Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II

I disagree with some of the other reviews. This is a facinating book about the vessels of world war II. Yes, it is a reprint of older and outdated material. But thats the point. This book is a compliation of the information that was on hand in 1946, a year after the war had ended. Yes, a small ammount of the information is incorrect, but for the most part it's very accurate. The line drawings are circa 1940's, there not large, but they do thier job. The photos are of similar quality. People have said that this is sub-par for Janes, but I think it was top of the line for Janes in 1946 when it was published, which is why it's still here today. There are multitudes of books out there that have absolutly accurate information and perfect schematics, but thats not really why you would buy this book. This is not a end-all reference, but is definitly worth having on your coffee table. I'm proud to have this book in my collection, it makes me feel as if I own a vintage photogragh of the worlds greatest fleets of the 1940's.

"Jane's" is possibly the world's leading authority on ships especially, though not exclusively, naval ships of the world. In this special edition of those warships which existed during WW2 we find the full specifications of each vessel, it's machinery and armament. Any changes to those specifications plus ant difference between ships of the same class are also included. As the reader might expect, each chapter is a different country and we commence with a waterline profile of that country's entire fleet followed by individual classes of ships from more or less from the biggest ships to the smallest. For the vast majority of entries we have a detailed profile and deck view of each class of ship with all parts numbered and named. Additionally, in most cases the publishers have been able to include at least one photograph (often more than one) of each type of ship. However, the publishers do point out that some of these pictures are of an inferior quality but are included in the interests of completeness because no other pictures are available. Various engineering and gunnery notes are also found in addition to more general information explaining the specific differences between various ships of the same class. Altogether, typical 5 star material from an established publisher of high quality material. NM

"Jane's" is possibly the world's leading authority on ships especially, though not exclusively, naval ships of the world. In this special edition of those warships which existed during WW2 we find the full specifications of each vessel, it's machinery and armament. Any changes to those specifications plus ant difference between ships of the same class are also included. As the reader might expect, each chapter is a different country and we commence with a waterline profile of that country's entire fleet followed by individual classes of ships from more or less from the biggest ships to the smallest. For the vast majority of entries we have a detailed profile and deck view of each class of ship with all parts numbered and named. Additionally, in most cases the publishers have been able to include at least one photograph (often more than one) of each type of ship. However, the publishers do point out that some of these pictures are of an inferior quality but are included in the interests of completeness because no other pictures are available. Various engineering and gunnery notes are also found in addition to more general information explaining the specific differences between various ships of the same class. Altogether, typical 5 star material from an established publisher of high quality material. NM

This was my 1st Jane's book purchase. I found the book full of information. It covers many countries including Britian, France, United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, & Russia. It also includes smaller countries like Brail, China, Sweeden, etc. There are several more. In my option it is a good reference. A word of warning; If you want all Ships that were in WWII you will have to purchase Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I also. One example of this is if you look for information on the USS Arizona; you'll need the WWI book since the battleship was built in June of 1915 (during WWI). There are no color pictures except for the dust jacket. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed is the Recognition Silhouettes which show a side view of the ship which will be grouped by class and number of funnels. I would recommend this book and the Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I; since they go hand and hand.

This is masterful account of the naval ships used during WWII. It is for, especially, the enthusiast who wants a detailed look into these amazing fighting machines. The authors provide a detailed examination of these ships. If you have ever read any of the other books put out by Janes-on the world's aircraft or battlefield equipment, for example-you will know what I'm talking about. This book gives the reader many pictures of WWII ships, from most of the navies involved in this conflict, including many statistics on the ships' capabilities. This is for the serious student of either naval vessels or the battles of WWII.