Over 700 colour photographs

• An illustrated history of battleships of the world from 1860 to the present day, featuring informative and expert descriptions of over 150 ships and detailing their construction, function and history



• Examines the evolution of the battleship, from the first ironclads and the revolutionary Dreadnoughts to the mighty battleships of World War II and their final sorties during the Gulf War



• Specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each ship's country of origin, launch date, size, weight, armament , power, performance and complement



• Includes the stories, facts and anecdotes about the famous battles and naval operations in which these ships played a pivotal role



• Features over 550 colour and black-and-white archive photograhs from naval and military sources worldwide, many rarely seen before in publications

This meticulously researched and illustrated book begins with a history of the battleship, from the first ironclad wooden-hulled ships of the 19th century to the revolutionary Dreadnoughts of World War I and the mightly battleships and battle cruisers of World War II. In fascinating detail, here are the accounts of the main battles and operations in which these warships took part. There are also anecdotes about the personalities involved in the design and command of what has been described as one of the most technologically advanced and complex engineering achievements of human civilization.

There follows three chronological sections, each of which is a comprehensive country-by-country directory of the major battleships of that era, with an informative text describing their history, construction, appearance and function.

Accompanied by archive and museum photographs, illustrations and paintings, the famous ships of the last 150 years, including Dreadnought, Hood, New Jersey, Bismarck and Nagato, are brought to life. Special information panels detail each ship's main specificiations, including its country of origin, launch date, size, weight, firepower and performance.

Featuring more than 150 ships and illustrated with over 550 photographs, this is a must-have reference book for everyone interested in the battleships that have helped to make history.

About the Authors

Peter Hore - Author

Captain Peter Hore served worldwide in the Royal Navy from 1962 to 2000, mostly in frigates and destroyers. During the Falklands war he was joint logistics controller on Ascension Island, and he has headed both the Royal Navy's applied research programme and its non-technical research programmes. His last appointment in uniform was as head of defence studies during the British government's strategic defence review, the rewriting of British maritime strategy, and the launch of a new concept of operations, the maritime contribution to joint operations. Peter is now associate editor of Warships International Fleet Review, op-ed writer for Newsday in New York, and obituarist for the Daily Telegraph in London. He is the author of many reviews and articles and of five books.