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Angus Konstam
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British Battleships 1939–45 (1): Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign Classes (New Vanguard) Paperback – Illustrated, April 21, 2009

by Angus Konstam (Author), Tony Bryan (Illustrator), Paul Wright (Illustrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
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With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence. Yet from a fleet of 12 battleships, ten were already over 20 years old, venerable veterans of World War I. Extensive modifications throughout the 1930s allowed these ships to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict, and further improvements made during the course of the war enabled them to hold their own against their German and Italian counterparts. This title offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service. Detailed descriptions of the main armament of each ship will offer further analysis of individual battleships' effectiveness, discussing how the guns were manned when engaging the enemy. Describing HMS Warspite during the battle of Matapan in 1941, the author details how this British battleship, together with other Royal Navy and Australian vessels, defeated the might of the Italian navy so that they never again threatened Allied fleets within the Mediterranean. With specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic retelling of key battleship engagements, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas.
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  1. Part of series
    New Vanguard
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  5. Publication date
    April 21, 2009
  6. Dimensions
    7.3 x 0.55 x 9.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1846033888
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1846033889
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

New Vanguard

battlescenes

Cutaway diagrams

Photos

Full colour battlescenes

Beautifully illustrated battlescenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.

Cutaway diagrams

Specially commissioned full colour illustrations are included alongside labels and comprehensive captions to give a full breakdown of the machines and ships used in battle.

Photographs

Each volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants.

New Vanguard

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In all, it makes for an excellent primer on the subject and fully meets this reviewer's expectations of books in this series. If you want to learn about the subject, I know you will find it to be equally useful. Buy with confidence.” ―Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009)

About the Author

Angus Konstam is one of Osprey's most prolific authors, with over 30 published titles. In addition he has written more than 25 books for other publishers.

His Osprey titles include British Battlecruisers 1939-45, British Motor Torpedo Boats 1939-45 (both New Vanguard Series), and a string of other nautical titles. His other works include Hunt the Bismark (Naval Institute Press, 2003), PT Boats (Ian Allen, 2005) and Warships (PRC, 2001). He has also written a 100 edition part-work series on Naval History for Osprey/Del Prado.

His latest book is Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate (Wiley, 2006). A former naval officer, maritime archeologist and maritime museum curator, Angus has a long and passionate love affair with the sea, maritime history and warships. For more details visit the author's website at www.anguskonstam.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (April 21, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1846033888
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1846033889
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 0.55 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Angus Konstam

Angus Konstam

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With over 50 history books in print, Angus is a widely recognised and much-published historian. While he specialises in military and naval history he has also written numerous more general history books, designed to make the subject more accessible to a wider audience. Uniquely he has been able to draw on his expertise as a senior museum curator who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on his academic training as a historian and as a maritime archaeologist.

His latest book is a full-length biography: Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, which is published by Wiley & Sons. of New York (June 2006)

Angus is also just finished writing a history of the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 for the British publisher Pen & Sword, and he is currently working on a new project, with the working title of Supership: The Quest for the Renaissance Battleship.

Angus lives in Edinburgh, in Scotland.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
77 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tony
5.0 out of 5 stars Why the British ruled the seas
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
Some of the Greatest Battleships at Sea.
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Russell M. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Angus Konstam"s books
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2015
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Small books that carry a lot of information. The colored drawings are a very good draw for buying these books.
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Marco Antonio Giron
4.0 out of 5 stars Just enough, part one
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2010
Verified Purchase
I like the way it develops the theme, first historical background, the development of each class battleship, and finally a summary of the history of each vessel. Do not delve too deeply into the changes in the vessels.

For someone who starts in the naval theme of these wonders, is interesting enough to follow in produndizando.
One person found this helpful
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michael krause
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014
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great book. lots of info for modeling.
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Helmut Krause
5.0 out of 5 stars a good history
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2009
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This book is a good short history for those who want to know the basics of the early WW2 British Battleships. Worth the money.
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars British Battleships 1939-45 (1): Queen Elizabeth and Royal Soverign Classes (New Vanguard)
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2010
Verified Purchase
like this series -- wish it was thicker with more details but good enough for "overview"
One person found this helpful
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John Fornshell
4.0 out of 5 stars British Battleships
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is a brief history of the First World War vintage battleships employed by the Royal Navy in the Second World War. The coverage of the Royal Sovereign class is insufficient. Their contributions deserved better attention.
2 people found this helpful
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Jonathan Lupton
5.0 out of 5 stars A fact-filled and insightful analysis of two vital classes of World War II battleships
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2009
Between them, the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign-class battleships provided ten of the twelve dreadnoughts in Britain's battle line at the start of World War II. They were old, but remained fearsome to their enemies thanks to their outstanding 15-inch main armament. The Queen Elizabeth class, in particular, proved valuable in surface actions at Narvik, Calabria, Cape Matapan, and in numerous other engagements.

