in Germany, two days later Captain Langsdorff committed suicide and was buried in Argentina. A respresentative of Langsdorff's former commerce raid prisoners attended his funeral which the author calls "....a remarkable tribute indeed."

The author's account of the disposal of the sunken Graf Spee is intriguing; basically the Geermans indirectly sold it to the British as scrap metal. The text's account of internment is interesting; some escaped internment and once in Germany the officers resumed active service. In a quirk of fate, Graf Spee's gunnery officer was assigned to the Bismark and was killed when the British sank the Bismark.

The final chapters outline the history of the remaining German pocket battleships and of the British cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Achilles and HMS Exeter. Captain Langsdorff had picked a difficult adversary as Commodore Harwood was the leading British authority on combating surface commerce raiding. Following the battle, Harwood was promoted to admiral while for disobeying orders Langsdorff paid with his life thus becoming the Graf Spee's 38th fatality.

This excellent book is well worth reading. Other W.W.II events have overshadowed Graf Spee's battle; however, the Royal Navy's victory over Graf Spee was important as it was the first British victory in W.W.II.

This was a very enjoyable account about the USS Maine and the Spanish-American war in general. As the title entails a fair amount of the book details the fate of the USS Maine and discussion of the review of the causes of its destruction. It was interesting to see how much influence yellow journalism played in the war and the book is rife with examples. It gives a nice overview of the attack on the Philipines and briefly touches on its later occupation. The final naval defeat of the Spanish is given great detail from both sides, although the constant switching of viewpoints of different commanders made me grumble occasionally. The only gripe I could possibly have is that he doesn't give a larger amount of space to the land fighting in Cuba and Puerto Rico. You will get a fair account of the Cuban fight but the Puerto Rico account is the most basic of overviews, so if you are looking for a detailed account look elsewhere. The end closes with personality profiles and ship profiles which are nice but not necessary with the coverage he gives in the main text. Bottom line though it's good stuff.

The Spanish-American war is vividly described, beginning with the sinking of the Maine. Many famous people are involved with the war and Michael Blow weaves a rich story of their actions.

'A Ship to Remember' is an excellent introduction to both the saga of the U.S.S. Maine and the Spanish American War as a whole. In this book, Michael Blow, gives a thorough explanation of the war from political, personal and military perspectives.

Michael Blow, grandson of a crew member of the Maine, begins his narrative with a history of the events which had created such turmoil in Cuba as to attract the attention of the American government and public. He then gives a detailed account of the destruction of the Maine on February 15, 1898. The tale of the investigations examines the theories attempting to explain the explosion and contradicts some myths which many of us have heard. The major issue was whether the Maine was destroyed by an external source, such as a mine, or whether the cause was an accidental mishap internal to the ship. Its Captain, Charles Sigsbee, and much of the American press, always insisted that his command was the victim of a mine. I remember being told in school that the Navy could have very easily determined if the explosion was internal or external, but chose to sink the Maine in deep water before an investigation was concluded. In fact, the vessel was subjected to thorough investigations by both American and Spanish authorities. The American court of inquiry of 1898 concluded that the Maine had been sunk by a mine. Further investigation in 1912 again concluded that the source of the explosion was external. Not until the 1970s did Adm. Hiram Rickover, upon review of the evidence, conclude that the cause of the explosion was internal.

Blow does a good job of analyzing the potential motives of the forces in Cuba which could have attacked the Maine by mine.

The tragedy of the Maine was used by much of the American press to incite the American public, which was already incensed by the Spanish atrocities in Cuba, to demand war. Blow does an excellent job of explaining journalistic agitations and the political maneuvers which lead up to the declaration. He makes clear President McKinley's efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the problem until forced, by political pressures, to ask for a declaration of war.

War having been declared, action first occurred in the Philippines, an unexpected theatre, . The U.S. Navy Asiatic Squadron under Adm. George Dewey had destroyed the Spanish squadron in Manila Bay, giving Dewey command of the Bay, if not the city or archipelago itself. This started the long American debate over what to do with the islands, once the conquest was completed.

With news of a favorable and stable situation in the Philippines, attention switched to the location of the Spanish fleet under Adm. Cervera which had left Cape Verde on April 29, 1898. Until sited near Santiago de Cuba on May 18, speculation about the location of the Spanish fleet was rampant. It was feared from New England to Texas and was reported as being sited as far as the North Atlantic. The fear was so universal that cottages at Newport, Rhode Island were not opened for fear of Spanish attack.

With Cervera in Santiago harbor and the American Army landed in Cuba, that island became the center of attention. The war reached a climax in early July. The American offensive against Santiago was highlighted by the charge of the Rough Riders on July 1. The military pressures against Santiago forced Cervera to attempt to run the fleet out to see against the blockading American forces on July 2. The ensuing running battle resulted in the destruction of the Spanish fleet, ending the Spanish naval threat in the Caribbean.

