Battleships Illustrated History

For more than 400 years, the big-gun warship stood as the supreme naval war machine. It was not only a major instrument of warfare, but a visible emblem of a nation's power, wealth and pride. The World's Greatest Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed in the last 500 years.

An illustrated history of battleships of the world from 1860 to the present day, featuring informative and expert descriptions of over 150 ships and detailing their construction, function and history. Examines the evolution of the battleship, from the first ironclads and the revolutionary Dreadnoughts to the mighty battleships of World War II and their final sorties during the Gulf War. Specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each ship's country of origin, launch date, size, weight, armament, power, performance and complement. Includes the stories, facts and anecdotes about the famous battles and naval operations in which these ships played a pivotal role. Features over 550 colour and black-and-white archive photographs from naval and military sources worldwide, many rarely seen before in publications.