News, Articles and Comment

Ed. In 1995 staff historian David Waters began publishing in the NR [83/4, p. 349] a series of commentaries on the Battle of the Atlantic, a subject he had mastered while working on The Defeat of the Enemy Attack upon Shipping (1957). He was inspired in this case by the renewed naval history discourse, evident in a review of S. Howarth and D. Law, eds., The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945 (1994), the International Naval Conference on the battle held in Liverpool in 1993, and related writings in the NR [83/1, p. 84 & 83/2, p. 159]. Republished here as part of the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. A 15 minute read.

Ed. In 1952, during his work on The War At Sea, 1939-1945, official historian Stephen Roskill published in the NR [40/4, p. 432] this appraisal of the Royal Navy’s strategic role in the Second World War, with particular attention to the subject of convoy operations and trade protection. Reprinted here as part of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. A 15 minute read

The latest book reviews are now available. One focuses on the Battle of Crete in 1941, the other looks at […]

Ed. Former Naval Staff historian D. W. Waters originally presented this essay as the Presidential Address to the British Society for the History of Science in 1978. It was reprinted in the NR over two volumes in 1984 [72/3 & 72/4]. Waters’ conclusions, based on the rigorous data analysis conducted for the Defeat of the Enemy Attack upon Shipping (1957), demonstrated mathematically the superiority of escorted convoys over independent sailings during the U-boat conflicts of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. Reproduced here as part of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. A 40 minute read.

The latest book review is now available. It looks at the 2023 edition of the Seaforth World Naval Review: https://www.naval-review.com/book-reviews/seaforth-world-naval-review-2023/

Ed. Jeremy Blackham considers the future of Britain’s strategic nuclear deterrent, and the difficult choices that will have to be made in an environment of increasing threats, tightening budgets, and relentless price-inflation. Originally published 28 February 2023 by CityForum (https://www.cityforum.co.uk/the-strategic-choices-for-defence-by-sir-jeremy-blackham/). A 20 minute read.

The latest book reviews have been published. One looks at the history, development and employment of Royal Navy and Italian […]

Ed. A serious investigation into the origins of the Naval Review and the controversial but critical eyes that were concerned enough about early 20th century military norms to go to work on the underlying complacent assumptions. A 30 minute read.