Toward the end of the book, Blow relates the practical problems presented by the need to return American troops home before tropical diseases accomplished what the Spanish forces had been unable to do. Ample attention is also paid to the political dilemmas in the Unites States created by the conquest of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam.

This narrative is livened by revelations of the characters and personalities of the principal personalities involved, both American and Spanish. Excitement is added to the story by the tale of the dash of the U.S.S. Oregon from the Pacific, around Cape Horn, to arrive in Cuban waters just in time to play a major role in the actions of July 2.

I was left with three major impressions of this war from 'A Ship to Remember'. One is the poor state of communications in comparison to those of today. The cable from Manila having been cut by the Spanish, Adm. Dewey was forced to send a ship back to Hong Kong to wire news of the Battle to Washington. This caused a delay of about a week in the relay of the news to Washington. The other surprise was the utter lack of knowledge about the whereabouts of Adm. Cervera. In this day of aircraft and satellite surveillance, it seems incredible that a fleet could be loose on the high seas for three weeks with its location being unknown over a range of several thousand miles, but it happened.

The second impression is of the Spanish American as a largely naval war. The battle of Manila Bay was won by the Navy. The main threat in the Caribbean was the Spanish fleet, which was hunted down and destroyed by the Navy. While the Army did conquer Cuba through its battles around Santiago, it relied on the Navy for transportation and supply.

The third impression is that this was a war in which American territory was in jeopardy. Although it now seems that it was a war limited to Spanish colonial areas, Cervera did have the potential to have attacked any on of many ports along the eastern seaboard.

When I chose this book I was hoping to obtain a general understanding of the Spanish American war. That hope has been fulfilled.

Journalist-author William L. Shirer wrote this engaging account for young readers, yet it's a pretty good (if brief) read for adults. The narrative describes the launching of Germany's greatest battleship in early 1941, and the panicked British response to sink the Bismarck before she wreaked havoc on Allied convoys. The story begins as British intelligence learns that the Bismarck has left port and will soon head for the Atlantic Ocean to attack vital convoys from America and Canada. Then there's the effort to intercept it with British battleships Hood and Prince of Wales, Bismarck's escape into the open sea, and eventually, the final engagement. Battleships were on the road to obsolescence in 1941 - unless they had sufficient air cover - but that was not yet fully understood by the admiralty, nor is it a theme of this thrilling high seas tale of hunt and prey.

William L. Shirer (1904-93) wrote several superb volumes on Nazi Germany aimed at adults: Berlin Diary, Rise and Fall of Third Reich, Nightmare Years. This is a stellar effort he penned for younger readers.

IN A NUTSHELL: A FAST READ FOR YOUNG READERS

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT - "Sinking of the Bismarck" by William Shirer

This book is a fast, easy read that probably any ten year old will be able to read, comprehend and enjoy. It is quite concise, and accurate, and clearly paints an easy to follow picture of the action and chronolgy of this famous historic sea battle.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK:

Having an avid interest in this subject matter, I found this book too simple,and lacking in the naval specific information, and jargon that I expected. Also, though there is some, I feel that too little information is given about the mechanics of the battle in terms of, what weapons were fired, at what ranges, to what effect, and at what time. You see, this is for some, the reason to read the book, as one might hope to find more details than one might expect in the film, "Sink The Bismarck". However, that is just my viewpoint, which represents readers that are already familiar with the story and want more.

BOTTOM LINE: THE FILM & THIS BOOK ARE VERY SIMILAR - AS THEY SHOULD BE!

Having seen the film, "SINK THE BISMARCK", many times over the years, I feel that I have already read this book - before now. Since I have always felt that the film is excellent, I must therefore believe that if I did not have the film as a reference I would find the book to be an excellent, and informative read. Having said all that, I would conclude that this is an excellent historic account intended for a young literate audience.

This book is about Britain's long chase to destroy the German battleship "Bismarck". This book is very entertaning and it'll keep you on the edge of your seats.

The author-Stephen Bower Young-served as a gunner on one of the main turrets of the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma. He was aboard the ship when she was torpeodoed during the surprise Japanese attack. This story is about his personal experiences during the December 7, 1941 attack and the escape from the ship when it rolled over.
Young offers recollections about the life aboard the battleship and the sailors he served with. Many of these sailors would not survive the attack (448 died).
The majority of the book was about the attack and the subsequent escape. I was most interested in Young's successful escape, when other sailors drilled holes into the bottom of the ship so those trapped could escape. A most interesting read.

This book is absolutely spellbinding. Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down. The impact of this first-hand account of being trapped inside the capsized hull of the battleship USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor is resounding. Buy it for yourself but share it with anyone upon whom you wish to impress the courage of what has come to be called the Greatest Generation. The next time you hear someone complaining about how tough they have it (perhaps your kids or grandkids whining about not having the coolest sneakers or the latest Nintendo), give them this book to read. Perhaps the reality of how pampered our current lifestyle really is will sink in. I suspect this book will also help you put your own problems in perspective as well.

