During the period between 1914 and 1919, the Royal Navy reached its zenith in terms of powerful, technologically advanced battleships, battle-cruisers and other vessels.
Collectively the disposition was simply termed the Grand Fleet.
Amassed just in time to counter the threat from Kaiser Wilhelm’s High Seas Fleet, the Grand Fleet was the bastion of empire and ultimately ensured Britain’s victory in the First World War. Daniel Ridley-Kitts’ book The Grand Fleet 1914–19 superbly describes how First Sea Lord Jacky Fisher outwitted his protagonists to build the fleet and the technology that made the ships the envy of the world.
Superb illustrations compliment the informative text to provide the reader with the complete story, making this a thoroughly recommended addition to any enthusiast’s library.
Stephen M. Payne OBE RDI FRINA FREng
Past President of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects
From RMS Queen Mary 2 at sea, North Atlantic, 6 October 2012