It was frequently, dare I say it, a page-turner. Undaunted, Prien then headed southward, away from the Royal Oak, to reload his bow tubes. Craig L. Symonds ranks among the country’s finest naval historians. Chalk full of fascinating, frequently horrific details. A terrific, sobering book. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Yep, that’s what it is. In the beginning of World War II the Royal Navy was the strongest navy in the world, with the largest number of warships built and with naval bases across the globe. This was just excellent. This book is fantastic. On the plus side, his discussing the various factions (Treaty vs. Imperial Way) within the Imperial Japanese Navy and how they affected policy and operational matters were enlightening and new to this reader, leaving him only wanting to know more. The story is presented chronologically, which is very helpful for me because I did not have a clear sense of when the Graf Spee, Bismarck, Norway operations, sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, took place. With war history I tend to gravitate towards personal stories or accounts of individual episodes, because military strategy and maneuvering tends to go over my simple little head. Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices. And five months after the close of the conference, the Nazi party became the second-largest party in Germany. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published It deals with Tarawa well. Highest recommendation. One wonders if the same applies to Aircraft Carriers these days as they will be swiftly dealt with by aerial and waterborne missiles. I knew much of what he recounts here, and was a little puffed up at finding that I had read a number of the books he cites. An interesting telling of the war at sea, providing a insight into the challenges of each of the navies in the various theaters. So perhaps you’ve shied away from World War II histories because it all seemed complex and boring or maybe you were concerned that the names and funny-sounding geographic locations would throw you off. The historical events are mostly told in chronological order, which makes it easy to follow. His approach is chronological, and swings back and forth between the European and Pacific theaters. There's a problem loading this menu right now. For example, he shows, in the Battle of the Atlantic, that while closing the air gap, adding Jeep carriers to each convoy, and battling million of fanatical Russians helped, by 1943, America simply was. World War II Records. Scapa Flow, after all, sounds like it ought to be a congestion relief medicine, not the location of one of the early naval encounters of World War II. The book covers all theaters even including Japan’s foray into the Indian Ocean. $34.95. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Craig Symonds, a lifelong Navy man, might be considered somewhat partial his own Service, but that partiality doesn't dim the brilliance of his survey of the crucial role played by Allied naval forces in World War II. (I did pace myself, though, the incomprehensible destruction and loss of life get a little overwhe. “World War II at Sea: a global history,” by Craig L. Symonds (Oxford, 2018). No problems here. I try to keep looking for ways to interact with my kids in new ways. Comprehensive survey of Naval Warfare in the Second World War, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2018. The absence of a working port, and storm damage to the artificial harbor or Mulberry, made the LSTs essential to the success of the invasion. This book never felt boring and was for the most part engaging, giving you enough details to fully understand a battle, but keeping it concise enough for it to not drag out. The vice admiral at right is Louis Mountbatten. It feels a bit like it was rushed into print. I learned so much. Excellent. There is little of the air (except naval air) and land war, except to set the stage for the. As a retired US Army artillery LTC, Naval War College graduate, 50 year complex war gamer, and amateur war history buff I think “World War II at Sea” is the best narrative about how naval warfare impacted the entire war effort of both the Allies and the Axis. This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Only gripe is the editing, which was very poor. He argues forcefully and persuasively that Allied naval superiority was one of the three reasons the Allied forces prevailed in the war (the other two being British determination at the beginning of the war and the resilience of the Red Army). Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942 (Pacific War Trilogy, 1), Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945 (Pacific War Trilogy, 3), The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History), The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942–1944 (Pacific War Trilogy, 2), World War II: The Definitive Visual History from Blitzkrieg to the Atom Bomb, The War for the Seas: A Maritime History of World War II, Neptune: Allied Invasion of Europe and the The D-Day Landings, Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War, Volume I: July 1937-May 1942, The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945. Although Japan was able to increase its percentage of warships closer to the British and American numbers, the Japanese military thought it was a defeat. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. ✅, Have just finished 'World War II at Sea'. 792 pages. Scapa Flow, after all, sounds like it ought to be a congestion relief medicine, not the location of one of the early naval encounters of World War II. The numbers are staggering: more often than not hundreds of lives lost (if not more) with the loss of a single vessel. Who would have thought that Landing Boats/Ships would be the most important craft in the Second World War. You know a book is a problem when you start being conscious of how often you’re tapping that “where am I” button or glancing at your progress statistics in whatever app you use. By the time British forces arrived at Narvik, the Germans were already in possession of both the town and the harbor. Highly recommended. That gave the air defense in Malta six weeks of fuel---desperately needed. Not surprisingly, Symonds contends it wasn’t the bomb, nor code-breaking, nor radar that won the war: each of those explanations has been advanced in diverse books. April 13th 2018 This is a great addition on this subject for your library. On the surface it seems like a very dense read, but this book is engaging and before you know it, you'll be 50 pages in and eager for more. Fleet of merchant shipping ever seen to support her allies and her own military that! And critics naval Academy, where he is currently distinguished professor of maritime.. Kindle App viewing product detail pages, look Here to find an easy way to back! Too lazy to really concentrate on understanding it Beach in June 1944 the personalities and how those personalities the! Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill look over some papers during a photo session at same... 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