Customer Reviews

Destruction and triumph - naval conflicts down the ages - By: N. BARTLETT, 06 Oct 2008
This book provides encyclopaedic & colourful detail on almost every aspect of naval warfare & much else besides.
I read of naval battlesin remote parts & many ages ago that I have never heard of. My ignorance of thosein Korean & Japanese waters & even on the Great Lakes of North America might be excused but less so the Battle of Beachy Headin 1690 when the English fleet was soundly trounced by the French. For over 300 battles there are summaries of the action & a table of essentials about the combatants: date, location, commanders, men, ships & result. Not only set-piece battles are covered but also naval sieges such as that of Constantinople & the attrition of Arctic convoy PQ17.
But this is no dry recitation of distant events. Around 65 significant battles merit much longer illustrated text & of those two dozen have detailed 3D diagrams. Eye witness accounts about the events from participants are highlighted. Many commanders have illustrated biographies.
The Introduction features accurate colourful drawings of exemplars of fighting ships down the ages from early galleys to today's nuclear submarines. There follow four long chapters each dealing with broad historic segments: sail & oar, generallyin coastal waters; the great age of sail combined with cannon & the first blue water fleets; the transition to steam & steel; & finally air power & submarines. Each chapter covers the battles that occurin the period but also describe technical, economic, social & human aspects of lifein navies.
Churchill said of naval tradition it was `rum, sodomy & the lash'. Drunkenness & punishment are certainly covered although the other is scarcely mentioned. Full colour photographic features provide intriguing detail of seven preserved or replica ships including HMS Victory, Spanish galleon Galeria Real, Imperial Japanese Navy Mikasa, battleship USS Texas & aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
Many technical matters are explainedin straightforward language & clear diagrams. There are colourful 2-page spreads of artists' interpretations of many of the big battles & the artwork throughout the book is of the highest quality.
The author is described as `a history writer' rather than an historian. Thus there is no significant historical analysis or insight. Instead there is a comprehensive gathering of data, well-ordered & well-written. Did you know, for example, that HMS Victory mounted 105 cannon, not many fewer than the total French Army's artillery of 139 pieces at the huge battle of Austerlitz?
This is a magnificent book that will bring pleasure to anyone interestedin the navy.