Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today [Paperback]

W. Frederick Zimmerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2008

This is a a 44-page saddle-stitch paperback with color interior, 17 full-page photographs, and two beautiful profile drawings of the Japanese Navy's YAMATO, the biggest battleship ever constructed. What makes this book unique is that it answers the question in the subtitle--why YAMATO matters today--with an examination of the lessons that YAMATO holds for modern navies. A must for anyone interested in YAMATO, naval affairs, or battleships.

Product Details

• Paperback: 44 pages
• Publisher: Nimble Books (April 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934840343
• ISBN-13: 978-1934840344
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,932,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have worked at the intersection of computers and publishing for most of my adult life, beginning with a stint as Staff Writer for Sextant, the magazine for Heathkit personal computers, and most recently in product development for LexisNexis, a unit of the professional publishing giant Reed Elsevier plc.

I founded Nimble Books so that I could give myself the "green light" to launch new and interesting publishing projects.

Nimble Books publishes timely, relevant "living books" on a wide variety of subjects ranging from Harry Potter and Dan Brown to health, science, politics, and sports.

I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA with my beloved wife Cheryl and treasured children Kelsey and Parker.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Reads like an undergraduate thesis - probably because it was one., June 20, 2009

By 

Swift (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today (Paperback)

It's not exactly clear why this book was published as it offers, well, basically nothing to the likely readers. I'll give away the punchline: aparently why the battleship Yamato matters today is a series of business-school like pleasanties about path-dependance and the like. I'm guessing that such a "thesis" exists in there because the author was told by his teacher that his discussion of battleships must have some relevance to whatever course it was that he was enrolled in. The photographs are nothing new and the factual content of this book can be summed up as 90% wikipedia, 10% decent books that most likely readers know well, poorly footnooted.

I was particularly amused by the note in the table of contents relating to a photo of an 18cm shell at Yasukuni. I'll quote it verbatim: "Unfortunately, Yamato never had a chance to fire these weapons at US Battleships, their intended target."

There's something unfortunate here, alright, but that ain't it.

I hope you got a nice grade on your paper anyway, Mr. Zimmerman.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Promises alot delivers less, March 15, 2009

By 

W. Pollock "Bill Pollock" (Auckland NZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today (Paperback)

The book is a disappointment. There is no new information, pictures are low resolution, and the text content is just there to pad things out.Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Book sinks like Yamato did, August 31, 2010

By 

Bertram A. Workum (Cincinnati OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today (Paperback)

This review will be shorter than the Life of IJN Yamato. In a word, this book (sic!)sucks. Unfortunately, I bought the thing, and I know how bad it is. What other reviewers say is all too true; the Nimble book (sic!) falls flat. A couple of poorly reproduced pictures from some source or other. Damn little text (which may be a blessing, 'cause I sorta think Zimmerman's people don't know much except how to separate people from their money). Amazon.com -- and other dealers -- should be aware that Nimble is close to being a deliberate rip-off. No one could put out such trash without knowing they are putting out such trash. I have read reviews on Amazon.com of other Nimble books; the verdict is eaqually damning.