Battle at Sea

I originally looked for a book on Naval History for a young man graduating from College. There were many that looked good to choose from when I spotted this one. It is an awesome picture book but also full of information. It has a captivating layout and a wealth of illustrations. The reviews I read were all positive and true. I knew my husband would like it too so I ordered one for him for Father's day. When we gave the gift to the young man, he loved it...throughout the day either one or both of them were in that book! I thought my husband was going to hide it so he would forget it at our house! He was very glad to receive his own and has been enjoying it very much! It is a big hit with both of the men who received it!

DK has long published military histories, many "coffee-table" sized and filled with photos, paintings, maps and thumbnails of great land, sea and air battles. This title, covering the history of naval warfare, is one of the best efforts I've seen from them. Its presentation can fairly be called sumptuous. The text, written by R. G. Grant is detailed and apparently authoritative, though proofreading could have been better: one ship is allegedly scuttled a year before it takes part in a historic battle. None of the errors are serious and there are not many of them. The book ranges from the earliest known sea battles noted in Egyptian history through the Greeks into the modern operations in the Gulf. There is an introductory gallery of excellent photographs that familiarizes the reader with the designs and types of ships throughout the ages and provides a handy glossary. Major battles are illustrated on two page (and sometimes longer) spreads with excellent descriptive narrative and very well done 3D maps. There are also many insets showing details of the ships involved, historical paintings and the like. There are a few feature spreads, such as one on the only pre-dreadnought in existence, which was also Admiral Togo's flagship in the Russo-Japanese naval war. Overall, a tour through this book is like touring the naval history museum to end all naval history museums. It really is a treat for the military buff or amateur historian. Well worth the price for many hours of pleasure. Jerry

At 360 pages, R.G. Grant's large-format "Battle At Sea: 3,000 Years of Naval Warfare" is a masterful chronology of the countless sea battles fought since the beginnings of recorded civilization. What distinguishes the effort is not so much the concise narrative history that the author serves up, but the enticing graphics format -- the hallmark of DK Publishing. Viewing each page is like wandering through a great museum with its exquisite blend of interesting objects, maps, paintings, diagrams, 3D battle plans, photographs and battle accounts. The highlight of Mr. Grant's book are the wonderful color photographic tours of key vessels from all eras including: The Athenian trireme Olympias, Austrian war gallery Galera Real, British ship-of-the-line Victory, Japanese pre-dreadnought Mikasa, US battleship Texas, US aircraft carrier Lexington, and modern US destroyer Donald Cook. Like B.G. Grant's Warrior: A Visual History of the Fighting Man, "Battle At Sea: 3,000 Years of Naval Warfare" will make a fine addition to the coffee table of any history enthusiast.

The book arrived in a timely fashion and was in pristine condition. The book is incredibly interesting, very informative, and beautifully illustrated. A must have for those interested in Naval warfare.

Great book that includes descriptions of many sea battles from the East that are often ignored in histories. Illustrations are good, often photos of models. Battles get an average of 2 pages each, arranged in chronological order.