Rating: 
Summary: The Tsar's Loyal Admiral
Review: A good modern history of the battle of Tsushima has yet to be written, I would recommend KAIGUN as a great place to start for the early history of the Japanese Navy. Co-Author David Evans was my college professor, his death is a great loss to Japanese Naval historiography. I agree with reviewers who note the lack of detail and accuracy (I thought the ALEXANDER III had a few survivors?), in general terms, the author does tells us important facts about the superior Japanese shells and the flawed dispositions of the Russian squadron prior to the battle. I wonder if the Russians would have made it if they did not have a lighted hospital ship (with the Admiral's girlfriend onboard) following the squadron as it tried to slip through the straits. If the fleet had slipped through to Vladivostok intact the course of Japanese and Russian history might have changed. I sense that Admiral Rozhestvensky almost wanted a clash of fleets, despite his comprehension of the inferiority of his squadron. The book is really a command history of the Squadron and the Russian Naval Bueracracy. One is left with a good sense of the personality of Rozhestvensky (I think this makes the book worth the purchase, as I learned alot I did not know). One is left feeling sympathy for him, but the book does mention that he botched his pre-battle deployment, a deployment he had months to plan for and coordinate. This probably ruined what little chance the Russians had. But the Russians shooting was not good enough, and too few of their hits did critical damage. I always thought the focal point of any Tsushima account should be the heroic struggle of the Borodino class battleships. Their fate was a terrible one, as anyone who views pictures of the damage to the surviving ORYEL can testify. I would like to visit the monument to the ALEXANDER III in St. Petersburg. The losing Admirals in history's decisive naval battles make for interesting reading. I would recommend XERXES AT SALAMIS by Peter Green, THE GALLEYS AT LEPANTO by Jack Beeching, THE DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA by Howarth, TRAFALGAR, COUNTDOWN TO BATTLE by Alan Schom and GRAF SPEE'S RAIDERS by Yates.
Rating: 
Summary: A compelling look at a fateful voyage
Review: Constantine Pleshakov provides a fascinating account of an event in history that has previously received short shrift in literary circles with "The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima".The focal point of this historical work is the Russian 2nd Fleet, and Admiral Rozhestvensky, who was appointed to lead this doomed expedition. The 2nd Fleet was dispatched from European ports by Tsar Nicholas II to defend the Russian Far East from the Japanese Navy, which had already destroyed Port Arthur and were threatening action elsewhere. Mr. Pleshakov doesn't spare too much time in diverting his narrative, save for some background on the major "players" involved with the 2nd Fleet. He also spares little time to get bogged down in technical detail. I found this to be refreshing, because it meant staying focused on the voyage. It gave Mr. Pleshakov adequate room to give the reader a compelling account at the horrific living conditions for the sailors aboard a rag-tag collection of fine battleships, old and outdated warships, and other vessels that were barely seaworthy. All the while, these descriptions heighten the sense of awe and incredulity in the reader, given the realization that it was miraculous the 2nd Fleet was anywhere close to battle readiness when the fated encounter finally arrived. However, these passages read fairly slow, so it detracts somewhat from the story. Whether intended or not, Mr. Pleshakov also manages to provide an interesting "picture" of the enigma that was Admiral Rozhestvensky. The reader learns of his desire to reach prominence, the unease and personal conflict as he was assigned by the Tsar to lead the 2nd Fleet, the adulterous disciplinarian who somehow kept the fleet together during the lengthy voyage, and the puzzling tactics along the way that damaged diplomatic relations and sealed the fleet's doom in battle. In essence, he was equal parts brilliant and flawed. Through the course of the book, you can sympathize with him, but then be amazed that he held the fleet together, then go back to sympathizing with him after the fleet's defeat and his wounding. As the title would suggest, this book does not focus much on the battle itself, so many readers may find the description of Tsushima to be woefully inadequate. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more offered, but then again, given what the focus was, the battle description served its purpose well. All in all, this is a good book to include in the collection of world naval history. The overwhelming theme of doom and tragedy that was the Battle of Tsushima permeates this book, which makes the work even more compelling when combined with the descriptions of the harsh turn-of-the-century life at sea. In the bigger scope of Russian history, this book is worthwhile in that it provides some insight into an event that contributed to the downfall of the Russian royal family. I would recommend this to those who enjoy naval or military history, and to those who read Russian/Soviet history. I give it a four-star rating not for the content as much as for the fact that at a shade over 330 pages, and with a fairly limited focus, the book reads pretty slow.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling look at a fateful voyage