The author recounts his days in the pre-WWII navy with candor and affection. Honest without being coarse or too sentimental, he talks of his experiences and shipmates, good and bad. The account of USS Oklahoma's sinking and his later rescue is thrilling. I read it in one sitting.

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (11/06)

The year is 2063, human cloning in the form of Lover clones is rampant, and America has lost its middle class as parents spare no expense on genetic modifications to make their children the brightest and the best.

Joseph is in bed with his girlfriend when he suddenly finds his thoughts interrupted by Doctor Lieberman, one of the FBI's most wanted since his use of human cloning technology in 2035; a man who disappeared nearly thirty years prior. As Doctor Lieberman jokes with Joseph about keeping his 25 million dollars and his girlfriend Gisela brings up a trip to China he has just returned from Joseph is suddenly confused. He doesn't remember a trip and he certainly has no idea about the 25 million dollars. Further intrigued by the Doctor's ability to read his mind he agrees to meet with him the next day. However, when he shows up he finds one of the many clones of the Doctor, this one a transverse clone intent on playing games with him. As she toys with him, he refuses to be caught in her games and decides to play back. As he walks away with the bag of money (which he has relieved his bladder all over in the spirit of "the game") his mind is full of questions.

As Joseph is pulled into the web of Doctor Lieberman, through the implant of a chip allowing him to take over Joseph's body and mind, he begins to find answers to many of his questions and learn a lot about his grandfathers' involvement along the way.

Full of intrigue, foresight, and suspense "Battleship of Fools" will spark your imagination of the world to come. Inspired by Bosch's "Ship of Fools," the premise of the novel is the desire to rid the world of "fools" through the use of genetic modifications and human cloning. Is this a possibility ...or a dire and foolish pursuit?

The year is 2063. Human cloning is has been perfected, and although it's illegal, humans and clones are widely bred. Lover clones--male and female--have been created for torrid, problem-free sex, and the novel's protagonist, Joseph, has been bred to be a phenomenally successful Wall Street analyst.

Joseph's grandfather, Joshua, followed a dream to genetically engineer foolishness out of the human race, but he discovered that he had a higher mission--to spread genetic technology around the world so that no single country can dominate.

In the meantime, the mysterious Dr. Lieberman, CEO of the genetic engineering company that Joseph's grandfather founded forty years earlier and now the world's most wanted criminal, has found a way to control Joseph and others through tiny surgical implants.

Igor Gershengorin's debut novel is lively, entertaining, and highly original. Strongly recommended.

--Reviewed by Charles Patterson, author of Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust

Their like will never come again simply because the age of the Battleship has long-since been eclipsed by that of the Aircraft Carrier. But, whilst it lasted, it produced some incredible ships which, in many cases, met equally incredible ends.

In this book by and acclaimed author and historian, we have the complete story of those iron and steel ships which replaced the wooden vessels of the Nelsonian age. Commencing with the ironclad "La Gloire" and ending with the USS New Jersey, we are taken on a thrilling ride of freakish ships, the first arms race, the Dreadnought, the end of European naval domination of the high seas and beyond. From the Japanese victory at Tsushima, the inconclusive Battle of Jutland in WW1 to Midway and Leyte Gulf in WW2, we find the even mightier ships - such as Hood, Bismarck, Tirpitz and Yamato disappearing from the face of the earth one by one. In this book we are able to relive some of the greatest-ever naval encounters.

With excellent illustrations, photographs, maps and charts, this is book which should be read by all those with an interest in the subject. Then leave it a short while - as I did, and read it again. Somehow it seems far more interesting second time around.

NM

This lavishly illustrated book offers a concise history of the battleship from the end of the Age of Sail to the Iowa Class. Focusing on the world wars has been common in such books; this one also covers the pre-Dreadnaught era, and does it well. There are ample photos of the ships themselves, of scale models, and line drawings. The text was written by a lover of the big ships, as is evident in the section on H.M.S. Vanguard, the last British battleship, described as, "a magnificant sea boat," that handled beautifully, without the lumbering movements of less aquadynamic vessels. Having been a lifelong fan of the battleship, and having made the pilgrimmage to Wilmington, N.C. to see U.S.S. North Carolina, I can say that this is one of the best books in the genre, and a good one for beginners who want a short, conplete history of ships the like of which we'll never see again.

A worthy volume. However, those of us considering this will likely have most of the data, photos and drawings Burt presents. The line drawings are superior for everything except armor disposition, which gets a lengthy written description. A few anecdotes were new to me. My preference is for Parkes' book (which Burt rightly credits), hence 4 stars only.

