Category: Strategy

ROBERTS, Andrew. The Storm of War: a New History of the Second World War. lvi, 712p., bibliog., illus., index. London, Allen Lane, 2009. ISBN: 9780713999709.

A modern sweeping overview by a major historian with some limited naval material.

The distinguished sailor turned scholar discusses the strategic use of sea power.

About half of this work is devoted to a considered view of WWII, by this leading British naval historian. Reprinted in 1986 by Goodchild with a new introduction and epilogue by Geoffrey Till.

A concise description of the various types of warships now employed by the belligerents and of how the war at sea will be conducted.

Debates the question of whether air power has superseded sea power in the light of action since 1939. Concludes that lack of sea power is a fatal Axis weakness.

A fascinating account of a little-understood area where strategic ambition was blunted by logistical reality.

A strategic overview of the war between German land power and British sea power.

A layman's guide to the important and the unimportant in the war at sea to March 1941.

Attempts to prove the thesis that Allied naval power is the dominating factor in the war. Also looks at ship design and some special areas such as submarine warfare.

A general guide to the war at sea and its strategy. Looks at the relative strengths and opportunities of the belligerents.

A broad view by a leading historian with much relevant material.

BELL, Christopher M. Churchill and Sea Power. 448p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford, OUP, 2012. ISBN: 0199693579.

A major study of Churchill's record as a naval strategist and his impact on British sea power. Debunks many myths surrounding episodes in both World Wars, including the Dardanelles, the Norwegian Campaign, and the Battle of the Atlantic. Looks at the evolution of his naval thinking and offers new insights into his long relationship with the Royal Navy, and his reputation as both strategist and war leader.

BEITZELL, Robert. The Uneasy Alliance: America, Britain and Russia, 1941–1943. xiv, 404, xviip., bibliog., index. New York: Knopf, 1972. ISBN: 0394441931

A view of the often acrimonious relationship of which the Arctic convoys were a part. Concentrates on the major conferences between the heads of government.

ROBERTS, Andrew. Masters and Commanders: How Roosevelt, Churchill, Marshall and Alanbrooke Won the War in the West. xl, 674p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Allen Lane, 2008. ISBN: 9780713999693.

A masterly overview of the development of Anglo-American strategy, including coverage of how the RN was to be deployed.

Admiral Richmond describes the principles of naval strategy.

HEZLET, Arthur. The Submarine and Sea Power. ix, 278p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Davies; New York: Stein & Day, 1967. ISBN: 0432067302

A book of comment rather than original research. The author describes submarine campaigns in order to analyse the role and strategic use of the weapon. One-third of the book describes WWII.

BOYD, Andrew. The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters: Linchpin of Victory 1935-1942. xxi,  538p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2017. ISBN: 9781473892484.

An excellent study which is both well researched and well written. It links the war in the Middle East with the Pacific War and focuses on the undervalued importance of the Indian Ocean. It is supportive of Churchill and argues that a coherent rather than reactive strategy was in place.

MORETZ, Joseph. Towards a Wider War: British Strategic Decision-making and Military Effectiveness in Scandinavia, 1939-40. 593p., bibliog., illus., index. Solihull: Helion, 2017. ISBN: 9781911096368.

An excellent piece of research which casts a beady eye on British policy, strategy, military readiness and effectiveness. Makes sharp and frank judgements. At the same time it is very badly edited and riddled with errors and inconsistent usages as well as pedantic language which make it very hard to follow in places.

KLUGER, Michael & EVANS, Richard. Roosevelt & Churchill: The Atlantic Charter. 224p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Frontline, 2020. ISBN: 9781526786302.

A full account of the background to and the outcomes of this seminal meeting at Placentia Bay in Newfoundland in August 1941.

PELZ, Stephen E., Race to Pearl Harbor: The Failure of the Second London Naval Conference and the Onset of World War II (Harvard Studies in American-East Asian Relations, 5). vii, 268p., bibliog., illus., index. Cambridge, MA; Harvard University Press, 1974. ISBN: 0674745752.

 A full coverage of the Anglo-Japanese-American triangle and the inter-war attempts at arms control. Gives an excellent account of how and why they failed. Reprinted in 2014, ISBN: 0674863518.

REYNOLDS, David. The Creation of the Anglo-American Alliance 1937-41: A Study in Competitive Co-operation. xiii, 397p., bibliog., index. London: Europa; Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1981. ISBN: 0905118685.

A cool and judicious review of the rivalry between the two powers in this critical period.

SIMMONS, Mark. Ian Fleming and Operation Golden Eye: Spies, Scoundrels and Envoys Keeping Spain Out of World War. xvi, 192p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford: Casemate, 2018. ISBN: 9781612006857.

The story of Ian Fleming and a whole host of characters who were active in the Iberian Peninsula in the early years of the war as Franco dithered between maintaining neutrality and joining the Axis. Also covers the various plans prepared for any attempt to capture Gibraltar. A fascinating tale spoiled somewhat by poor proofreading.

SIMPSON, Michael. Anglo-American-Canadian Naval Relations, 1943-1945 (Publications of the Navy Records Society, Volume 168). xxvii, 491p., bibliog., frontis., index. London: Routledge for the Navy Records Society, 2021. ISBN: 9781032009353.

