World War I books?

[USS ALASKA]

More than a few of the ships that served in WW I are also covered in “Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905”. Unfortunately, that volume is a little pricier than the 1906-1921 tome.

[marcelo_malara]

Yes, you need both volumes.

[Karl Heidenreich]

Damn!

[marcelo_malara]

Don´t worry Karl. The volume is interesting because it covers a period of maritime technology innovation without parallel, you will learn a lot and is worth the money.

Regards

[USS ALASKA]

The issue I have with the WWI Janes is how it is presented / sold. I own modern day Janes in a bunch of different topics. They are known as a pretty reliable source. However, 50 years from now they may look flawed. We’ll see. The Janes “Fighting Ships of WWI” that I own was printed / published in 1990. That is the date on the site I bought it from. (and in the book itself) OK, maybe I’m a fool but a Janes book published in 1990 about WWI, 70 years after the fact, given Janes reputation, wow, this must be pretty good. Boy was I wrong. This is Janes “All the Worlds Fighting Ships 1919 with some supplemented material from 1914” That is what is on the tiny print inside the cover and that is nowhere in the book description. It is new money for old rope. If you want to know what was thought THEN about the fleets of the world, this is a quaint volume. If you are looking for a definitive reference work, look elsewhere. There is one way in which the Janes is better than the Conways. The Conways only has side view drawings. The Janes has top views also. When trying to visualize ships layout like certain Japanese semi-dreds and battlecruisers, that top view has been indispensable. Guess you could say the two volumes are complementary. However, if you only have room for one, that would be the Conways IMVHO.

[marcelo_malara]

I agree with you. Jane´s Warships of WWI is just a commercial venture, a reprint of an old book. Luckly I paid for it 30 bucks. On the upside it contains top views (very low quality and out of proportion it must be said) and side views with the extent of the armour shaded. The best info it contains is about the machinery, pressures, evaporating surfaces, etc..., I didn´t see it in other books.

[USS ALASKA]

Mr Heidenreich sir, you seem to have an interest in WWI naval affairs – If I may be so bold as to make some suggestions of books I own that might be of interest. Let me first start out with the obvious fact that I am a rank amateur – emphasis on the word rank. This is just something that I am greatly interested in and I like books. I have nowhere near the knowledge or professionalism that a Tiornu or a Dave Saxton have with regards to this sort of thing. Non-withstanding the already mentioned Janes / Conways / Massie volumes here is some input from just a ‘fan boy’s’ standpoint in NO particular order…

1. A Naval History of World War 1 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Naval-History-Wor ... ef=ed_oe_h
2. The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Otranto-St ... 121&sr=1-3
3. The Mediterranean Naval Situation, 1908-1914 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Sit ... 166&sr=1-9
4. Naval War in the Mediterranean 1914-1918 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Mediterrane ... 66&sr=1-10
5. Naval Aviation In the First World War : Its Impact and Influence by R.D. Layman http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Aviation-Fi ... 610&sr=1-2
6. Seize The Trident: The Race For Superliner Supremacy And How It Altered The Great War by Douglas R. Jr. Burgess http://www.amazon.com/Seize-Trident-Sup ... 700&sr=1-2
7. British Warships, 1914-19 by F.J. Dittmar & J.J. Colledge http://www.amazon.com/British-Warships- ... 85&sr=1-21
8. Battleships and Battlecruisers of the Royal Navy Since 1861 by B.R. Coward http://www.amazon.com/Battleships-Battl ... 343&sr=1-1
9. Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860-1905 & The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development, 1906-1922 by D. K. Brown http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Fleet-Warsh ... 47&sr=1-26 http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Dreadnoug ... 06&sr=1-19
10. Battlecruisers by John Roberts http://www.amazon.com/Battlecruisers-Sh ... 702&sr=1-1
11. Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870-1881 by John Beeler http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Battleship- ... 801&sr=1-1
12. Find and Destroy: Antisubmarine Warfare in World War I by Dwight R. Messimer http://www.amazon.com/Find-Destroy-Anti ... 986&sr=1-1
13. Battlecruiser Invincible: The History of the First Battlecruiser, 1909-16 by V. E. Tarrant http://www.amazon.com/Battlecruiser-Inv ... 186&sr=1-1
14. Battleship "Royal Sovereign" by Peter C. Smith http://www.amazon.com/Battleship-Royal- ... 257&sr=1-1
15. Q Ships, Commerce Raiders and Convoys by Patrick Stearns http://www.amazon.com/Q-Ships-Commerce- ... 474&sr=1-1
16. Armed Merchant Cruisers by Kenneth Poolman http://www.amazon.com/Armed-Merchant-Cr ... 615&sr=1-1
17. Gentlemen of War: The Amazing Story of Commander Karl Von Muller and the S M S Emden by Dan Van Der Vat http://www.amazon.com/Gentlemen-War-Ama ... 05&sr=1-14
18. The ship that changed the world : the escape of the Goeben to the Dardanelles in 1914 by Dan Van der Vat http://www.amazon.com/ship-that-changed ... 84&sr=1-23
19. Naval Strategy of the World War by John B. Hattendord, Wayne P. Hughes, and Wolfgang Wegener http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Strategy-Wo ... 233&sr=1-3
20. Building the Kaiser's Navy: The Imperial Navy Office and German Industry in the Tirpitz Era, 1890-1919 by Gary E. Weir http://www.amazon.com/Building-Kaisers- ... 301&sr=1-1
21. By Order of the Kaiser: Otto von Diederichs and the Rise of the Imperial German Navy, 1865-1902 by Terrell D. Gottschall http://www.amazon.com/Order-Kaiser-Died ... 360&sr=1-1
22. The Kaiser's Pirates: German Surface Raiders in World War One by John Walter http://www.amazon.com/Kaisers-Pirates-G ... 419&sr=1-1
23. Graf Spee's Raiders: Challenge to the Royal Navy, 1914-1915 by Keith Yates http://www.amazon.com/Graf-Spees-Raider ... 476&sr=1-1
24. The Frustrated Raider: The Story of the German Cruiser Cormoran in World War I by Charles Burdick http://www.amazon.com/Frustrated-Raider ... 540&sr=1-1
25. Cruise of the Raider Wolf, The by Roy Alexander http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_8_18? ... ise+of+the+