This is on the whole a great resource for wargamers.

Beware the stratospheric prices sometimes seen amongst the used vendors. I recommend checking out an inter-library loan before spending more than $100.

Burt gives us a thumbnail sketch of each capital ship the Royal Navy produced and operated in the first world war. As a bonus, there are great line drawings, photos, and modification histories.

Recommended without reserve.

Towards the end of the 19th Century, the world's first great arms race was running a full speed. As either Britain or Germany (the two largest navies in the world at that time) built a big battleship - so the other side would simply design one that was even bigger. This attitude towards supremacy in weapons became infectious and, as far as battleships were concerned, continued right up to 1937 with the design and building of the ultimate Battleship of all time - the Yamato with it's 18.1in guns.

Conway Maritime Press are well known for their factual books on ships - especially warships, in which they provide the finest technical documentation. "All the World's Battleships - 1906 to Present" is hard-back measuring 11¼" x 8¾" with 190 pages of detailed and factual information. Commencing with Argentina all the world's battleships are listed by country - under which heading they are then displayed by "class of ship" commencing with the oldest vessels and ending with the latest. For each class there is one or more of those profile line drawings for which Conway's books have become so well known. These are followed by all the usual technical details such as; Displacement, dimensions, machinery, armour, armament and complement followed by the names of each ship within that class and it's builder, date laid down, date completed and fate. Next is a very "readable" potted history from which we learn of any political intrigue, variations between vessels, refits, new equipment, whatever defects or other problems that may have beset either the class or a specific ship and a short résumé of the fate of each vessel.

Finally, the book is well illustrated with an excellent selection of black and white photographs throughout with at least one photograph on almost every page.

On reading some of the criticisms voiced in earlier reviews, I would not be put off from buying this book just because a few wretched typographical errors may have crept in (I didn't notice them.). Nor would be put off just because one or two of the photographs may not be as sharp as we have come to expect in this day and age. Those photographs which are not pin-sharp are included because they are the only photographs which exist and they come from an age when (a) cameras were not widely available, (b) all photography was in black and white and (c) even photography itself was in it's infancy. As for the comment about drabness - it does not describe the book I have just reviewed.

Furthermore, at £15:00, I consider this to be one of the best deals I have come across in a long time.

NM

An excellent book for both the novice and serious reader. Contains good line drawings and interesting pictures. Sufficient detail is provided to satisfy the more serious reader without getting bogged down into details. A pretty good section on the Japanese battelships covering the various rebuilts and modernizations. Would have preferred additonal charts outlining details of the various guns used for each country. Would recommend as a must in any naval history collection.

This is a good book for the age group it's aimed for which most definitely is not adults.

Whilst the pictures and illustrations are of extremely high quality the text is pitched at no older than early teens.

Adults should by Dr Ballard's "The Discovery of the Bismark" which is a fantastic book!

I'm using thies book for a pome about the Bismark I racomeand thies book for the bis mark survivors. and hop this will bring them peace about the disocver of there ship these is my review

Peter Smith writes what is probably the best book available on the British battleship, and by extension, the battleship in general. I pride myself on my knowledge of British naval operations, but was surprised to learn a great deal. The depictions of the Mediterreanean/Malta operations, as well as convoy actions are especially good. In what is perceived as the first "Carrier war" it is striking to see the vital role the battleship played. Smith is quite correct when he states that Britain could not have won the war without her battleships.

IN A NUTSHELL: EXCELLENT FACT BASED 'PRO-BATTLESHIP' ARGUMENT BASED ON WW2

Proceeding chronologically from the outbreak of World War 2, Peter C. Smith provides a history of the British Battleships' performance. Smith's goal is to demonstrate factually, how truly indispensible capital ships were to all navies during World War 2. He comprehensively illustrates the effect of the Battleship on the war through its influences at a number of battles and theaters.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: HOW EFFICIENT ARE BATTLESHIPS VS. AIR-POWER IN DOMINATING THE SEA?

The scope and scale of the subject matter that this volume must wade through is huge. Smith skillfully takes the efficient and effective viewpoint of the British Battleship from 1939-1945 and only adds the other characters when needed to tell 'that' story and in only as much detail as required. The result is an awesome distillation of World War 2, reduced to what role the British battleships played.


BOTTOM LINE: DIDACTIC YES -- BUT A SENSATIONAL PLEASURE TO READ

Smith covers everything pertaining to British Battleships in action which includes the life and deaths of the German, French, Italian and Japanese Battleships as well. He takes great pride in enumerating the amount of effort that was put forth by the air-forces of both allied and enemy combatants against the dreadnoughts, with little to show in exchange for their efforts'. Whether one accepts his conclusions', which are very nationalistic, one can't deny the energy and enthusiasm that he imparts to the subject matter, which is often rather dryly presented by other authors.