Jutland: The Naval Staff Appreciation

Jutland: The Naval Staff AppreciationJutland: The Naval Staff Appreciation by William Schleihauf
ISBN: 9781848323193
Published by Seaforth Publishing on December 31, 2016
Genres: History, Military, World War I, Naval, General
Pages: 352

I include this title with some reluctance, as I contributed some of the text and prepared the book for publication after the death of my friend, Bill Schleihauf. Nevertheless, I think it rates as an important work on the battle. The core of this book is a secret appreciation of the battle, written after the war by a pair of Royal Navy officers and suppressed because of its extreme criticism of Admiral Jellicoe. Despite its suppression, it has been used by a number subsequent historians (including Arthur J. Marder) and so has played an important part in the historiography of the battle. The notes added by Schleihauf and McLaughlin supplement the original text and point out its errors, and a collection of valuable documents is appended.

FULL DISCLOSURE: As noted above, I added some text and prepared the manuscript for publication, so I am not an unbiased reviewer!

(Notes by Steve McLaughlin)

Clash of Fleets: Naval Battles of the Great War, 1914–18

Clash of Fleets: Naval Battles of the Great War, 1914–18Clash of Fleets by Vincent P. O'Hara, Leonard R. Heinz
ISBN: 9781682470190
Published by Naval Institute Press on April 15, 2017
Genres: History, Military, Naval
Pages: 264

This innovative book looks at every single surface action involving ships of over 100 tons displacement—that is, it excludes only the smallest of patrol craft. The coverage is comprehensive, and is broken down by year, and then by theater. Each entry includes a listing of the ships involved, the commanding officer on each side, the weather conditions, the missions the two sides were engaged in when the action took place, and a succinct description of the action. Not to be overlooked are the excellent strategic overviews that begin each major section, and the analysis in the final chapter. There are superb charts throughout, specially drawn by O’Hara.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I helped the authors research the actions involving the Russian Navy.

(Notes by Steve McLaughlin)

From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904-1919

From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904-1919From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow by Arthur J Marder
ISBN: 9781473841888
Published by Seaforth Publishing on June 13, 2014
Genres: History, Military, Naval, World War I
Pages: 425

In 5 volumes: vol. I: The Road to War, 1904-1914; vol. II: The War Years to the Eve of Jutland; vol. III: Jutland and After (May 1916-December 1916) (second edition, revised and enlarged); vol. IV: 1917, Year of Crisis; vol. V: Victory and Aftermath, January 1918–June 1919. London: Oxford University Press, 1961, 1978; a paperback edition, with introductions to each volume by Barry Gough, was published by the Naval Institute Press in 2014.

Long the standard work on the topic, Marder’s volumes have in recent years been subjected to some criticism; yet the work still stands as a monumental contribution to the field, and no reader interested in the history of the Great War at sea can ignore it. The recent reissue in paperback makes it possible to obtain at a reasonable price what had become a rare set.

(Notes by Steve McLaughlin)

Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactics and Technology

Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactics and TechnologyFighting the Great War at Sea by Norman Friedman
ISBN: 9781612519593
Published by Naval Institute Press on October 15, 2014
Genres: History, Military, Naval
Pages: 320

A mammoth and well-illustrated work by an expert in naval affairs and a prolific author. This book delves into the details of the war, with chapters on (for example), “Blockade, Trade Warfare and Economic Attack,” “The Chessboard—Naval Geography,” “Fleets in Battle,” “Inshore Operations and an Inshore Fleet,” etc.

(Notes by Steve McLaughlin)

Admiral Frank H. Schofield: A Portrait in Letters of An American Navy Family (1886-1942)

Admiral Frank H. Schofield: A Portrait in Letters of An American Navy Family (1886-1942)Admiral Frank H. Schofield: A Portrait in Letters of an American Navy Family (the Years 1886-1942) by Richard S MacAlpine
ISBN: 1495811859
Published by Infinity Publishing (PA) on October 18, 2016
Genres: Naval

The Naval Historical Foundation declared MacAlpine’s book “amazing….” using 12,000 letters plus other documents to tell Schofield’s story. Graduating first in the Naval Academy Class of 1890, by 1915 Schofield commanded the Navy’s first scout cruiser Chester in the Mediterranean, dealing with the Turks during the Armenian troubles.

