Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923-1945 [Paperback]

D. K. Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159114602x
• ISBN-13: 978-1591146025
• ASIN: 159114602X
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Brown practices law in the Monterey, California area, where he has represented both landlords and tenants in hundreds of court cases -- most of which he felt could have been avoided if both sides were more fully informed about landlord/tenant law. Brown, a graduate of Stanford University (chemistry) and the University of Santa Clara Law School, also teaches law at the Monterey College of Law and is the author of Fight Your Ticket (CA version), Beat Your Ticket (the national version), The Landlord's Law Book, Vol. 1: Rights and Responsibilities; The Landlord's Law Book, Vol. 2: Evictions and co-author of How to Change Your Name in California and The Guardianship Book for California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, Detailed Work for Dedicated Naval Design Enthusiasts - ONLY, December 13, 2008

By 

Jonathan Lupton (Little Rock , AR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923-1945 (Paperback)

If you want a fun, quick-reading, concise description of British Navy ships in World War II, look elsewhere. If, however, you want a detailed, arcane, at times even parenthetical discussion of British warship design 1923-1945, this is THE source. Here's an example. Did you know that the problem with the 14-inch guns in the King George V class battleships owed to the turret's transfer ring, an overly-sensitive mechanism configured to allow loading at any angle of elevation? This problem, which dogged Prince of Wales in combat with Bismarck in 1941, still plagued Duke of York when firing on Scharnhorst more than two years later, reducing rate of fire well below the optimum.

While reaching this exquisite level of detail, the author still manages to ground his text in the vital strategic and tactical questions that determined the naval war's outcome. Mr. Brown gives a thoughtful assessment of everything from habitability to damage control, gunnery rate of fire to the impact of the Washington Treaty on British cruiser design, and much, much more. The title covers all classes of warships, from battleships to armed trawlers.

The most provocative section is Chapter Ten, "Wartime Damage." Here the author considers damage statistics from the war, and evaluates the protection of different classes of British warships. His discussions of the loss of Hood, Prince of Wales and Ark Royal contained insights that were new to me, and I have studied these questions for years.

Illustrations are ample, with provocative captions that enhance the text. There are diagrams and photographs, all black and white, many of them seldom shown elsewhere. Mr. Brown's writing style is dense but quite readable - assuming you like exhaustive details on ship design and performance. This book is not a fast read, but it is a very good read that belongs on the bookshelf of any writer or researcher with a serious interest in British warship design in World War II.

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Nice Work by DK Brown, February 8, 2008

By 

S. Oneill "Cruichin" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923-1945 (Paperback)

This book was a great overview of the design concepts underlying the Royal Navy's ships built after WWI. I enjoyed it and learned from it, and it will help in my modeling activities.