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Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating selection of ships.
Review: Before settling down to read this book, I began by glancing through the pages to see what sort of warship might be regarded as the world's worst. The inclusion of the "K" class submarine did not surprise me but the Yamato, Graf Spee and Hood - I thought these were the outstanding Battleships of their day. Then, having read the narrative for each vessel, it became quite clear why they are included."The World's Worst Warships" is a hard-back book measuring 10" x 8" containing almost 200 pages of detailed information on a carefully chosen selection of warship types. Commencing with the Monitors of the American Civil War, the Author brings us through his book chapter-by-chapter and development-by-development, as this particular type of war machine evolves and improves. Each chapter becomes a fascinating read and the book is well illustrated with a generous selection of line drawings and historic photographs. Incidentally, all illustrations are courtesy of "Chrysalis Images." Chrysalis Books are the parent publishing company and I suspect many readers will find some of the images to be new and previously unpublished. At the beginning of the book, it is very easy for the reader to mock the early efforts of those building the very first iron-clads - benefits of hindsight and all that. Later on, however, we can only stand in awe as we learn of the political thinking and sheer dogmatism that surrounded the design of this and the building of that. To think that the one country which truly recognised the value of the Aircraft Carrier right at the outbreak of WW2 would also insist on building 2 Yamato class Battleships - the construction of which almost bankrupted the nation and also even deprived the country's fishermen of their nets. It's all in there. This is a work of reference to interest ship's historians the world over. I also suspect it will be much sought after by Scuba Divers who look for the reasons why this wreck or that wreck is where it is today. NM
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating selection of ships.
Review: Before settling down to read this book, I began by glancing through the pages to see what sort of warship might be regarded as the world's worst. The inclusion of the "K" class submarine did not surprise me but the Yamato, Graf Spee and Hood - I thought these were the outstanding Battleships of their day. Then, having read the narrative for each vessel, it became quite clear why they are included. "The World's Worst Warships" is a hard-back book measuring 10" x 8" containing almost 200 pages of detailed information on a carefully chosen selection of warship types. Commencing with the Monitors of the American Civil War, the Author brings us through his book chapter-by-chapter and development-by-development, as this particular type of war machine evolves and improves. Each chapter becomes a fascinating read and the book is well illustrated with a generous selection of line drawings and historic photographs. Incidentally, all illustrations are courtesy of "Chrysalis Images." Chrysalis Books are the parent publishing company and I suspect many readers will find some of the images to be new and previously unpublished. At the beginning of the book, it is very easy for the reader to mock the early efforts of those building the very first iron-clads - benefits of hindsight and all that. Later on, however, we can only stand in awe as we learn of the political thinking and sheer dogmatism that surrounded the design of this and the building of that. To think that the one country which truly recognised the value of the Aircraft Carrier right at the outbreak of WW2 would also insist on building 2 Yamato class Battleships - the construction of which almost bankrupted the nation and also even deprived the country's fishermen of their nets. It's all in there. This is a work of reference to interest ship's historians the world over. I also suspect it will be much sought after by Scuba Divers who look for the reasons why this wreck or that wreck is where it is today. NM
Rating: 
Summary: Could've been better
Review: I must say I was a little dissapionted with subject material in this book. Although the regulars of the history of failed warships appear, some, such as the battlecrusiers of WW1 barely get a mention. As we all know they are the hallmark of naval failure. The American monitors get a mention but we must understand that they were designed for riverine and habor defense. The HMS Hood gets a mention although it's famous demise was more about politics rather that strategic, you still didn't front up a battelcruiser to a battleship fight. The lession still not learnt from WW1. Others that are metioned include the Yamoto, a failure because she was too complex? She was, and by the time she was ready the Japanese were in full withdrawl from the Pacific and could not sustain her. Still the US Navy built the Iowa Class Battleships to fight her and she manage to scare off an entire American naval force in the Leyte Gulf just by being present at the time, thus causing a re-think of strategy to take the Phillipines. Today we still see some of the most stupid designs such as the US nuclear powered cruisers and the woefully undersized British aircraft carriers that are really created from modified helicopter assult cruisers. Really just a shelf filler and coud do with so much more research.
Rating:
Summary: Could've been better
Review: I must say I was a little dissapionted with subject material in this book. Although the regulars of the history of failed warships appear, some, such as the battlecrusiers of WW1 barely get a mention. As we all know they are the hallmark of naval failure. The American monitors get a mention but we must understand that they were designed for riverine and habor defense. The HMS Hood gets a mention although it's famous demise was more about politics rather that strategic, you still didn't front up a battelcruiser to a battleship fight. The lession still not learnt from WW1. Others that are metioned include the Yamoto, a failure because she was too complex? She was, and by the time she was ready the Japanese were in full withdrawl from the Pacific and could not sustain her. Still the US Navy built the Iowa Class Battleships to fight her and she manage to scare off an entire American naval force in the Leyte Gulf just by being present at the time, thus causing a re-think of strategy to take the Phillipines. Today we still see some of the most stupid designs such as the US nuclear powered cruisers and the woefully undersized British aircraft carriers that are really created from modified helicopter assult cruisers. Really just a shelf filler and coud do with so much more research.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: I was expecting more. He covers a few obvious ships, but some obscure or questionable ships as well. The obvious WWI Brit Battlecruisers are not covered, but the US Four Stackers were. Japanese Yamato is covered (too big/expensive) but the fragile IJN battleships of the inter war period are ignored. The Hood is classified as a terrible ship, even though it was 20 years old when it faced the modern Bismarck (which is also listed as a failure). Few WWII or later Russian ships are listed even though quite a few were duds (only one sub is discussed). Overall I expected more from this author. I bought this book with high hopes, and was a bit disappointed when I read it.
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