3 Review(s)

For everyone who wants to cut through the myth and propaganda to understand the reality of life in the Royal Navy during World War II, this book presents all the essential facts in a highly readable and accessible form. The colorful, large-format work is enhanced by 300 illustrations that include contemporary photographs and artworks, diagrams and line drawings. In this timely follow-up to his bestselling Nelson's Navy, Brian Lavery examines not only the naval campaigns, from the scuttling of the Graf Spee to the winning of the Battle of the Atlantic and the dramatic landings at Normandy, but also the administration ashore and at sea that ensured those successes. The author casts a lucid eye over the strengths and weaknesses of a naval organization under acute strain that managed to rise to the challenge of war. He delves into all areas of the Royal Navy, from the ships and crews of the battle fleet to the fleet air arm and submarine service, coastal forces, and combined operations, and he covers all aspects of personnel, from the Admiralty to the Able Seaman. Lavery also takes a careful look at the merits of technological advances in ship design, armament, and sensors and of naval customs and tradition and sets them in the context of the period.