In 1917 he was on Admiral William Sims’s staff who commanded U.S. naval forces operating from Britain. His performance in anti-submarine measures led Sims to assign him as a naval advisor in the preparations for the Versailles Treaty of 1919.

Reviewed by CAPT Richard F. Church, USN (Ret.)

Hunters and Killers, Volume 1: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943

Hunters and Killers, Volume 1: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943Hunters and Killers: Volume 1: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943 by Norman Polmar, Edward Whitman
ISBN: 1591146895
Published by Naval Institute Press on November 30, 2015
Genres: Naval
Pages: 224

Part of a two volume history of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), this covers the innovative but rudimentary sensors and weapons the Allies used to counter German U-boats in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, although the U-boats were never completely defeated in the Great War. In August 1914 Germany had only 30 operational submarines compared to Britain’s 75, France’s 50, and Russia’s 25. Unrestricted U-boat attacks were curtailed in 1915 in response to protests by the USA. Includes short bios on key scientists and naval leaders. Fine overview.

Reviewed by Dana Lombardy, publisher of WWOI

The Baltimore Sabotage Cell: German Agents, American Traitors, and the U-Boat Deutschland During World War I

The Baltimore Sabotage Cell: German Agents, American Traitors, and the U-Boat Deutschland During World War IThe Baltimore Sabotage Cell by Dwight Messimer
ISBN: 9781612518695
Published by Naval Institute Press on March 15, 2015
Genres: History, Military, Naval
Pages: 280

The book’s focus on U-Boat Deutschland makes it easy to understand the experimental vessel and keep track of the groups connected with it. Deutschland was one of two subs designed as underwater freighters to avoid the British blockade. The other, the Bremen, was lost at sea on its initial voyage.

Support of the U-Boat was only one of the activities of the Baltimore sabotage group; it also attempted to spread diseases to horses being sent to the Allies.

Deutschland made only two successful trips before it was re-commissioned as a standard submarine after America entered the war.

The Germans and Americans in the U.S. who acquired the trade goods for shipment to Germany were in peril once the U.S. entered the war; most escaped. While some people, civilian and military, toured and inspected the Deutschland while docked in Baltimore, it was not until after the war that interviews with the cell’s surviving participants revealed how extensive and successful the Baltimore group had been.

A well written and unexpectedly interesting case study of an unusual aspect of the war.

Reviewed by Anne Merritt

Britain’s Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914-1919

Britain’s Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914-1919Britain's Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914-1919 by Eric W. Osborne
ISBN: 0415646170
Published by Routledge on October 31st 2013
Pages: 215

Len's Summary: An examination of British policy on blockade, and its evolution and execution in light of shifting international law and advances in weaponry.

The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I

The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War IThe Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I by Paul G. Halpern
ISBN: 0253343798
Published by Indiana University Press on May 24th 2004
Pages: 208

Len's Summary: By the author of A Naval History of WWI and The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1914-1918. The story of the largest Mediterranean naval encounter of WWI involving surface and submarine vessels, mines and aircraft from five nations.

The U-boat Century: German Submarine Warfare, 1906-2006

The U-boat Century: German Submarine Warfare, 1906-2006The U-boat Century: German Submarine Warfare, 1906-2006 by Jak P. Mallmann Showell
ISBN: 1591148928
on October 10th 2006

Len's Summary: A selection of the History Book Club. In 1915, U-Boats sank 555 Entente merchant vessels; in 1916, the number climbed to 1.300; and, in 1917 over 3,000 Allied vessels were sent to the bottom by U-Boats. These losses were never replicated, even in the Battle of the Atlantic in World War Two, as is pointed out by the author.

