Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)John Roberts authored several outstanding books, including "Battlecruisers" by Conway's. Although prominently labeled as a "blueprint" book, I was surprised to discover the photos of blueprints are unreadable. I mistakenly expected line drawings (which are outstanding in his Battlecruiser book); there are none here. Even the 2-page wide blueprints are unreadable; details & labels couldn't be read. The primary purpose of this book appears to be a compilation of blueprints, which are themselves, valuable & historical documents. In this respect, the is similar to an art book -- it replicates original source that is available only in a museum. The text doesn't contain new material, but it is valuable in that it more detailed than "survey" type books but less exhaustive than the in-depth "class" books such as Garzke's battleship series and Friedman's US Navy class ships series. The book covers major warship types that served during WWII, beginning with Rodney/Nelson class, with some reference to Queen Elizabeth class modernizations. I found the text most valuable in describing the design objectives & limitations rather than a description without context (example: HMS Rodney & Nelson are described within the Washington Treaty 35,0000 ton limitation). As I write this without the book in front of me, I don't recall seeing any photographs (besides photos of blueprints), which would be a major disappointment. It's difficult to pass up a book by such an expert as John Roberts, but this may be a candidate. I think the objective of the book is to display blueprint documents that readers could only see if they visited or had access to the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK. Had Roberts added a line drawing to each class (and an accompanying photo), I would recommend this book rather than give a marginal approval.
Click Here to see more reviews about: British Warships of the Second World War (Blueprint Series (Annapolis, MD.))
Although World War II warships have been the subject of many books, it is extremely difficult to find reproductions of the plans from which the ships were built, converted, or refitted. This large-format volume showcases a representative sampling of British ship plans from the archives of the National Maritime Museum collection at Greenwich, England. The author includes both pre-war and wartime plans of the principle classes--from aircraft carriers and battleships down to corvettes and landing craft. Each plan is reproduced at a size that ensures the relevant details of the vessel are visible. The largest vessels are represented over multiple pages that illuminate the complexity of the ships and their wartime modifications. For technical historians and ship modelers, this book is a unique primary source. For those with a general interest in ships, it is an attractive visual survey.
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