Review: Constantine Pleshakov provides a fascinating account of an event in history that has previously received short shrift in literary circles with "The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima". The focal point of this historical work is the Russian 2nd Fleet, and Admiral Rozhestvensky, who was appointed to lead this doomed expedition. The 2nd Fleet was dispatched from European ports by Tsar Nicholas II to defend the Russian Far East from the Japanese Navy, which had already destroyed Port Arthur and were threatening action elsewhere. Mr. Pleshakov doesn't spare too much time in diverting his narrative, save for some background on the major "players" involved with the 2nd Fleet. He also spares little time to get bogged down in technical detail. I found this to be refreshing, because it meant staying focused on the voyage. It gave Mr. Pleshakov adequate room to give the reader a compelling account at the horrific living conditions for the sailors aboard a rag-tag collection of fine battleships, old and outdated warships, and other vessels that were barely seaworthy. All the while, these descriptions heighten the sense of awe and incredulity in the reader, given the realization that it was miraculous the 2nd Fleet was anywhere close to battle readiness when the fated encounter finally arrived. However, these passages read fairly slow, so it detracts somewhat from the story. Whether intended or not, Mr. Pleshakov also manages to provide an interesting "picture" of the enigma that was Admiral Rozhestvensky. The reader learns of his desire to reach prominence, the unease and personal conflict as he was assigned by the Tsar to lead the 2nd Fleet, the adulterous disciplinarian who somehow kept the fleet together during the lengthy voyage, and the puzzling tactics along the way that damaged diplomatic relations and sealed the fleet's doom in battle. In essence, he was equal parts brilliant and flawed. Through the course of the book, you can sympathize with him, but then be amazed that he held the fleet together, then go back to sympathizing with him after the fleet's defeat and his wounding. As the title would suggest, this book does not focus much on the battle itself, so many readers may find the description of Tsushima to be woefully inadequate. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more offered, but then again, given what the focus was, the battle description served its purpose well. All in all, this is a good book to include in the collection of world naval history. The overwhelming theme of doom and tragedy that was the Battle of Tsushima permeates this book, which makes the work even more compelling when combined with the descriptions of the harsh turn-of-the-century life at sea. In the bigger scope of Russian history, this book is worthwhile in that it provides some insight into an event that contributed to the downfall of the Russian royal family. I would recommend this to those who enjoy naval or military history, and to those who read Russian/Soviet history. I give it a four-star rating not for the content as much as for the fact that at a shade over 330 pages, and with a fairly limited focus, the book reads pretty slow.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Account & Worth the Read
Review: Constantine Pleshakov's new book `The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima' is a compelling account of the voyage undertaken by a Russian Fleet half way around the world which ended in its total annihilation at the hands of the Japanese during the Battle of Tsushima. The book concentrates more on the actual events leading up to the decision to send the Russian fleet on this journey, the voyage itself and the personalities involved. Some previous reviews have made mention of the lack of detail on the actual battle itself, however the book's titles gives you a fair idea of the content and I think it was a story told well, full of interest and drama. In the introduction the author makes it very clear that the story is told from a Western viewpoint:
"The Russian and British archives that I have used allow one to tell the story of Tsushima with some hope of being objective and complete, yet, I know that my research is deficient. I do not read Japanese, and without Japanese archival evidence it is not possible to write anything truly comprehensive about the war. So this is the story of Tsushima told from a Western perspective, as it was seen through Russian, British, French, and German eyes - nothing more, but also, hopefully, nothing less." Overall I found the story interesting and although I too would have liked more on the Battle of Tsushima there was enough to complete the story. The book has filled me with an urge to learn more of this decisive engagement and I will look around for another book to complete my education. The narrative was well presented and held my interest throughout the journey. Towards the end of the book I felt quite sorry for Vice-Admiral Rozhestvensky who appeared to have done the best he could under most trying circumstances. This is decent account and I think accomplishes what the author set out to do, to tell the story "of the Russian squadron's long, difficult journey and fast, horrible defeat." One compliant that could be leveled at the author would be the standard of the maps provided. I am sure anyone who enjoys stories of mans determination and perseverance against adversity will enjoy this book. However you will need to look further for a more comprehensive account of the Battle of Tsushima.