The Cruise of the Sea Eagle: The Amazing True Story of Imperial Germany’s Gentleman Pirate

The Cruise of the Sea Eagle: The Amazing True Story of Imperial Germany’s Gentleman PirateThe Cruise of the Sea Eagle: The Amazing True Story of Imperial Germany's Gentleman Pirate by Blaine Lee Pardoe
ISBN: 1592286941
Published by The Lyons Press on April 1st 2005
Pages: 295

Len's Summary: The most recent of several books concentrating on German maritime raiders of WWI. These include Kaisers Pirates: German Surface Raiders in World War One and Emden-Ayseha Adventure: German Raiders in the South Seas and Beyond, 1914, both published by the Naval Institute Press. Germany employed surface raiders, both armed merchantmen and war ships of up to large cruiser size, in both World Wars.

This Great Harbor: Scapa Flow

This Great Harbor: Scapa FlowThis Great Harbor: Scapa Flow by W.S. Hewison
ISBN: 1843410265
Published by Birlinn on October 1st 2005
Pages: 379

Len's Summary: The development of the harbor from the time of the Vikings through two world wars, the scuttle and inter-war salvage of the Imperial German High Seas Fleet.

Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire Control

Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire ControlDreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire Control by John Brooks
ISBN: 9780415407885
Published by Routledge on September 1st 2006
Pages: 321

Len's Summary: Gunnery, a subject that has fascinated naval historians for centuries, is also covered in Joh T. Sumuda's In Defense of Naval Supremacy: Financial Limitation, Technological Innovation and British Naval Policy, 1899-1914, Routledge, 1989 (hardback) and 1993 (paper).

Royal Navy Handbook, 1914–1918

Royal Navy Handbook, 1914–1918Royal Navy Handbook, 1914–1918 by David Wragg
ISBN: 0750942037
Published by The History Press on August 1st 2006
Pages: 320

Len's Summary: How the RN adapted to WWI. The author has written several books on naval warfare, including naval aviation.

Hunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWI

Hunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWIHunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWI by Todd A. Woofenden
ISBN: 9780978919207
Published by Signal Light Books on 2006
Pages: 218

Len's Summary: The history of the operations of US Navy 110-foot wooden submarine chasers in European waters. Available from the publisher at www.signallightbooks.com.

The New Navy, 1883-1922 (The U.S. Navy Warship Series)

The New Navy, 1883-1922 (The U.S. Navy Warship Series)The New Navy, 1883-1922 (The U.S. Navy Warship Series) by Paul Silverstone
ISBN: 9781135865436
Published by Routledge on May 13th 2013
Genres: Military, Naval, United States
Pages: 296

Len's Summary: Covers naval ships authorized and commissioned beginning with the ABCD ships of 1883 to the never-completed 1916 naval construction program through the Washington Naval Disarmament Conference of 1921-22. . The entire set of six volumes covering ships of 1775 though 2005 is available for $395.

Crisis at Sea: The United States Navy in European Waters in World War I

Crisis at Sea: The United States Navy in European Waters in World War ICrisis at Sea: The United States Navy in European Waters in World War I by William N. Still Jr.
ISBN: 0813029872
Published by University Press of Florida on January 28th 2007
Pages: 768

Len's Summary: A wide-ranging account, the first in many years, of the deployment, battles, tactics, logistics, policies and shipbuilding programs of the U. S. Navy at war, 1917-1918.

German Battlecruisers, 1914-1918

German Battlecruisers, 1914-1918German Battlecruisers, 1914-1918 by Gary Staff
ISBN: 9781846030093
Published by Osprey Publishing on June 7th 2006
Genres: Military, Germany, Naval
Pages: 48

Len's Summary: Individual ship histories and brief analysis of their engagements.

Power at Sea: The Age of Navalism, 1890-1918

Power at Sea: The Age of Navalism, 1890-1918Power at Sea: The Age of Navalism, 1890-1918 by Lisle Abbott Rose
ISBN: 9780826217011
Published by University of Missouri Press Genres: Military, Naval, Pre-War
Pages: 355

Len's Summary: The last imperial scramble for global empire: colonies, markets and naval supremacy.

