Overview

For most of the twentieth century Britain possessed both the worlds largest merchant fleet and its most extensive overseas territories. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Royal Navy always showed a particular interest in the cruiser a multi-purpose warship needed in large numbers to defend trade routes and police the empire. Above all other types, the cruisers competing demands of quality and quantity placed a heavy burden on designers, and for most of the inter-war years Britain sought to square this circle through international treaties restricting both size and numbers. In the process she virtually invented the heavy cruiser and inspired the large 6in-armed cruiser, neither of which, ironically, served her best interests. For the first time this book seeks to comprehend the full policy background, from which a different and entirely original picture emerges of British cruiser development. After the war the cruisers role was reconsidered and the final chapters of the book cover modernisations, the plans for missile-armed ships and the convoluted process that turned the through-deck cruiser into the Invincible class light carriers. With detailed appendices of ship data, and illustrated in depth with photos and A D Bakers specially commissioned plans, British Cruisers truly matches the lofty standards set by Friedmans previous books on British destroyers. AUTHOR: Norman Friedman is arguably Americas most prominent naval analyst, and the author of more than thirty books covering a range of naval subjects, from warship histories to contemporary defence issues. He has recently published a well-received history of British destroyers in two volumes. 400 b/w photographs and line drawings

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9781399097918

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"""An essential work for anyone interested in the Royal Navy and modern naval operations."" -- The NYMAS Review ""...We enthusiastically recommend British Cruisers for those who are interested in the history of the British, Australian or New Zealand navies, and technology buffs interested in the history of radar, communications, and electronics in naval weapons systems."" -- The Northern Mariner ""...An extraordinarily detailed account of the development of Royal Navy cruisers...This is a towering work, and one which any reader with even a passing interest in British cruiser development will want to own."" -- Warship 2012"

An essential work for anyone interested in the Royal Navy and modern naval operations. -- The NYMAS Review ...We enthusiastically recommend British Cruisers for those who are interested in the history of the British, Australian or New Zealand navies, and technology buffs interested in the history of radar, communications, and electronics in naval weapons systems. -- The Northern Mariner ...An extraordinarily detailed account of the development of Royal Navy cruisers...This is a towering work, and one which any reader with even a passing interest in British cruiser development will want to own. -- Warship 2012

Author Information

NORMAN FRIEDMAN is arguably Americas most prominent naval analyst, and the author of more than thirty books covering a range of naval subjects, from warship histories to contemporary defence issues. He has recently published a well-received history of British destroyers in two volumes.

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