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The Seafarers
Die Schlachtschiffe
This volume in The Seafarers series takes a look at the development and use of battleship technology in World War 1, culminating in a detailed account of the Battle of Jutland and its anticlimactic aftermath.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 27, 2025
The story of the titans of the sea. The Dreadnoughts were the biggest ships on the sea, fastest of the large ships, with the biggest guns and the thickest armor. They instantly made all other navy ships obsolete.
The Dreadnought was the result of an arms race between imperial Germany and Great Britain. The Germans wanted to be a sea power and the British wanted to remain the uncontested masters of the sea. The Germans had the support of the Kaiser. The British had the support of the King but was opposed by the Navy. Who needs a faster ship, speed is only for running away. Why switch to oil, coal works just fine. Why do you need more armor, it just makes the ships unstable. You want a ship with fewer guns, you must be mad.
Both navies got their dreadnoughts just as World War I arrived. Time to put them to use. Or not. Turns out a dreadnought was just too valuable and cost too much to risk in battle, so both sides had them patrolling coastal waters and waiting for the enemy to come to them. For years. Until the Battle of Jutland.
Howarth spends the first half of the book giving detailed information about how the dreadnoughts came to be and the people involved. The second half is a detailed exploration of the Battle of Jutland. Both the first half and the second are excellent. This oversized book comes packed with pictures. A fine addition to any collection.
The Dreadnought was the result of an arms race between imperial Germany and Great Britain. The Germans wanted to be a sea power and the British wanted to remain the uncontested masters of the sea. The Germans had the support of the Kaiser. The British had the support of the King but was opposed by the Navy. Who needs a faster ship, speed is only for running away. Why switch to oil, coal works just fine. Why do you need more armor, it just makes the ships unstable. You want a ship with fewer guns, you must be mad.
Both navies got their dreadnoughts just as World War I arrived. Time to put them to use. Or not. Turns out a dreadnought was just too valuable and cost too much to risk in battle, so both sides had them patrolling coastal waters and waiting for the enemy to come to them. For years. Until the Battle of Jutland.
Howarth spends the first half of the book giving detailed information about how the dreadnoughts came to be and the people involved. The second half is a detailed exploration of the Battle of Jutland. Both the first half and the second are excellent. This oversized book comes packed with pictures. A fine addition to any collection.
February 12, 2019
Highly informative
June 10, 2019
Quiet a good survey. Accessible to uninitiated and while containing information with will edify veteran readers.
November 28, 2011
A fascinating book on the naval arms race between Britain and Germany to see which could build the largest and most powerful fleet of iron battleships as this new era of warfare began in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews