Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. [Import] [Hardcover]

Robert and Chesneau, Roger (ed.) Gardiner (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Conway Maritime (December 31, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851771335
• ISBN-13: 978-0851771335
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,593,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive resource for info on warships of the period., August 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. (Hardcover)

Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905 is--without a doubt--the most detailed and complete reference for warships in the Civil War, ironclad, and pre-dreadnought eras. Covering ships built just before the Civil War to the end of the Russo-Japanese war, this book contains information that you just won't find anywhere else. Each ship class built in this period, from torpedo boats to battleships, is detailed with an average of a half to one page per class. The stats for the ship (length, width, draught, speed, armour thickness, gun configuration, etc.) are complemented by a brief history of the vessels in question and a listing of modifications within the class. At the beginning of the book is an indepth discussion of ship building of the era, including such things as discussions on magazine design, armour design, and other hard-to-find information. The ships are listed alphabetically by nation for easy reference. This is a must for serious researchers, military historians, and naval wargamers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete reference library in one book., April 10, 2009

By 

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

This review is from: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. (Hardcover)

Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905 is the first in a series of 4 books which, as the title suggests, lists all the worlds fighting ships built in that period between the first ironclad warship and the Dreadnought battleship. This was a time when the world's first great arms race was running a full speed - in short, as one country built a big battleship - so another would simply design one that was even bigger.

Conway Maritime Press are well known for their factual books on ships - especially warships, in which they provide the finest technical documentation. "All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905" is hard-back measuring 12½" x 8¾" with 440 pages of detailed and factual information. After a brief foreword and an explanation of abbreviations used, the navies of the world are divided into three main headings; The world's great powers, coast defence navies and minor navies. Under each of these headings all the relevant ships are then listed by country. Displayed by "class," each section then commences with the largest battleships and progresses all the way down to the smallest torpedo boats (or whatever) with the oldest vessels mentioned first. For each class there is one or more of those profile line drawings which have become Conway's trademark. These are followed by all the usual technical details such as; Displacement, dimensions, machinery, armour, armament and complement followed by the names of each ship within that class - it's builder, date laid down, date completed and fate. These are accompanied by a very "readable" text from which we learn of the political intrigue of the day, variations between vessels, refits, new equipment, whatever defects or other problems that beset either the class or a specific ship and a short résumé of the fate of each vessel.

Altogether, the book is well illustrated with an excellent selection of historic black and white original photographs throughout with at least one picture on almost every page.

In summary, this is an excellent technical work of reference and one which will continue to stand the test of time. Put another way, this is one of those books you will wish you had bought - after it becomes out of print.

NM