And for outright humor value…
Mimi and Toutou's Big Adventure: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika by Giles Foden http://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Toutous-Big- ... 685&sr=1-1

oh and one other book…
The Arms of Krupp by William Manchester http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Krupp-Willia ... 966&sr=1-4 not a history of WWI but an outstanding background book. One of the finest history books I’ve ever read so either it is really good or I’m just not that great a judge of books. Probably the later…

Sorry if I covered anything you are already well aware of.

Anyone else that has knowledge of these volumes, please chime in...

Cheers and enjoy!

[RF]

This is a very wide and interesting collection USS ALASKA. I sure envy your library......

[USS ALASKA]

Thank you sir - just 25 years of slow, steady buying. I kinda forgot what all I had.

[Karl Heidenreich]

USS ALASKA:

Been traveling and it is not until now that I can sit and check the forum. Thanks for the info. I do imagine that it will cost a fortune but will like to have some of them.

Best regards,

[USS ALASKA]

Not a problem sir. And cost might not be that bad depending on what you want. Keep an eye on Amazon's used book offerings. You might be able to get some volumes very cheap.

[Byron Angel]

USS ALASKA:

Been traveling and it is not until now that I can sit and check the forum. Thanks for the info. I do imagine that it will cost a fortune but will like to have some of them.

Best regards,

..... As far as technical descriptions of warships goes, I heartily second the recommendation of John Roberts' "Battlecruisers" and D K Brown's two books, "The Grand Fleet" and "Warrior to Dreadnought".

Allow me to add a few more books to your shopping list:

"Battlecruisers: Warship Special No. 1" by N J M Campbell - a wonderfully handy and competent volume covering the British and German BC's of the WW1 period, which shouldn't be too outrageously expensive.

"German Warships 1815-1945, Volume 1", by Erich Groener.

"German Warships of WW1: the Royal Navy's Guide to the Capital Ships, Cruisers, Destroyers, Submarines, and Small Craft, 1914-1918", introduction by Norman Friedman - US Naval Institute Press.

You can check into two books by R A Burt as well: "British Battleships of WW1" and British Battleships "1889-1904", but they have been out of print for a while and have gotten a bit pricey.

Another book to keep an eye out for is "British Destroyers 1892-1953" by Edgar March - another pricey out of print item, but well worth keeping an eye out for. In fact, if you ever see a similar volume covering GERMAN destroyers and torpedo boats, DO let me know!

Believe it or not, another good place to hunt is books.google.com. I have been amazed at the stuff that turns up there on "full view", freely available for download.

Good hunting!

[USS ALASKA]

..... As far as technical descriptions of warships goes, I heartily second the recommendation of John Roberts' "Battlecruisers"...

