Customer Reviews

The Battle of Jutland 1916

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I recently became interested in WW1 and especially, the naval warfare aspect. This is the first book that I have obtained concerning the Battle of Jutland and I can't really compare it with any other works at this time. I personally have enjoyed it very much and I have found it to be most informative. I have found that when ordering books on-line, it is sometimes very difficult to obtain BASIC info on each book which would help me to decide if it was what I wanted. Therefore, instead of analyzing this book, I would simply like to provide some of the basic info:

The book is 244 pages. The Battle of Jutland is discussed in great detail from the events prior to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath. It is VERY, VERY WELL-ILLUSTRATED (all in b&w). There are many maps (13) showing fleet formations and individual ship positions at different stages of the battle. There are many photos of the individual ships that took part in the Battle of Jutland; these include numerous photos showing many of the ships before, during and after the battle (some showing detailed damage sustained during the fighting). There is a chapter which provides short biographies of all of the primary commanders of both the British and German forces (Jellicoe, Beatty, Evan-Thomas, Scheer, Hipper). At the end is an Appendix showing the opposing fleets and principal commanders on 31 May/1 June 1916.

There are a total of 15 chapters and include the following: 1. The Growth of Anglo-Allied Rivalry 2. The German Challenge to Britain 3. The Modernization of the Royal Navy 4. Winston Churchill's Contribution 5. The German Reaction 6. The Outbreak of War 1914 7. The War at Sea 8. The Sea Commanders 9. Materiel and Methods 10. The Eve and First Phase of the Encounter 11. The Retreat to the North 12. The Second German Advance 13. The Night Action 14. The Aftermath 15. The Debate and the Lesson

There are a total of 13 maps and are titled as the following: 1. The North Sea Bases 2. Courses to the action 3. Positions at 1415 4. Elbing turns in pursuit 5. The position at 1440 6. The battlecruiser engagement 7. British battlecruisers turn away 8. 5th Battle Squadron at 1651 9. Deployment of the Grand Fleet at 1830 10. Hipper's "Death Ride" at 1915 11. The end of the day 2100 12. Night stations 2200 13. Routes home for the German Fleet

For someone new to WW1 naval warfare like me, I found it to be very informative and fun to read; and at a very good price. I would strongly recommend it to others who are also developing a similar interest in this subject.

An excelleny description of the Battle of Jutland, why it happended, and the consequences for naval warfare. A surprising aspect of this book, are the lifestyle situations, of the personalities involved, on both sides. Very unusual for a book of this type, and pleasantly off-sets the technicals details, necessary to describe the conflict.