News, Articles and Comment

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers the development of motor boats for the Royal Navy, US Navy and other navies in the First World War and immediate post-war period.

Ed. The author explores the PQ17 disaster, questioning First Sea Lord Dudley Pound’s decision to scatter the convoy in the face of Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine threats. The principles of mission command should have left the decision to the convoy commanders. A 25 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers the latest book by Captain Lars Wedin, Swedish Navy (retd.), ‘whose writings deserve much greater attention’.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. Professor Andrew Lambert considers a book on the War of 1812, which ‘provides the ideal introduction to a complex, and much misunderstood conflict’.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a book exploring the wartime experience of a US warship, the Borie, the wider development of ASW convoy protection in the USN, and US efforts at breaking German codes.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It insiders a book published in 1950, exploring the wartime experience of those who served in the RNVR. It is also the first of “If you can find a copy of…do read it!” Members are invited to share new reviews of old books, which may be of interest, or past book reviews that may have an enduring value.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a reprint of Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton’s 1968 study of Sir Winston Churchill and the Royal Navy.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a book exploring the maritime aspects of the American Revolutionary War.

Ed. The author examines the importance of cultivating clear strategy and deploying balanced fleets in the Baltic operations of the Crimean War and Russian Civil War. In both cases the Royal Navy was engaged blockading enemy ports and striking at their harbours, frequently without direct orders from London, and with profound consequences for the national consciousness of the region. The parallels for today’s littoral operations in the Baltic and Black Sea are obvious. A 40 minute read.