The one minor issue I have with Roberts' book is its title. If it was titled 'British Battlecruisers' it would be perfect because that is all it covers.

"German Warships 1815-1945, Volume 1", by Erich Groener.

Good call - missed this one...

"Believe it or not, another good place to hunt is books.google.com. I have been amazed at the stuff that turns up there on "full view", freely available for download.

Agreed - However, I find I just can't read as long off a screen as I can reading a book - gives me a headache after a while. And as discussed in another thread, some of the scans aren't the best. But they are better than nothing!

Some others that I don't have but have had my eye on – and once again in no order whatsoever…if anyone has read any of these, a quick review or thumbs up / down would be greatly appreciated…;

1. Great Naval Race: Anglo-German Naval Rivalry, 1900-14 by Peter Padfield http://www.amazon.com/Great-Naval-Race- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

2. Preparing for Weltpolitik: German Sea Power Before the Tirpitz Era by Lawrence Sondhaus http://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Weltpol ... 6W3WLSFT3S

3. The Starvation Blockades: Naval Blockades of WWI by Nigel Hawkins http://www.amazon.com/Starvation-Blocka ... 6W3WLSFT3S

4. BATTLE OF THE BALTIC ISLANDS 1917: Triumph of the Imperial German Navy by Gary Staff http://www.amazon.com/BATTLE-BALTIC-ISL ... 6W3WLSFT3S

5. Big Gun Monitors: Design, Construction and Operations, 1914-1945 by Ian Buxton http://www.amazon.com/Big-Gun-Monitors- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

6. Scapa Flow: From Graveyard to Resurrection by Simon Mills http://www.amazon.com/Scapa-Flow-Resurr ... 6W3WLSFT3S

7. Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution by Nicholas A. Lambert http://www.amazon.com/Fishers-Revolutio ... 6W3WLSFT3S

8. Power at Sea: The Age of Navalism, 1890-1918 by Lisle A. Rose http://www.amazon.com/Power-Sea-Age-Nav ... 6W3WLSFT3S

9. Luxury Fleet: The Imperial German Navy, 1888-1918 by Holger H. Herwig http://www.amazon.com/Luxury-Fleet-Impe ... 6W3WLSFT3S

10. COX'S NAVY: Salvaging The German Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow 1919-1922 by Tony Booth http://www.amazon.com/COXS-NAVY-Salvagi ... 6W3WLSFT3S

11. Armaments and the Coming of War: Europe, 1904-1914 by David Stevenson http://www.amazon.com/reader/0198202083 ... %5Fpt#noop

12. Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands by Michael B. Barrett http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Albion- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

13. Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun, the Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895 - 1945 by Stephen Howarth http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Ships-Ri ... 6W3WLSFT3S

14. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 by Hansgeorg Jentschura http://www.amazon.com/Warships-Imperial ... 6W3WLSFT3S

15. Making Waves: Politics, Propaganda, and the Emergence of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1922 by J. Schencking http://www.amazon.com/Making-Waves-Prop ... 6W3WLSFT3S

16. The New Navy, 1883-1922 by Paul H. Silverstone http://www.amazon.com/New-Navy-1883-192 ... 6W3WLSFT3S

17. The Central Powers in the Adriatic, 1914-1918: War in a Narrow Sea by Charles Koburger http://www.amazon.com/Central-Powers-Ad ... 6W3WLSFT3S

18. The Great Naval Game: Britain and Germany in the Age of Empire by Jan Rüger http://www.amazon.com/Great-Naval-Game- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

19. The Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, 1915-1918 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-191 ... 6W3WLSFT3S

20. Coronel and the Falklands by Geoffrey Bennett http://www.amazon.com/Coronel-Falklands ... 6W3WLSFT3S

21. The Battle of Heligoland Bight by Eric W. Osborne http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Heligoland ... 6W3WLSFT3S

22. Distant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World War by Daniel Allen Butler http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Victory-B ... 6W3WLSFT3S

23. Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904-1914by Milan N. Vego http://www.amazon.com/Austro-Hungarian- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

24. The big gun: Battleship main armament, 1860-1945 by Peter Hodges http://www.amazon.com/big-gun-Battleshi ... 6W3WLSFT3S

25. U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I by Jerry W. Jones http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Battleship-Op ... 6W3WLSFT3S

26. Technological Change and the United States Navy, 1865-1945 by William M. McBride http://www.amazon.com/Technological-186 ... 6W3WLSFT3S

27. Arms and the State: Sir William Armstrong and the Remaking of British Naval Power, 1854-1914 by Marshall J. Bastable http://www.amazon.com/Arms-State-Armstr ... 6W3WLSFT3S