Rating: 
Summary: The Epic Voyage to Disappointment
Review: I approached this book with considerable hope, expecting that a Russian author with access to material hitherto unfamiliar in the West would be able to shed significant new insights on the tragic epic of Russia's naval forces in the Russo-Japanese War. I was very sorely disappointed. The overall impression is that the author is unfamiliar with naval matters and has indeed little feel for them. Though full of anecdotes, little attention is paid to overall context and the technological elements of the story - essentially the matching of British naval shipbuilding and armament prowess in Japanese hands matched against a hodgepodge of French, American and indigenous Russian practice - is not addressed. The ships themselves - no less than the men are critical in this story (As the unforgettable introduction to the movie of "The Cruel ea" had it: "The heroines are the ships and the heroes are the men..") but there is little description provided of their purpose, design or capabilities. This is not a major a drawback to a reader in possession of a good reference library on the period, but to one approaching the topic for the first time it would be a major stumbling block. The anecdotal approach indeed dominates the book and one has a strong impression of stories that have been passes from hand to hand, growing in the telling, and repeated here with little attempt to screen them on the grounds of veracity or likelihood. Throughput the book the emphasis is on the inefficiency of the Russian forces and the inadequacy of the training - nevertheless individual units did fight well and heroically at Tsu-Shima and the standard of the Russian gunnery was in some instances high. One wonders if exhaustion at the end of a long voyage with inadequate docking and support facilities on the way, and the necessity of overloading ships such that armoured belts were sometimes all but submerged, were not equally strong contributors to the disaster. One gets an uneasy feeling that myths and legends surround this battle for political and ideological reasons and that the full story has still not emerged. If this is the case then it is to the detriment of the memory of many brave men, officers and seamen alike. The book is written in rather weird English, which the author himself is not to be blamed for, but his editors could have done him better service if they had modified it accordingly. On occasions unfamiliarity with the relevant terminology means that the reader is confused by what is even meant (e.g. is a "tower" a "turret"?). The choice of illustrations is similarly eccentric - it is for example unclear why two of the major sections of the book should be prefaced by photographs of, respectively, a British Monmouth Class armoured cruiser and a German torpedo boat, neither of which figure in the story. The maps, which are essential to understanding of the climactic battle of Tsu-Shima no less than the voyage to it, are totally inadequate. I seldom feel totally cheated when I shell out for a book - this is one of those rare occasions. If you are coming to this area of History for the first time invest instead in Richard Hough's "The Fleet that had to Die", published forty years ago and still a good introductory account.
Rating:
Summary: Tsushima gives birth to HMS Dreadnaught
Review: It was refreshing to finally see something published on the Russian ADM Rozhestvensky. I would've rated the book with the highest rating had it contained the following: l. Britain laid down HMS Dreadnaught about 3 months after Tsushima, whilst awaiting the results of that battle, e.g. all big guns verses mixed main batteries. Tsushima proved it was the big gun which carried the day. HMS Dreadnaught was launched in 1906, consequently battleships built prior to 1906 are referred to as PRE-DREADNAUGHTS. 2. ADM Rozhestvensky should be credited for having conducted HISTORY's only all steel, coal engine powered, battleship fleet voyage of l8,000 miles. 3. Tsushima was history's ONLY decisive steel battleship fleet action ever fought.
Rating: 
Summary: The Tsars last armada
Review: The events illuminated by this book take place from the start to finish of the Russo-Japanese war. The journey begins at Port Author with a sudden attack on Russian battle ships Retvizan, Tesarevich and the cruiser Pallada by Japanese torpedo boats around midnight January 26-27th, 1904, and ends with the sudden death of the story's main character Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky, on New Years Day in 1908.
The Tsar's Last Armada, by historian and author Constantine Pleshakov is a well-written book. It allows you to see a battle from the losing side, and gives you a view into the courage and heart of the crews that manned the 38 vessels within the Russian Fleet on its 18,000-mile journey to defeat.
The events illuminated by this book take place from the start to finish of the Russo-Japanese war. The journey begins at Port Author with a sudden attack on Russian battle ships Retvizan, Tesarevich and the cruiser Pallada by Japanese torpedo boats around midnight January 26-27th, 1904, and ends with the sudden death of the story's main character Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky, on New Years Day in 1908.
The Tsars Last Armada takes place just after the turn of the century at Port Author Manchuria on the coastal Yellow Sea, which was forcefully abandoned by the Japanese and now coveted by the Russians seeking to increase presence in the East. The 18,000-mile journey starts from Kronshtadt just north of St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea, travels south around Africa, then East to the Tsushima Straights in the Sea of Japan, and finally North to the Russian Port of Vladivostok.
