A different approach

books:

	• In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II Richard Worth Nimble Books LLC, 2008 - 48 pages average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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A different approach

This is a very short book so naturally it cannot be an in-depth study of so vast a subject as the history of the cruiser, and it's not intended as such. Instead the author has written a number of essays to explain the role of the cruiser and to rectify some of the more common misconceptions. He succeeds very well and persuasively explains the pros and cons of each of the WWII heavy cruisers. He has, of course, a candidate for the best cruiser... I would have given the book five stars had it just been a little more comprehensive.

Very Intersting

This is a very interesting book as it is the first book that I've read that specifically does the comparison between ships and uses that comparison to describe their strengths and weaknesses. Usually books describe the stats of the ships and may go into their strengths and weaknesses, but don't give the authors opinions of the ships and hence come out very dry, this book on the other hand is written in a lively language and gives the reader more than the dry stats, it puts the stats into the context.

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Short but sweet

This is a short book written by an obviously knowledgeable author. It is well written and informative. It is not intended to be comprehensive or a modeler's guide but rather to help explain some aspects of cruiser design which often cause confusion or misconception. This subject is fascinating in my opinion and worthy of a full study but until such comes along this book is a good start. The appendix which suggests further reading is valuable in itself. I strongly recommend this short book.

Participating in almost every major sea battle in World War II, cruisers found themselves pressed into a myriad of roles. They escorted battle lines, guarded convoys, patrolled oceans--even acted as mini-battleships, going toe-to-toe with dreadnoughts three times their size. Their duties ranged from the tedious but necessary to the desperate and deadly, yet history has given them little attention. In the Shadow of the Battleship gives these ships their due, with essays to explain the lineage and quirks that made cruisers what they were--the cornerstone of maritime supremacy.

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