This title is remarkably detailed and informative for its short length. Author Angus Konstam gives insights not available in most other titles. The Queen Elizabeths were the last dreadnoughts designed by Sir Philip Watts. They were revolutionary, despite being designed for guns that did not yet exist. They had flaws - draught was too great, and beam too narrow to be optimal, but they were still the finest battleships of their day. There is also adequate attention given to the slower, less spectacular "R" class battleships which followed. The emphasis is on the World War II condition of both classes. All of the "QE" and "R"-class battleships were modified from their original condition, and some were quite drastically improved prior to World War II. Of the "R"-class ships, Royal Oak had received the greatest modification prior to WWII - ironic, since she was lost within two months of the war's start.

There are plentiful photos, many of which I had never seen before, detailed color profiles of the ships in their World War II condition, diagrams depicting armor protection in both wars, and a useful table on gunnery characteristics. This title gives only limited battle histories of the ships, focusing on the famous (and lucky) HMS Warspite in two incidents: (1) scoring a vital hit at 26,000 yards on the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare at Calabria, and (2) surviving a near-fatal hit from a German glider bomb off Salerno.

Although a brief 46 pages, this title is a good value for the money - well-researched, with enough depth to interest researchers, yet readable and understandable to anyone interested in these classic, historically vital battleships.
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Top reviews from other countries

Roger Wilson-Tucker
5.0 out of 5 stars Successful New Wine in Old Bottles
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
The concise, but interesting and informative book showed, in detail, how the several ships of each class were modified with given aims. Winston Churchill urged that the vessels of the (later) Royal Sovereign Class be kept out of the way of the enemy; but they performed a valuable role, both in support of Queen-Elizabeth Class units, and in protecting convoys. Modern German Pocket Battleships refrained from attacking convoys, when faced with the heavy armament of those old ships. If we had had modernised vessels of these or the later classes, they would not have become infernos, unlike tse modern aluminium and plastic ships, when struck by Exocet missiles, in the Falklands conflict.
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J. Brian Walton
4.0 out of 5 stars Longest serving and most effective
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2014
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At 35,000 tons the Queen Elizabeth class and the Royal Sovereigns were giants in 1916 but their record goes on into WWII and one of the Queens, Warspight may be, historically, the fightingest ship ever. She was in almost every battle in both wars and even after a direct hit by a Nazi glider bomb at Anzio still was present on D Day to use her 15 inch guns to good effect. This volume chronicals the modifications and upgrades of these handsome ships from their launch to their scrapping at the end of WWII.
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Tristan
3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat lacking compare to other titles in the series on capital ships
Reviewed in Canada on April 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
Well written book on the 2 classes of 15” gun armed ships and their Second World War service. I have a number of other new vanguard titles on the various nations capital ships, and I must say this one isn’t one of my favourites despite my interest in these ships. This title does feel like even more of a brief read than others, and seems to have somewhat less detail, while at the same time having less individual classes of vessels to describe. I would have liked to see more detail on how the classes differed, both visually and practically, and more on their service lives. The service lives are very glazed over, with basically no detail on anything in any ships career, even sinkings and major actions being summed up in one sentence. The only events that are gonna into detail are 2 examples at the end of the book, both including Warspite (battle of Calibria, and its bombing off Salerno that nearly resulted in its loss). The images are very plentiful, perhaps more then the average title, which may have taken away from the text. Also of note is of the various colour plates of ships, the Queen Elizabeth class includes many nice profiles (5) and a overhead view, which show their various differences after refit, and then the Revenge class ships get 4, however these are not profiles but rather angled paintings very simpler to the actual images. These offer very little, no more detail than the actual photographs and would be far better off as the higher quality side profiles that the Queen Elizabeth have, which off far more in terms of comparison between ships and classes, as well as visible detail. Overall it’s a good introduction to the classes, but feels very lacking compare to even other New Vanguard titles on battleships of the time
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Flyboy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Little Book on Battleships
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2014
Verified Purchase
A cracking little book on the Queen Elizabeth class and Royal Sovereign classes of battleship.

The Queen Elizabeth class included the world famous HMS Warspite, or as she was called The Grand Old Lady, the most decorated and damaged Battleship to ever float in service of the Royal Navy.

As with the other title in the series, there are potted histories and overviews of particular ships, cross sectional drawings, art work and genuine photographs of the ships covered.

Excellent for light reading and getting up the interest of new comers to the realms of Naval history.
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Penelope
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative little books for the price
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2012
Verified Purchase
I recently reviewed British Heavy Cruisers 1939-45 and on the strength of this purchased both parts of British Battleships 1939-45, I was not disappointed. Informative text, a goodly load of photos and great artwork. One or two niggling mistakes. Not being a nautical person I couldn't make out in part one how a shell which travels 19,000 yards covers 17 nautical miles whilst one which travels further at 26,000 yards only apparently covers 12.8 nautical miles? (Pages 18/19). I also think, as some other reviewers, that one star awarded by one reviewer to part two is very harsh because the author wrote 'Bismarck and Scharnhorst'. Even someone with the most basic knowledge knows it should have been 'Tirpitz'. Again I suspect lax proof reading which should have picked up these errors but having produced a Society newsletter for many years I know how some errors will just not register despite the number of times it is checked before printing. For the price I think all three books are worth-while having. When I return from holiday it will be British Battlecruisers and Aircraft Carriers on the order book next.
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