The main characters in this tale are the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, Russian Admiral Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky, and Admiral Togo Heihachiro of Japan. Russian Tsar Nicholas II was an un-deciding and easily manipulated leader, especially by his cousins King Edward VII of England, and Keiser Wilhelm II of Germany. The Tsar, acting under peer pressure, had become eager to advance a growing presence and control in Asian affairs. Russian Admiral Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky is a great leader on a misguided and ill-equipped mission, ultimately destined to defeat. Admiral Togo Heihachiro of Japan is a master of both sword and sea, who easily defeated the Russian Armada in the Tsushima Straights.
The main conflict of this story is that of Admiral Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky's character. He is a leader struggling to do an honorable job, but is beset with a fleet of erstwhile and outmoded ships that are manned by crews of unmanageable and ill-trained seamen. The conflict unfolds as Rozhestvenski struggles to get his Tsar to move more quickly and against subordinate officers who were put into positions of authority not by merit or worth, but by their position in Russian society and family prestige. It ends with an ultimately brutal, heartbreaking, and utter defeat at the hands of the organized and well-equipped Japanese fleet, headed by Admiral Togo. Of the 38 ships in the Russian fleet, only 3 would survive, while the Japanese would lose only 3 of their destroyers. As stated by Mr. Pleshakov in the forward of the book, " It was the first war of the modern age".
The truth of this book is stated quite well in an essay by Joseph Brodsky taken from the preface of this book, "It is my profound conviction that apart from the literature of the last two centuries and, perhaps the architecture of the former capital, the only thing Russia can be proud of is its Navy's history. Not because of its spectacular victories, of which there have been rather few, but because of the nobility of spirit that has informed its enterprise."
In all, this is a well researched (over 18 pages in both the notes and selected biography), and very well written work by Mr. Pleshakov. I would recommend its reading because of its enlightening narrative. Prior to reading this work, I was very biased against the Russian people, primarily because of the Cold War and Communist history of Russia. While reading this book, I was both moved and surprised by the spirit, pride, dedication, and heart of the Russian people.
The events of this war helped to shape the Twentieth Century in profound ways that, I only began to understand after having read this book. With the defeat of the Russian armada by Admiral Togo's fleet, and the continuing weak leadership of the Tsar, events were set into motion that would lead to the Bolshevik revolution, and change the political landscape of Russia, and the world forever.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, bad book
Review: The subject matter, the oddysey of the Russian fleet in their voyage around half the globe, is a feat that ranks up there with Xenophon's "Anabasis" and Mao's "Long March", thus a reader that is new to the subject and isn't very demanding about naval details will find this book entertaining, despite it being a flawed book. Overall it's a disappointment that a Russian author cannot do better, and it doesn't do justice to admiral Rozhestventski. Most of the accounts of the battle in history books dismiss the Russian as incompetent, corrupt, demoralized and unlucky doomed to die in a fight against a highly motivated and skilled Japanese foe who enjoyed all the advantages, specially technical. Though that impression is accurate, it doesn't give credit to Rozhestventski, wich in my humble opinion ranks as one of the greatest naval commanders in History, and whose epitaph, along with the others in the Russian fleet that tried their best to do their duty could very well be:
"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful, we have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do anything" Without doubt, the best book on this subject is one written by a German between the world wars, Frank Thiess (english translation "The Voyage of the Forgotten Men(Tsushima), Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill, 1937" it's included in the bibliography, so we have to conclude that Pleshakov either hasn't read it, or he's shameless enough to make a buck with a shoddy book that doesn't offer anything new, same for some spicy anecdotes. Another reviewer said that Thiess is ,perhaps, too romantic. Though I concede that he waxes poetic at times, he did justice to Rozhestventski, Pleshakov doesn't give him the credit this unsung Russian hero deserves, falling for the "Mad Dog" cliche, wich is a shame. Readers would be very mistaken if they came away with the impression that he was a martinet with a mean temper. Under the ordeal he had to endure, a lesser man would have commited suicide or give in to drinking. The good thing about Pleshakov book is that it shows Rozhestventski's more human side (wich complements Thiess slightly idealized portrait), his weaknesses and flaws. His profanity, fits of rage, womanizing, and exhaustion and desperation in the last part of the ill-fated voyage. Having a mistress in the hospital ship of the fleet helps to understand how he could endure so much for so long, he would have gone nuts without some sort of stress relief. If Rozhestventski was the hero, Nebogatov is the