Author Ernle Bradford was a lieutenant in the Royal Nav y during WWII. This book follows the history of “great ships” – vessels expected to be decisive in naval warfare. Bradford starts with the Galleon of Venice, which held off an attack by war galleys under the Turkish admiral Barbarossa at the Battle of Preveza in 1538, and works his way through the Great Harry , the Spanish Armada, the Anglo-Dutch wars, Trafalgar, Hampton Roads, Lissa, Tshushima, Jutland, and the final replacement of battleships by the aircraft carrier and submarine.

The problem with the book is that there are no illustrations – no depictions of the ships or battles being described. Bradford is an excellent writer; his description of Jutland, for example, is as clear and understandable as any I’ve ever seen in print, but a couple of maps would have made it even more clear. Still, a worthwhile book; perhaps it’s a relief to get away from the seemingly endless flood of “coffee table” picture books about military hardware and have one that’s just text. ( )