The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II (Studies in Military & Strategic History) [Hardcover]

James Levy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2004 | ISBN-10: 1403917736 | ISBN-13: 978-1403917737

During WWII the mission of the Navy was, first and foremost, 'holding the line' against the German surface fleet, preventing it from disrupting the vital transatlantic sea-lanes or escorting an invasion force to Britain. The importance of holding the line cannot be over-emphasised but it is often overlooked as there was no decisive battle on the seas surrounding Britain in WWII. This work is a strategic and operational history of the Home Fleet. It examines the role of the home fleet in allied strategy and how well the home fleet carried out the missions assigned to it within the framework of that strategy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Levy is William J. Philpott Lecturer in Military History, King's College London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (January 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403917736
• ISBN-13: 978-1403917737
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,413,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OK, if nobody else wants to chime in..., November 30, 2005

By 

James Levy (Levittown, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II (Studies in Military & Strategic History) (Hardcover)

Well, this is the author, and after waiting two years for someone to chime in on my book, I'll tell you what I think. First, despite earlier efforts to correct this, I'm not a lecturer at Kings College, London. Professor Philpott, who edited this series, is alive and well and teaching there. I'm at Hofstra University on Long Island and teach in the School for University Studies and the History Department. Second, the book is a rather good look at the operations of the Home Fleet from the perspective of its four Commanders-in-Chief: Charles Forbes, Jack Tovey, Bruce Fraser, and Henry Moore. It is moderately hostile to Winston Churchill, who has a puffed up reputation as something of a brilliant strategist--he was not, but liked to pretend he was. This "former naval person" was no such thing; he was a cavalry subaltern and never really stopped thinking like one. So, if you like ships and naval battles, and are agnostic about Churchill, you should enjoy this solid little book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A First Class History, June 4, 2007

By 

Nicholas E. Sarantakes (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II (Studies in Military & Strategic History) (Hardcover)

The Home Fleet of the Royal Navy was an important formation during World War II and James Levy tells the story of its history well. Levy reminds his readers of something that is quite easy to forget: naval operations were a critical element in determining the outcome of this war. The Royal Navy could not win the war, but they sure could lose it; if Germany had gained control of the waters surrounding Britain there may or may not have been an invasion of the United Kingdom, but there sure would have never been a D-Day.

This fleet played a key role in protecting Britain and blocking the German advance. Although he is an American, Levy knows the Royal Navy quite well. He earned his history Ph.D. in Wales and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Naval matters can be quite confusing for land lubbers, but his text is accessible to those of us with a limited understanding of the sea. His prose is strong and engaging. He clearly admires the commanders and men of the Home Fleet and honors them for their work without glorifying the brutality of war. He is less complimentary of the Admiralty, which often kept intervening in tactical and operational matters that were domain of the Fleet Commanders-in-Chief. He also is willing to go after sacred cows and shows that Winston Churchill both as First Lord of the Admiralty and then as Prime Minister made a number of strategic mistakes that complicated the mission of the Home Fleet.

Although he is focused on this one formation, Levy takes into account a number of factors such as other conflicting strategic demands, economics, and the pace of technological innovation. While the history of staff work is hardly the sexiest of topics, he offers gripping accounts of a whole slew of surface engagements that the Home Fleet fought against the German Navy. Although none of them were as famous or as big as Jutland or Trafalger, they were important. The Germans in many cases had better ships with more armor, speed and firepower, but the Royal Navy had 400 years of tradition that emphasized aggressive leadership. Despite its material shortcomings, the British dominated the Germans time and time again and never allowed them to challenge their dominance of the high seas.