Product Description

With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence. Yet ten of the 12 battleships were already over 20 years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict. This title offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service, with detailed descriptions of the effectiveness of the main armament of individual ships. With specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic re-telling of key battleship conflicts, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84885 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent detail.
Anyone looking for a book about British battleships might ordinarily expect to find a very thick and equally expensive work in which all such vessels are detailed. Alternatively, they might find the history of one particular ship. In this instance, however, the publishers have confined themselves to two classes of British Battleship - namely the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign classes.

With only 47 pages, I was impressed by the amount of detail. There are no shortages of either photographs - many of which do not appear to have been previously published, or artwork of the highest standard arranged alongside all the facts, figures, dimensions and detail that one would expect to find in any comprehensive account.

Of immense value to the serious historian as well as anyone else with an interest in the subject, this book will also provide all the data required for the serious modeller.

It says much for the work that my only criticisms are very minor. Being one of very few people outside of the Royal Navy to have visited the remains of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow, I would like to have known who took that underwater picture of her director platform. Elsewhere, having learned HMS Repulse was laid down as a Royal Sovereign class battleship, her fate is recorded as converted to battle cruiser in 1914. Viewed in the context of what eventually happened to all the ships in that class, I know what they meant. Her conversion, however, was never her fate.

Nevertheless, do not let such inconsequential comments mar your enjoyment of an otherwise excellent product.

NM

Very good
As usual a very good book by Osprey. Great colour plates and detailed service records of all ten ships. As a basic but informative introduction to the history of these ships in WW2 this book is very, very good.
My only gripe (and it is minor) was that the profiles supplied for HMS Barham and HMS Malaya (pg 27)have been mixed up. In reality the top image represents the Barham in 1941 and the bottom Malaya in 1943 not the other way around. Aside from that the book has made a welcome and colourful addition to my collection. I am keenly awaiting the volumne on the KGV's, Nelson and Rodney.

BRIEF BUT GOOD
An excellent, brief introduction. Concentrates more on the 2nd WW exploits of the ships but Jutland does get a mention although not in much detail, no mention of windy corner or Beatty's mis -handling of the QE's but then this booklet (book is a bit strong for such a slim volume) is more about the ships and building than day to day dissection of events. There is a typo's on page 18, 19,000 yards is more like 9.4 nautical miles than the 17nm that the book gives but it's a very minor point.

I liked the cut-aways and colour drawings, could have done with a few more photographs but, overall , worth getting if you're a fan.