The Battle of Heligoland Bight

The Battle of Heligoland BightThe Battle of Heligoland Bight by Eric W. Osborne
ISBN: 9780253347428
Published by Indiana University Press on June 13th 2006
Genres: Great Britain, Military, Naval
Pages: 141

Len's Summary: A new history of the first naval battle of WWI between Germany and England.

Naval Blockades in Peace and War: An Economic History since 1750

Naval Blockades in Peace and War: An Economic History since 1750Naval Blockades in Peace and War: An Economic History since 1750 by Lance E. Davis, Stanley L. Engerman
ISBN: 1107406153
Published by Cambridge University Press on July 9th 2012
Pages: 464

Len's Summary: Detailed qualitative analysis of the effectiveness of blockades including the Napoleonic Wars, the War of 1812, the American Civil War and World Wars One and Two.

Distant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World War

Distant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World WarDistant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World War by Daniel Allen Butler
ISBN: 9780275990732
Published by Greenwood Publishing Group on January 1st 2006
Pages: 251

Len's Summary: A new, revisionist analysis of a controversial battle which the author asserts was a major British strategic victory rather than a tactical draw or narrow German triumph. Command leadership styles, he says, were more important to the outcome than technical idiosyncrasies of the various classes of dreadnoughts engaged. Most importantly, the battle set in motion the decisions by both sides that materially affected the outcome of the conflict.

British Battlecruisers, 1914-18

British Battlecruisers, 1914-18British Battlecruisers, 1914-18 by Lawrence Burr, Tony Bryan
ISBN: 1846030080
Published by Osprey Publishing on August 29th 2006
Genres: Military, Great Britain, Naval, Pictorial
Pages: 48

Len's Summary: A richly illustrated companion volume to German Battlecruisers.

Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats

Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-BoatsAnti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats by John Abbatiello
ISBN: 9781135989545
Published by Routledge on May 2nd 2006
Genres: Military, Naval, Political Science
Pages: 256

Len's Summary: Effective British innovation against a new and deadly weapon.

German Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and Operations

German Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and OperationsGerman Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and Operations by Gary Staff, Marsden Samuel
ISBN: 1591141915
Published by Naval Institute Press on December 15th 2014
Pages: 320

Len's Summary: Rare book in English detailing a major Imperial German ship type.

The Russian Navy 1890s-1916

The Russian Navy 1890s-1916The Russian Navy 1890s-1916 by Vladimir Krestjaninov
ISBN: 1906509492
Published by Unicorn Press on March 7th 2014
Pages: 262

Len's Summary: Nearly 500 images of Russian warships of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Kaiser’s Pirates: Hunting Germany’s Raiding Cruisers, 1914-1915

The Kaiser’s Pirates: Hunting Germany’s Raiding Cruisers, 1914-1915The Kaiser's Pirates: Hunting Germany's Raiding Cruisers, 1914-1915 by Nick Hewitt
ISBN: 1848847734
Published by Pen & Sword Books on November 19th 2013
Pages: 256

Len's Summary: German commerce raiders cost the Royal Navy much time and effort during the early months of the war before they were swept from the seas. Worth reading.

1917: The First World War at Sea in Photographs

1917: The First World War at Sea in Photographs1917: The First World War at Sea in Photographs by Phil Carradice
ISBN: 9781445622477
Published by Amberley Publishing on December 11th 2014
Pages: 144

1916: The First World War at Sea in Photographs

1916: The First World War at Sea in Photographs1916: The First World War at Sea in Photographs by Phil Carradice
ISBN: 9781445622422
Published by Amberley Publishing on October 15th 2014
Pages: 144

1915: The First World War at Sea in Photographs

1915: The First World War at Sea in Photographs1915: The First World War at Sea in Photographs by Phil Carradice
ISBN: 1445622378
Published by Amberley Publishing on October 19th 2014
Pages: 144

1914: The First World War at Sea in Photographs

1914: The First World War at Sea in Photographs1914: The First World War at Sea in Photographs by Phil Carradice
ISBN: 9781445622330
Published by Amberley Publishing on May 1st 2014
Pages: 128

From Imperial Splendor to Internment: The German Navy in the First World War

From Imperial Splendor to Internment: The German Navy in the First World WarFrom Imperial Splendor to Internment: The German Navy in the First World War by Nicholas Wolz
ISBN: 1591141745
Published by US Naval Institute Press on July 15th 2015
Pages: 320

Len's Summary: Years of relative inactivity for Germany’s battle fleet while submarines dominated the action.

