There are a number of other good books available. "Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear" Richars Connaughton; The Osprey essential histories "The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905". If you can get it Corbetts Maritime Operations is worth a read. Unfortunately it tends to be expensive and Vol 3 with the maps and charts is not available.
The Osprey book is a good introduction. I didn't think the Connaughton book brought anything new to the the table.
I would agree totally with that Mr Cobb. A major plus factor for "The Tide at Sunrise" is that the Warners to use perhaps my Grandfathers parlance were "old Asia hands". Connaughton actually lists the Warner's book as one of his sources He does also trend more to the land campaign and is more technically biased perhaps. Corbett can be hard going but I think worth the effort. It depends where your interest lies.
I admit having missed Corbitts. Will try to find.
Ok, maybe we can share some tips what book is good...
Generally I like what Cassel publish and have some books by them so maybe someone will be interested in this... I still didn't bought it but have intention... If anyone have read it let me know how did you like it. Other suggestions are also welcome Gents!
Amazon.com: Jutland: The German Perspective (Cassell Military Paperbacks): Books: V.E. Tarrant
Glad to see that my predictions about next game have been correct
OOPS sorry now I have seen that this book was already recommended, I apologize.
Well, I am in love so ... blush
Last edited by Bloodstar; 24 May 07 at 17:57.
Just reading that one now and it is a good companion volume to Jutland - An Analysis of the Fighting by John Campbell (Conway Maritime Press 1998) which is highly technical and quite a slow read by comparison.
The only other book I have on Jutland is: Jutland 1916: Clash of the Dreadnoughts by Charles London (Osprey MilitaryPublishing, Campaign Series 2000). More info on this one here Osprey Publishing - Jutland 1916
Ahhh - so you will have no time for reading or Jutland thenOriginally Posted by Bloodstar
There are a bunch of good Jutland books that have already been recommended, so I won't repeat that. But IMHO, you can't understand the whys and wherefores of Jutland without understanding the context of the broader WW1 naval scene. Therefore, despite the following books being off the chosen topic, they're still good and will help your overall understanding of Jutland itself.
A Naval History of World War I by Paul G. Halpern. This is an excellent overview of all WW1 naval stuff, from the cruiser war of 1914 through all the major theaters and even into the Mesopotamian riverine campaign. Essential for a good basic understanding, plus is well-written.
Halpern has several other books with tighter focus, mostly concerning the Medr. He's one of the few guys who pays much attention to this theater instead of the North Sea. Here are a couple examples:
The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1914-1918, by Paul G. Halpern. This is also an overview mostly at the strat level, although spending a fair amount of time at the operational level and occasionally touching tactical matters. However, because there was never any real chance of a fleet action in the Med once the Italians bailed on the Central Powers, things were pretty much all about subs and mines apart from the Dardanelles mess. Thus, a fair amount of this book is about which French or Italian naval minister sacked which admiral, and how that admiral went home, sided with the opposition in the next election, and became naval minister in his turn. Plus how the Entente bickered over how to deal with the U-boats. So it's kinda dry. OTOH, you'll get a good understanding of the conflicting commitments facing the Royal Navy, which impacted their strength in home waters.
The Battle of the Otranto Straits, by Paul G. Halpern. This book is all about the largest naval action in the Adriatic, which was all CLs and DDs. It's a great read and is full of aerial photos and sketches taken/made by Austrian planes during the actual battle, which are fascinating by themselves.
Other cool books having more to due with the North Sea situation and thus more Jutland-specific context:
The Battle of Heligoland Bight, but Eric W. Osborne. This book or another on the same subject is IMHO absolutely essential for placing Jutland in context, because the battle had a huge effect on German naval strategy. This particular book is pretty good, although it could have been better in a few areas.
British Submarines in the Great War, by Edwyn Gray. This covers all the theaters that Brit subs operated in, including the Baltic and the Dardanelles. However, most subs were in home waters, so there's a lot about the North Sea, too. Most of the book is a few broad sweeps to set the strategic context, then tales of derring do by individual sub skippers. This book does much to explain both how Brit subs impacted German naval strategy, and how the Brits knew so much about German movements. The sub view of the battle of Helgoland is also quite interesting. The style is a little ornate, but that's cool.
Zeebrugge: Eleven VCs before Breakfast, by Barrie Pitt. This battle took place after the HSF was pretty much a thing of the past and all the focus was on U-boats. In fact, the battle was all about solving the U-boat problem. The book is worth the read, however, just so you can feel awed by the sheer balls of the guys who took part. This book's style is even more ornate than the previous one, but that really doesn't get in the way of the good story.
-Bullethead
Nihil iniquius quam aequitatem nimis intendere
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there are bacteria.
Iam currently reading "The Rules of the Game" by Andrew Gordon
Amazon.com: The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command: Books: Andrew Gordon
I came on it as it is recommended by the Dreadnought Project Site. They say it is the best book on Jutland. And I must say, it is a good book.
Thanks mbv valuable infoJust reading that one now and it is a good companion volume to Jutland - An Analysis of the Fighting by John Campbell (Conway Maritime Press 1998) which is highly technical and quite a slow read by comparison.
The only other book I have on Jutland is: Jutland 1916: Clash of the Dreadnoughts by Charles London (Osprey MilitaryPublishing, Campaign Series 2000). More info on this one here Osprey Publishing - Jutland 1916
Ahhh - so you will have no time for reading or Jutland then
I think that you are right on that
Will catch up on games by winter hehe.
Mario
Thanks Bullethead!
And congrats to your entry into SES team, you will be very valuable there and they made a good choice!
Mario
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