Great naval battles of the 20th century

by Richard Hough

Dominance of the sea has always been one of mankind's greatest obsessions. Since man first set sail, the high seas have witnessed some of history's most violent battles. During the First and Second World Wars, ships were built on mammoth proportions-and sunk at a furious pace, quite literally littering the briny depths with the rusty hulks that were once its masters. Naval Battles of the 20th Century spans 1905 through World War II, covering 14 of the most crucial battles of modern times. Britain, the United States, Japan and Russia have all played major roles in the struggle for the sea. This detailed book puts a century's worth of naval battles in context. It begins with the Battle of Tsu-Shima, where the Japanese successfully challenged Britain's 100-year tenure as naval ruler of the world. It ends 50 years later, when America regained bragging rights for the Allies, decimating the Japanese at the Battle of the Philippines, Fluidly written, Naval Battles of the 20th Century makes these complex engagements easy to follow. You'll gain a whole new perspective on some of history's most crucial battles

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Richard Alexander Hough was a British author and historian specializing in naval history. As a child, he was obsessed with making model warships and collecting information about navies around the world. In 1941, he joined the Royal Air Force and trained at a flying school near Los Angeles. He flew Hurricanes and Typhoons and was wounded in action.

After World War II, Hough worked as a part-time delivery driver for a wine shop, while looking for employment involving books. He finally joined the publishing house Bodley Head, and then Hamish Hamilton, where he eventually headed the children’s book division.

His work as a publisher inspired him to turn to writing himself in 1950, and he went on to write more than ninety books over a long and successful career. Best-known for his works of naval history and his biographies, he also wrote war novels and books for children (under the pseudonym Bruce Carter), all of which sold in huge numbers around the world. His works include The Longest Battle: The War at Sea 1939-45, Naval Battles of the Twentieth Century and best-selling biographies of Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Captain James Cook. Captain Bligh and Mr Christian, his 1972 account of the mutiny on the Bounty, was the basis of the 1984 film The Bounty, starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson.

Hough was the official historian of the Mountbatten family and a longtime student of Churchill. Winston Churchill figures prominently in nine of his books, including Former Naval Person: Churchill and the Wars at Sea. He won the Daily Express Best Book of the Sea Award in 1972.

Reviews

[John Cates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview of 20th century politics, conflicts and technological advances set against the backdrop of war at sea - could have used some better proof reading