The Great War at Sea: A Naval Atlas, 1914-1919

The Great War at Sea: A Naval Atlas, 1914-1919The Great War at Sea: A Naval Atlas, 1914-1919 by Marcus Faulkner, Andrew Lambert
ISBN: 1591141923
Published by US Naval Institute Press on October 15th 2015
Pages: 192

Len's Summary: Graphic depiction of the war at sea.

21st Century Sims: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for the Modern Era

21st Century Sims: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for the Modern Era21st Century Sims: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for the Modern Era by Benjamin Armstrong
ISBN: 1612518109
Published by US Naval Institute Press on February 15th 2015
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Military, Naval
Pages: 176

Len's Summary: Admiral William S. Sims twice President of the US Naval War College, gunnery expert and commander of US Naval Forces in Europe during WWI was a true military intellectual.

Hospital Ships and Troop Transport of the First World War

Hospital Ships and Troop Transport of the First World WarHospital Ships and Troop Transport of the First World War by Campbell McCutcheon
ISBN: 9781445638676
Published by Amberley on August 28th 2015
Pages: 128

Len's Summary: Under Royal Navy command these merchant vessels played a vital role in prosecuting the war.

Before Jutland: The Naval War in Northern European Waters, August 1914-February 1915

Before Jutland: The Naval War in Northern European Waters, August 1914-February 1915Before Jutland: The Naval War in Northern European Waters, August 1914-February 1915 by James Goldrick
ISBN: 1591143497
Published by US Naval Institute Press on May 15th 2015
Genres: Military, Naval
Pages: 400

Len's Summary: The German High Seas Fleet faces the British in the North Sea and the Russians in the Baltic.

Warships of the Great War Era (A History of Ship Models)

Warships of the Great War Era (A History of Ship Models)Warships of the Great War Era (A History of Ship Models) by David Hobbs
ISBN: 1591141907
Published by Seaforth Publishing on October 15th 2014
Pages: 128

Len's Summary: Photographs highlighting design details of dozens of WWI Royal navy scale models from dreadnoughts to motor torpedo boats in the collection of The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Amazing detail for the modeler or student of naval architecture. Five stars.

Battle of Dogger Bank: The First Dreadnought Engagement, January 1915

Battle of Dogger Bank: The First Dreadnought Engagement, January 1915Battle of Dogger Bank: The First Dreadnought Engagement, January 1915 by Tobias R. Philbin
ISBN: 0253011698
Published by Indiana University Press on March 1st 2014
Genres: Military, Naval
Pages: 216

Len's Summary: Decoded radio messages drew Royal Navy battle cruisers to oppose German raiders in an inconclusive battle at sea. // A January 1915 battle cruiser encounter which, though inconclusive, taught valuable lessons to both sides.

Billy Mitchell’s War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power

Billy Mitchell’s War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air PowerBilly Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Interwar Rivalry Over Air Power by Thomas Wildenberg
ISBN: 0870210386
Published by US Naval Institute Press on October 15th 2013
Pages: 288

Attack on Orleans: The World War I Submarine Raid on Cape Cod

Attack on Orleans: The World War I Submarine Raid on Cape CodAttack on Orleans:: The World War I Submarine Raid on Cape Cod by Jake Klim
ISBN: 9781626194908
Published by The History Press on June 10th 2014
Pages: 128

Len's Summary: The first attack in American shores since the War of 1812 occurred when a long-range U-Boat shelled a string of coastal barges off Nauset Beach.