villain who surrendered the remnants of the Russian fleet. Though this book shows an even more damning picture of him trying to weasel his way out and dodging responsibility in the trial after the battle, that's not a balanced portrayal as it must be noted that his decision to surrender was the only wise, logical and sane order the fleet ever received, avoiding a futile slaughter, sacrificing his personal honor to save his men. Nebogatov is on a higher moral level than the true cowardice and incompetence shown by General Stössel who surrendered the garrison of Port Arthur. Sometimes it takes more courage to live than to die. Finally, it must be noted that Japan could have won all the battles and still lose the war, had the Russian fleet slipped past Togo, Russia could have prolonged the war long enough to bankrupt Japan and force them to sue for peace. What almost every account fails to mention, due to the ease of their victory and the hopelessness of Russian gamble, doomed to failure from the outset, it's that every battle: Port Arthur, Mukden, Tsushima; was an "all or nothing" gamble for the Japanese. In the long term, Tsushima was an empty victory that only fueled Japan's imperialism wich ultimately led to its doom with WWII
Rating:
Summary: Great story, bad book
Review: The subject matter, the oddysey of the Russian fleet in their voyage around half the globe, is a feat that ranks up there with Xenophon's "Anabasis" and Mao's "Long March", thus a reader that is new to the subject and isn't very demanding about naval details will find this book entertaining, despite it being a flawed book. Overall it's a disappointment that a Russian author cannot do better, and it doesn't do justice to admiral Rozhestventski. Most of the accounts of the battle in history books dismiss the Russian as incompetent, corrupt, demoralized and unlucky doomed to die in a fight against a highly motivated and skilled Japanese foe who enjoyed all the advantages, specially technical. Though that impression is accurate, it doesn't give credit to Rozhestventski, wich in my humble opinion ranks as one of the greatest naval commanders in History, and whose epitaph, along with the others in the Russian fleet that tried their best to do their duty could very well be:
"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful, we have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do anything" Without doubt, the best book on this subject is one written by a German between the world wars, Frank Thiess (english translation "The Voyage of the Forgotten Men(Tsushima), Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill, 1937" it's included in the bibliography, so we have to conclude that Pleshakov either hasn't read it, or he's shameless enough to make a buck with a shoddy book that doesn't offer anything new, same for some spicy anecdotes. Another reviewer said that Thiess is ,perhaps, too romantic. Though I concede that he waxes poetic at times, he did justice to Rozhestventski, Pleshakov doesn't give him the credit this unsung Russian hero deserves, falling for the "Mad Dog" cliche, wich is a shame. Readers would be very mistaken if they came away with the impression that he was a martinet with a mean temper. Under the ordeal he had to endure, a lesser man would have commited suicide or give in to drinking. The good thing about Pleshakov book is that it shows Rozhestventski's more human side (wich complements Thiess slightly idealized portrait), his weaknesses and flaws. His profanity, fits of rage, womanizing, and exhaustion and desperation in the last part of the ill-fated voyage. Having a mistress in the hospital ship of the fleet helps to understand how he could endure so much for so long, he would have gone nuts without some sort of stress relief. If Rozhestventski was the hero, Nebogatov is the villain who surrendered the remnants of the Russian fleet. Though this book shows an even more damning picture of him trying to weasel his way out and dodging responsibility in the trial after the battle, that's not a balanced portrayal as it must be noted that his decision to surrender was the only wise, logical and sane order the fleet ever received, avoiding a futile slaughter, sacrificing his personal honor to save his men. Nebogatov is on a higher moral level than the true cowardice and incompetence shown by General Stössel who surrendered the garrison of Port Arthur. Sometimes it takes more courage to live than to die. Finally, it must be noted that Japan could have won all the battles and still lose the war, had the Russian fleet slipped past Togo, Russia could have prolonged the war long enough to bankrupt Japan and force them to sue for peace. What almost every account fails to mention, due to the ease of their victory and the hopelessness of Russian gamble, doomed to failure from the outset, it's that every battle: Port Arthur, Mukden, Tsushima; was an "all or nothing" gamble for the Japanese. In the long term, Tsushima was an empty victory that only fueled Japan's imperialism wich ultimately led to its doom with WWII
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: This was a good book about the destruciton of the Russian Fleet in 1905. The author spent most of the book describing the long journey of the fleet around the world. He explained their almost total lack of allies and incredibly low morale. When they found the Japanese fleet, it was one of the most lopsided battles in history. I wish the author had spent less time on the journey and more on the battle and the effect on Russian history.
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