The Battleship Warspite (Anatomy of the Ship) [Hardcover]

Ross Watton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Anatomy of the Ship | Publication Date: December 2002

One of the finest capital ship designs of all time, the Warspite represented the ultimate development of the revolutionary dreadnought design and the prototypes of the modern fast battleship. Her fighting career spanned two generations--from the Battle of Jutland in 1916 through World War II. Originally published in 1986 and now revised, this new edition joins the acclaimed Anatomy of the Ship series to provide the most detailed description and illustrations of the Warspite available anywhere. A pictorial section contains numerous photographs with close-up and onboard views of ship equipment and spaces. Over 100 keyed drawings illustrate every detail of the ship, including hull construction machinery, superstructure, armament, boats and aircraft, and fittings. Such comprehensive drawings offer ship buffs, historians and model makers novel insight into the technicalities of an important ship type. Information on appearance changes and interwar reconstruction also is included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ross Watton's artistic career started whilst serving in the Royal Navy. In 1977 he won first prize in a competition to design a First Day Cover for the Silver Jubilee Fleet Reviw. After leaving the Navy in 1981 he trained as a technical illustrator, working on illustrations of HMS Belfast, which developed into his first contribution to the Anatomy series. The Cruiser Belfast. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; Revised edition (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591140390
• ISBN-13: 978-1591140399
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,985,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting Tribute to a Grand old Lady, August 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Battleship Warspite (Anatomy of the Ship) (Hardcover)

The Warspite was one of the Royal Navy's most famous ships that saw action in both the First and Second World Wars. Launched in 1913 she was severely damaged at the Battle of Jutland after taking thirteen hits. She actually did an infamous 720o turn in front of the entire German High Seas Fleet and survived.

In the Second World War Warspite was bomb damaged in 1942 and repaired in the USA,severely damaged by guided bombs in 1943, repaired and reputed to have opened the naval bombardment on D Day, damaged by a mine later in 1944, repaired again and saw more action bombarding Brest. In a final show of defiance she broke her tow en route to scrapping, ran aground 23 April 1947 and was finally cut up where she lay.

Sadly in Britain we did not preserve any 20th century battleships, this book is a fitting tribute.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know about this ship., August 19, 2003

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Battleship Warspite (Anatomy of the Ship) (Hardcover)

The Battleship "Warspite" was one of 5 ships of the Queen Elizabeth class and went on to serve with great distinction in World War 1 (including the Battle of Jutland) and World War 2 before finally being scrapped in 1947. Today, almost 60 years after she fired her last shot in anger (10 September 1944 off Le Havre), there are those who will remember serving on this magnificent ship and others who are interested in every facet of her history as well as her construction and technical detail. This is an excellent book for all such enthusiasts.

Conway Maritime Press are well known for their "Anatomy of the Ship" series in which they provide the finest technical documentation for specific ships or ship types ever published. "The Battleship Warspite" is hard-back measuring 10¼" (wide) x 9¾" with 120 pages of detailed and factual information. The wide format allows the publishers to produce first class detailed line drawings of every aspect of this ship in a size that is easy to see and follow. All the information is there - right down to the last nut and bolt.

Commencing with a potted history of the Queen Elizabeth class, we then have a career summary of the Warspite before coming on to a series of "Tables" which provide us with the technical details of construction, general arrangements, hull structure, protection, machinery, comparisons, armament, fire control, aircraft and so on. Next is 22 pages of historic photographs followed by 80 pages of detailed line drawings and technical information.

And detailed it is too; Under just one main heading "General arrangements" we have drawing after drawing showing every aspect of this ship in cross section - deck by deck and room by room, from aft to bows. Then everything is repeated from above as we work our way down through every level of the ship from the highest part of the superstructure to the keel. These are followed with more specific technical information under such headings as hull construction, machinery, accommodation, superstructure, rig, armament, fire control, fittings, disruptive camouflage, ground tackle, boats and finally aircraft arrangements.

The inclusion of even the humble Signal Locker (that box comprising almost 100 small "pigeon-holes" in which the different signal flags were kept) gives an indication of the attention to detail put into this book and, once again, I congratulate both the author and publishers for a job well done.

NM

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Overview of the most sucessfull Battleship ever built, December 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Battleship Warspite (Hardcover)

The Queen Elizabeth class battleships are without doubt the most sucessful Battleship design eve in terms of cost length of service and accomplishment, and Warspite was the most sucessfull of the class (with most battle honours of any RN Ship). This book gives a nice overview of the ship; plenty of pictures etc, but the service history is somewhat superficial which really doesn't do service to the class or the ship.