A comprehensive set of documents with a series of perceptive background commentaries.

KLUGER, Michael & EVANS, Richard. Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s Atlantic Charter: A Risky Meeting at Sea That Saved Democracy. 248p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Frontline, 2020. ISBN: 9781526786302.

 A good account of how the Atlantic Charter was created, which describes the stormy sea journey from Britain to Placentia Bay and uses a good biographical approach to show how the main players engaged n their negotiations.

DOWNING, Taylor. 1942: Britain at the Brink. [vii], 423p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Little, Brown, 2022. ISBN: 9781408713709.

A well judged and balanced account of Britain’s and Churchill’s darkest hour. It was the year that saw the fall of Singapore and Hong Kong, huge losses in the Atlantic, losses in North Africa and the siege of Malta as well as the Channel Dash. The author uses a wide range of records from official records to personal recollections to paint an excellent picture of the path from disaster to victory.

LAVERY, Brian. Two Navies Divided: The British and United States Navies in the Second World War 464p. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2023. ISBN: 9781399047210

Describes and analyses the differences and similarities between the two navies and throws new light on how the naval war was fought. Covers a wide range of themes from ship design to uniforms with details of issues big and small. An excellent work from a leading historian.

O’HARA, Vincent P. & HONE, Trent. Fighting in the Dark: Naval Combat at Night, 1904–1945. 352p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2023. ISBN: 9781399030519.

A series of essays around individual battles and campaigns from the Russo-Japanese War to gunboats in the English Channel demonstrates how all of the major navies adapted to the use of novel technologies which allowed fighting in the dark to be a standard practice.

RODGER, N. A. M. The Price of Victory: A Naval History of Britain 1815-1945. xxxix, 914p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Allen Lane, 2024. ISBN: 978071399412.

This magisterial volume is the final one of a trilogy providing a naval history of Britain. Authoritative, comprehernsive and definitive this is an essential source.

A review of politics in the region. They were much concerned with issues of neutrality and the effect of the war on shipping.

A very old-fashioned work, with a hastily revised second edition produced in 1941.

Considers the lessons learned from the sea war so far. There were at least three wartime editions.

Includes useful chapters on naval strategy.

First published in 1936, this edition encompasses some of the early lessons of the war, although the author continues to maintain the primacy of the battleship.

Based on newly released official papers, this contains little of direct naval interest, but much background on the planning of the major assaults on Europe.

ELLIS, John. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War. 544p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Deutsch; New York, Viking, 1990. ISBN: 0233979581.

Very much background material.

A study of the implications of economics for strategy and of the ultimate and inevitable victory for the controller of the supply and sea routes. Illustrated with examples from the war at sea.

The story of the central direction of the war at the highest level and a basic source. Later volumes were written by J. R. M. Butler, J. M. A. Gwyer, Michael Howard, and John Ehrman.

A distinguished submariner gives a perceptive view of his chosen subject. Inevitably, much of it relates to the role of the Fleet Air Arm and of Coastal Command in WWII.

Admiral Hezlet’s view of the major influences on modern naval strategy includes the electron. About 80 pages are devoted to WWII, where asdic and radar brought new problems and challenges.

An examination of Hitler’s strategy based on the German naval archives and the evidence of the Nuremberg trials.

A minor classic, reprinted with a new preface in 1993 (ISBN: 1853671401).

A review of politics in the region. They were much concerned with issues of neutrality and the effect of the war on shipping.

A general review of the value of sea power to Britain in the war.

A lucid account which contrasts the success of British tactics in WW1 with the failure of Japanese tactics in WWII.

A study of economics-based decision models to consider how best to deploy submarines, deriving principles from the German and US submarine campaigns of WWII so as to judge the role of nuclear submarines. Concludes that cargoes not tonnage must be the goal.

An important revisionist work. It questions the assumption that Britain dragged its heels over German naval disarmament, already anticipating the Cold War. It claims that in fact the Royal Navy at least and senior individuals within it were focussed entirely on the complete dismantling of the Kriegsmarine and that the process was wholly successful. Ingenious stratagems were employed to achieve that end by any means.

Argues that the RN made a complex and sophisticated response to German re-armament.

Compares the US and German decisions to adopt unrestricted submarine warfare.

A view of the Irish question in a geopolitical context, which postulates a sort of NATO-type organisation for the future. Based on the author’s view of current events.

Aims to bring together the basic data on the strength of the world's major navies and then shed light on its use in global politics.

A scholarly account of Britain's concerns in Scandinavia, from the start of the war to the evacuation of Norway. The focus on Swedish relations gives a distinctive perspective.

A comprehensive history of the war at sea from the end of the Great War to the end of World War Two. Showing the bewildering nature and complexity of the war facing those charged with fighting it around the world, this book ranges far and wide: sweeping across all naval theatres and those powers performing major, as well as minor, roles within them.

A major study of a neglected area which has particularly useful material on the Fleet Train supporting the British Pacific Fleet.

Originally written in the summer of 1939 and hastily revised when war began, this is a fascinating view of what the war was expected to bring. With hindsight it is seen to be a mixture of shrewd predictions and almost comic guesses.

An attempt to update Mahan in the light of the war and to look at the future strategic employment of naval power.