28. The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary 1867-1918: Navalism, Industrial and Development, and the Politics of Dualism by Lawrence Sondhaus http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Policy-Aust ... 6W3WLSFT3S

29. The British Shipbuilding Industry, 1870-1914 by Sidney Pollard http://www.amazon.com/British-Shipbuild ... 6W3WLSFT3S

[Byron Angel]

…if anyone has read any of these, a quick review or thumbs up / down would be greatly appreciated…;

5. Big Gun Monitors: Design, Construction and Operations, 1914-1945 by Ian Buxton http://www.amazon.com/Big-Gun-Monitors- ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... An excellent book on British monitors. It had been long out of print and prices had climbed to several hundred dollars on the used market, but the book has very recently been re-printed with some useful updates. Buxton's work is first-rate and I recommend the book without reserve.

7. Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution by Nicholas A. Lambert http://www.amazon.com/Fishers-Revolutio ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... I often found myself rolling my eyes when reading this book. The author is basically Sumida's "love child" and it seems like half of Lambert's references cite Sumida (I'm not terribly fond of Professor Sumida's work in certain respects). But on balance it is probably worth a spot on your bookshelf.

14. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 by Hansgeorg Jentschura http://www.amazon.com/Warships-Imperial ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... My copy is rather old and 'auf deutsch'; I'm not sure if an English edition has been published. The presentation is fairly terse and tabular in the same manner as Groener's books on the German Navy. I must say that I prefer "The Imperial Japanese Navy" by Watts and Gordon.

19. The Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, 1915-1918 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-191 ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... A competent narrative work and definitely worth acquiring as a reference. Halpern's prose won't necessarily inspire you want to run away to a life at sea, but he is IMO a reliable and objective historian. See also "The Battle of the Otranto Straits" - another good piece of work by Halpern.

20. Coronel and the Falklands by Geoffrey Bennett http://www.amazon.com/Coronel-Falklands ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... Somewhat long in the tooth and aimed at a general interest audience, but worth having for the price if shelf space permits. Another good book on the topic is "Graf Spee's Raiders" by Yates (if you do not already own it).

21. The Battle of Heligoland Bight by Eric W. Osborne http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Heligoland ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... An excellent piece of work and, to the best of my knowledge, the first to draw on German archival records of that battle. Enthusiastically recommended.

24. The big gun: Battleship main armament, 1860-1945 by Peter Hodges http://www.amazon.com/big-gun-Battleshi ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... This book is unashamedly devoted to and focused upon heavy caliber gun turret technology and its evolution through the battleship era. IF you are interested in the topic, then it is most definitely worth acquiring.

25. U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I by Jerry W. Jones http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Battleship-Op ... 6W3WLSFT3S

..... I believe that this book is an expansion of Jones's doctoral dissertation. It is as good a single volume reference on the subject as you are likely to find. Thumbs up from me.

- - -

May I recommend another very good (IMO) book - "Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics" by David A. Mindell. Mindell is an MIT professor with an uncanny gift for explaining the arcana of fire control and computing technology in language comprehensible to us mere mortals. If you interest and curiosity lead in the direction of fire control technology, this is an excellent book.


B

[USS ALASKA]

Sir, thank you for the comments!

7. Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution by Nicholas A. Lambert http://www.amazon.com/Fishers-Revolutio ... 6W3WLSFT3S ..... I often found myself rolling my eyes when reading this book. The author is basically Sumida's "love child" and it seems like half of Lambert's references cite Sumida (I'm not terribly fond of Professor Sumida's work in certain respects). But on balance it is probably worth a spot on your bookshelf.

Current Amazon used prices are $99.00 for the hardback and $9.50 for the paperback…is this worth a $99.00 spot or only the $9.50 spot?

19. The Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, 1915-1918 by Paul G. Halpern http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-191 ... 6W3WLSFT3S ..... A competent narrative work and definitely worth acquiring as a reference. Halpern's prose won't necessarily inspire you want to run away to a life at sea, but he is IMO a reliable and objective historian. See also "The Battle of the Otranto Straits" - another good piece of work by Halpern.

Copy sir – I own a bunch of other Halpern books, to include the Otranto volume, just not this one. And what you wrote I have found to be correct about him. While he is not as ‘entertaining’ as Massie, I have found him to be more ‘scholarly’.

Another good book on the topic is "Graf Spee's Raiders" by Yates (if you do not already own it).

Agreed – it sits on my shelf…

And again, thank you for the other recommendations.