The War at Sea 1939-45: Volume III Part 2 The Offensive 1st June 1944-14th August 1945

History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series

by Stephen Wentworth Roskill

Captain Roskill has long been recognised as the leading authority on the Royal Navy's part in the Second World War. His Official History (originally published for the HMSO) is unlikely ever to be superseded. His narrative is highly readable, and the analysis is clear. Roskill describes sea battles, convoy actions and the contribution made by technology in the shape of ASDIC and Radar. Chronological Summary of Principal Events - Prelude to 'Neptune' - The Assault on Normandy 6th June-3rd July 1944 - The Mediterranean Campaigns 1st June-31st December 1944 - Coastal Warfare 4th July-31st December 1944 - Home Waters and the Arctic 1st June-31st December 1944 - The Battle of the Atlantic 1st June-31st December 1944 - The Indian Ocean and Pacific 1st June-31st December 1944 - The End of the Mediterranean Campaigns 1st January-8th May 1945 - Home Waters and the Arctic 1st January-8th May 1945 - The Climax of the Anti-Shipping Offensive - The Battle of the Atlantic - The Final Phase and the Surrender of the U-Boats 1st January-8th May 1945 - The Offensive in the Indian Ocean 1st January-30th June 1945 - The Pacific War and the Arrival of the British Pacific Fleet 1st January-31st March 1945 - The Offensive in the Pacific 1st April-30th June1945 - The Setting of the Rising Sun 1st July-14th August 1945 - Conclusion and Inquiry

600 pages, Hardcover

First published August 9, 2013

About the author

Captain Stephen Wentworth Roskill, CBE, DSC, FBA, DLitt, was a career officer in the Royal Navy, serving during the Second World War and, after his enforced medical retirement, served as the official historian of the Royal Navy from 1949 to 1960. He is now chiefly remembered as a prodigious author of books on British maritime history.

Reviews

[Terry Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting prospect: WWII Naval History from the British point of view

I read every historical book on WWII I can get my hands on, which is a considerable amount. I have read all 15 volumes of Samuel Elliott's US Naval History of WWII, referenced a lot in these volumes. It was fascinating to review the war years from the British point of view.
Most of the battles I was already familiar with and reading what the tactics and issues from the other side of the pond has given me a more rounded prospective of the war years.
As mentioned in other reviews, there are a number of typos but they don't detract the reader or cause confusion. Your mind auto corrects as you go along.
Unfortunately, these volumes do not contain the numerous maps or appendices referenced in the footnotes. Because of that I am going to purchase the regular Kindle books. There are also hardbound books available but they are priced very high.
I recommend this series for any student of Military history.