Reviews for The War for the seas : a maritime history of World War II/
Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Mawdsley (formerly, Glasgow Univ., UK) offers a concise history of the naval aspects of WW II, covering all theaters of war while packing in enough historical background and general information to provide sufficient context. In more than a surface-skimming overview, the author provides discussions of ship-building work and designs, naval strategies and tactics for various nations, details about the ships and their commanders, the blending of air and sea power, and a narrative of the events and the influences of the land and sea wars on one another. The navies of the Allied and Axis powers are examined, and abundant endnotes provide further ancillary information. The extensive bibliography includes mostly secondary sources, but many primary sources as well as online sources are listed. Mawdsley uses American, British, Canadian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Russian/Soviet sources to assemble as complete and thorough a naval history of WW II as is possible in a single volume. Accentuated by his highly readable style, this is an excellent introductory work. A bibliography leads those interested more deeply into specific topics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. --Darlene M. Hall, Lake Erie College
