Battleship

by Peter Padfield

The battleship reigned supreme at sea from the 1860s to the 1940s, the ultimate symbol of naval power and national pride, queen on the naval chessboard. As a result, strategy and battle tactics changed in response to the mounting of ever larger guns with greater range and penetrative power, and the development of threatening new weapon systems, particularly torpedoes, torpedo boats, mines and submarines. The author also explores the chilling reality of action with vivid descriptions of major naval battles including the Yalu in the first Sino-Japanese War, Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, Jutland in the First World War and many lesser known engagements. Battleship describes the evolution from the wooden man-of-war plated with iron armour to the great steel leviathan of the Second World War, and its ultimate displacement as arbiter of naval power by the aircraft carrier. Praise for ‘Well written and balanced in judgement and makes good use of the primary printed material in the Naval Library… Above all it deserves particular attention for its author’s specialised knowledge of the development of naval gunnery and fire control’ - Times Literary Supplement ‘With crisp scholarship, Peter Padfield traces the development of the battleship from sailing ships much like Nelson’s which had been fitted with auxiliary steam engines and had iron armour hung on their sides, to the the Japanese battleship, Yamato, a giant of more than 70,000 tons firing 18 inch shells more than 20 miles’ - Books and Bookmen Peter Padfield lives in Woodbridge, Suffolk. He worked with P&O and sailed with Alan Villiers in Mayflower II in commemoration of the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers. The Titanic and The Californian won him international recognition as a writer. He is also the author of classic biographies of Hess, Donitz and Himmler and has written widely on the sea, including a work on naval gunnery.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

482 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2004

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It is very technical, so perhaps not suitable for the reader who wants to see accounts of battles.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book I have read about the relationship between the evolution of the battleship and the development of technology. The era of battleships did not last long, and their effectiveness—measured by battles won—was not particularly impressive. However, the image of power projected by their big guns has endured.

These ships were already obsolete by the 1930s, yet most political and naval leaders continued to see the battleship as the capital ship—the ultimate symbol of maritime strength. By 1941, however, it had become clear that the aircraft carrier was a far more powerful weapon.

This is another example of how difficult it is for military leaders to envision the next conflict with imagination, rather than simply preparing to fight the last one again. The use of drones in the war in Ukraine is a modern demonstration of this reality.

[MR J P SMITH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of the battleship

Padfield is an obvious authority on the subject of battleship and he research is both exhaustive and well chosen. The text is almost a story-book narrative, with occasional sideways glances to strong characters and important vessels to illuminate and inform the reader.

This can sometimes feel a bit odd, as Padfield veers from one subject to another in successive sentences, not even a new paragraph to demonstrate the change.

Get past this and it's a rewarding journey.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive and detailed guide to the development of the battleship from the days of wooden ships to the Second World War, although WW2 only warrants one chapter.
The book concentrates on the development of Ironclad ships through to the age of the dreadnoughts, at times it is highly technical and quite political. Some of the statistical information can be quite dry, but overall it was an interesting read.

[Richard Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Thorough Study

It would probably be more accurate to give this 3.5 stars, but that is not possible with this system. This is at times is a challenging read in that it gets highly technical in describing armor and gun development as battleships evolve. Nevertheless it is a well written history that is a must for those interested in naval history and most especially for battleship aficionados.

[John Manley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tip of you are reading the Kindle edition, bookmark the appendix before you start. This contains some simple diagrams that make more sense of the descriptions. I wish I had spotted the appendix earlier!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the advent and evolution of the big gun battleship through to its eclipse by air power and the aircraft carrier. Good for people who don't know much about this topic, or people who want to build a good foundation for more specialized reading later. Glad I came across this book.

[Mike Nesemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book , but I would say perhaps a bit too specialized for the general reader.

[TG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stuff but with a bit strange writing style. Liked it enough.

[Richard Nye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for aficionados of Naval Warfare. Delves into the detail of design but also a fascinating study of mankind's efforts to produce huge machines of war.

[Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine history

I would have liked a final twilight chapter, on us use after Wii.
Vietnam and the Reagan battleship use after

[Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Padfield's Battleship is a lovely history of the battleship from the armored monitors of Crimea through to the sinking of the carrier-laid-down-as-battleship Shinano. He describes the ships in exquisite detail, not only directly giving the details but including poetic and nearly poetic passages from officers who served on these beasts. I already knew many of the facts contained in the book, but Padfield tied them together into a remarkable and coherent story of man's striving to protect his nation and feed his ego through these ships of iron and steel.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The revised edition begins with a kind of out-of-nowhere discussion on the revisions from earlier texts about dreadnought fire-control, but despite the books overall no-frills approach, or perhaps even because of it, its a really good steady read that lacks only a follow up chapter on the support role of battleships in the Cold War as they slowly and steadily began to be decommissioned.

[Chris Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

This book is a well-written history of the development of the battleship and is worthy of the attention of every armchair navel historian. The book covers in detail the development of the battleship from the 1850's until 1944, covering all nations ships and ensuing conflicts including Tushima through to Layte Gulf.

[Steve Switzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb history of the developemant of the modern battleship from sailing ironclads like hms warrior to the demise of the Yamato 1945