Sea Warfare (Classics of Naval Literature) Review

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(More customer reviews)Rudyard Kipling, author of the Jungle Books, also wrote this exciting account of two years at sea during World War I. "The main principles of sea-warfare," he begins, "hold good throughout all ages... For matters of detail the Navy, to whom all days are alike, has simply returned to the practice and resurrected the spirit of old days." This theme--that the march of time does not change the old spirit--is the leitmotif of Kipling's narrative, balanced upon the strange threshold of modern war, wherein cavalry detachments gallop toward the beach to exchange fire with submarines and wounded destroyers ram steel battleships as their crews leap into the sea, cheering for King and country. This tale only Kipling could tell, with numerous moments of suspense and fear illustrating the true face of warfare, yet with ironic glimpses of humor including old 19th-century naval songs set to new words that make this book also a wry commentary on a warfare that changes but yet remains the same. (--Lost Treasure Book Company).

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Introduction by Herbert Gilliland. First published in December 1916, this indisputable British classic is at once a factual report on naval activities during World War I and a lyrical masterpiece that pays homage to both the British seagoing tradition and to the heroic deeds of ordinary men. Kipling mingles prose and poetry not only to praise bravado but also to call others to their civil duty. This collection of essays and verse includes "Fringes of the Fleet," which celebrates the lesser trawler and auxiliary fleets; "Tales of the Trade," a chronicle of British submarine operations in the Baltic and the Sea of Marmara; and "Destroyers at Jutland," a commentary on the great naval battle of May 1916.The first English writer to win a Nobel Prize, Rudyard Kipling is almost certainly the most widely recognizable author of his era. Sea Warfare is a lesser known but nonetheless remarkable addition to Kipling's long list of literary triumphs, including Kim, Captains Courageous, and The Jungle Book. Presented with a new introduction by a professor of English at the Naval Academy, this book is a must have for anyone interested in naval history, historical poetry, and military analysis.

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