Antony Preston Books

Describes some of the ships used by the German, Japanese, American, and British navies in World War II and the military strategies that led to the defeat of the Axis powers.

More than 6000 warships are included in this comprehensive encyclopedia of the world's navies during World War II.Compiled from the pages of contemporary editions of Jane's, the world's most authoritative naval reference work, this extraordinary volume presents photographs, line drawings, and data tables, providing the reader with instant reference to the facts and figures of the great fleets that clashed at Leyte Gulf, Midway, Matapan, and the many other naval battles that took place on the oceans and seas around the world.

Describes warships and naval battles of the twentieth century, from the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 to the Falkland Islands War of 1982.

In an action-filled narrative, the authors tell the remarkable story of the Victorian Royal Navy's fleet of small warships used to enforce the Pax Britannica around the world for half a century. Frequently acting without orders and largely beyond the reach of Admiralty interference, the gunboats' young commanding officers intervened to stamp out the slave trade and stop local rulers from interfering with legitimate trade. Explaining that gunboats fought as far afield as Borneo, China, Japan, Jamaica, the Baltic, the Black Sea, Africa, the Great Lakes, the Red Sea, and Egypt, Antony Preston and John Major trace the history of gunboats from the time they were built to fight the Russians in the Baltic in 1850 and the early skirmishes of 1857 that led to the Second China War right through to the role they played at the outbreak of the World War I. Supported by a wealth of illustrations, this classic reference ends with a complete listing of the gunboats that served with the Royal Navy between 1855 and 1914 along with their career histories. First published more than three decades ago and long out of print, the book has been revised for this new edition and an introduction has been added by the distinguished naval historian Andrew Lambert.

Originally developed during WWI to fulfill scouting duties for battle fleets, the aircraft carrier became the decisive naval arm in WWII and forever transformed naval warfare. This book is a highly illustrated record of the development of the aircraft carrier from the first successful flight from a deck in 1911 to the nuclear-powered behemoths of the present. The World's Great Aircraft Carriers also explains the technology and tactics of carrier warfare. All the famous ships of WWII and their actions are documented. The most modern carriers, such as those of the powerful Nimitz class, are described. Fully-illustrated with 40 color renderings and cut-aways and 80 color and b/w photos, the book also provides full specifications, including displacement, dimensions, speed, aircraft complement, armament, and electronics.