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British Battleships 1939–45 (2): Nelson and King George V Classes (New Vanguard) Paperback – Illustrated, September 22, 2009
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With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy was at the forefront of her defence with her fleet of battleships as her main striking force. However, ten battleships of this fleet were already over 20 years old, venerable veterans of the first world conflict. As such, in the 1930s two new classes were commissioned - modern battleships which were designed to replace the ageing battle fleet although only one would see active service. Together with the older battleships, which were increasingly modified in the decade preceding the war and during the conflict itself, these vessels held their own against their German and Italian counterparts.
This title offers a comprehensive review of the seven battleships of the Nelson and King George V classes from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service. Detailed descriptions of the main armament of each ship will offer further analysis of individual battleship's effectiveness, discussing how the guns were manned when engaging with the enemy. Moreover, with specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic re-telling of key battleship battles, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas. Describing HMS Rodney battling against the Bismarck, the might of the Kriegsmarine, the author details how the British battleship closed in on her German adversary at such close range that the spotters could follow the shells onto the target, arguing that although the aircraft carrier would eventually dominate later naval conflicts, it was the battleship that performed an invaluable service throughout countless engagements.
- Print length48 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOsprey Publishing
- Publication dateSeptember 22, 2009
- Dimensions7.37 x 0.13 x 9.79 inches
- ISBN-101846033896
- ISBN-13978-1846033896
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From the Publisher
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Full colour battlescenesBeautifully illustrated battlescenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life. |
Cutaway diagramsSpecially commissioned full colour illustrations are included alongside labels and comprehensive captions to give a full breakdown of the machines and ships used in battle. |
PhotographsEach volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants. |
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This title offers a comprehensive review of the seven battleships of the Nelson and King George V classes from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications in wartime service, detailed descriptions of the main armament of the ships will offer further analysis of individual battleships effectiveness discussing how the guns were manned when engaging the enemy. Moreover a specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic retelling of the battleship battles, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas.” ―Ken Williams, IPMS/USA (December 2009)
“The drawings, photographs, and artwork are first rate...The typical ship modeler can readily use these books as a good reference when building any of these important ships.” ―Rodger Cole, Model Shipwrights (November 2009)
“All of Britain's battleship classes are covered in some detail as to the design and armament... This is all accompanied by some superb photos of the various ships and by the excellent art work of Tony Bryan and Paul Wright. This helps us to see how these ships improved over the years and the differences in the various classes. In all, it makes for an excellent primer on the subject and fully meets this reviewer's expectations of books in this series. If you want to learn about the subject, I know you will find it to be equally useful. Buy with confidence.” ―Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness, modelingmadness.com (December 2009)
About the Author
Paul Wright has painted ships of all kinds for most of his career, specializing in steel and steam warships from the late 19th century to the present day. Paul's art has illustrated the works of Patrick O'Brian, Dudley Pope and C.S. Forester amongst others, and hangs in many corporate and private collections all over the world. A Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Paul lives and works in Surrey.
Product details
- Publisher : Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (September 22, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 48 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1846033896
- ISBN-13 : 978-1846033896
- Item Weight : 5.9 ounces
- Dimensions : 7.37 x 0.13 x 9.79 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,961 in Naval Military History
- #9,233 in Great Britain History (Books)
- #16,689 in World War II History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

With over 50 history books in print, Angus is a widely recognised and much-published historian. While he specialises in military and naval history he has also written numerous more general history books, designed to make the subject more accessible to a wider audience. Uniquely he has been able to draw on his expertise as a senior museum curator who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on his academic training as a historian and as a maritime archaeologist.
His latest book is a full-length biography: Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, which is published by Wiley & Sons. of New York (June 2006)
Angus is also just finished writing a history of the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 for the British publisher Pen & Sword, and he is currently working on a new project, with the working title of Supership: The Quest for the Renaissance Battleship.
Angus lives in Edinburgh, in Scotland.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
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If you know little about these four classes of British battleships, this title is a readable, reasonably well-illustrated, and informative introduction. If you are already knowledgeable, you may be disappointed. I believe author Konstam spread his effort too thinly. By giving background on Vanguard and the Lion class, he lost the opportunity to give the kind of depth I wanted on the King George V class.
The King George V class ships were vital participants in World War II. Three of them were involved in surface actions against enemy battleships. Their protection incorporated the lessons of Jutland, meaning they were well-protected against shellfire. On the other hand, Prince of Wales succumbed to just five torpedoes in the South China Sea, suggesting flotation survival was not ideal. Yet this vital class was given barely over five pages of text; insufficient to address valid questions about protection, seaworthiness, and firepower.
There are two "Range and Penetration" tables, comparing the capabilities of the 16-inch and 14-inch guns of the Nelson and King George V classes: range, gun elevation, angle of descent, and shell velocity. Despite the title, the tables give no information about actual shell penetration.
The author also makes an error on p. 11 when he describes Britain's proposed G3 battlecruisers and N3 battleships as "the first battleships in the world to adopt triple turrets" around the year 1920. They may have been the RN's first triple-turret ships, but by this time the Italian, Russian, and U.S. Navies had all commissioned triple-turret battleships. That said, the related discussion of the Washington Treaty, and its impact on the eccentric design of the battleships Nelson and Rodney, is probably the most insightful section of this book.
This title is simply not up to the standard of Mr. Konstam's earlier title about the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign classes, which covered a smaller topic with greater depth. Yet it still gives a nice overview of the modern battleships that comprised a vital cornerstone of Britain's survival in World War II's grim early years.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 14, 2021





Top reviews from other countries


They are a great place to start if your recently new to the interest of Naval history and the big guns of History. Plenty of pictures and cross section images of King George V ships and art work specific to these books.
Well worth a look and take it as an aid to getting interested rather than a definitive guide.


