The Royal Navy: A History Since 1900

by Duncan Redford, Philip D. Grove

Overview

Since 1900, the Royal Navy has seen vast changes to the way it operates. This book tells the story, not just of defeats and victories, but also of how the navy has adjusted to over 100 years of rapid technological and social change. The navy has changed almost beyond recognition since the far-reaching reforms made by Admiral Fisher at the turn of the century. Fisher radically overhauled the fleet, replacing the nineteenth-century wooden crafts with the latest in modern naval technology, including battleships (such as the iconic dreadnoughts), aircraft carriers and submarines. In World War I and World War II, the navy played a central role, especially as unrestricted submarine warfare and supply blockades became an integral part of twentieth-century combat. However it was the development of nuclear and missile technology during the Cold War era which drastically changed the face of naval warfare - today the navy can launch sea-based strikes across thousands of miles to reach targets deep inland. This book navigates the cross currents of over 100 years of British naval history.
As well as operational issues, the authors also consider the symbolism attached to the navy in popular culture and the way naval personnel have been treated, looking at the changes in on-board life and service during the period, as well as the role of women in the navy. In addition to providing full coverage of the Royal Navy's wartime operations, the authors also consider the functions of the navy in periods of nominal peace - including disaster relief, diplomacy and exercises. Even in peacetime the Royal Navy had a substantial role to play. Covering the whole span of naval history from 1900 to the present, this book places the wars and battles fought by the navy within a wider context, looking at domestic politics, economic issues and international affairs. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in naval history and operations, as well as military history more generally.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350143241
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/19/2019
Series:	A History of the Royal Navy
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.64(w) x 8.46(h) x 1.36(d)

About the Author

Duncan Redford is a British Naval Historian affiliated with the Ministry of Defence.

Philip D. Grove BSc(Econ), MSc(Econ), FHEA has taught Strategic Studies at Britannia Royal Naval College since January 1993, becoming Head of Department in March 2004. Upon the academic faculty's transfer to the University of Plymouth in 2008 he became Subject Matter Expert in Strategic Studies. In 2014 he was appointed Head of Maritime Aviation Studies in the new Dartmouth Security & Seapower Centre.

Alongside teaching at BRNC he has taught at various Royal Navy establishments, ships and Fleet Air Arm squadrons. From 1996–2013 he also taught at Plymouth University on modules including Contemporary History, International Relations, Foreign Policy and Maritime Power.

Besides delivering numerous conference and seminar papers he has also published widely on naval matters including the forthcoming From Actium to the Falklands: How Navies Win Wars (Amberley Publishing, 2018); the chapters 'Post Cold War Naval Operations' and 'Naval Manning in the Post Cold War World' in Navies in the 21st Century (Seaforth Publishing, 2016); The Royal Navy: A History Since 1900 with Duncan Redford (I B Tauris, 2014); Turning the Tide: The Battles of Coral Sea and Midway (University of Plymouth,2013); 'The Lofoton and Vaagso Raids', inTristan Lovering ed., A Collected History of Amphibious Operations (Seaforth 2007); 'Falklands Conflict 1982 – The AirWar a New Appraisal', in Stephen Badsey et al., The Falklands Conflict Twenty Years On: Lessons for the Future (Frank Cass, 2005); and The Battle of Midway (Brassey's, 2004).

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 Fisher's Navy
Chapter 2 WW1 to Jutland
Chapter 3 WW1 after Jutland
Chapter 4 The interwar period – disarmament
Chapter 5 The interwar period – rearmament
Chapter 6 WW2 – Home waters and the Atlantic
Chapter 7 WW2 – the Mediterranean
Chapter 8 WW2 – the Far East
Chapter 9 The Cold War 1945-1968
Chapter 10The Cold War and After 1968-2000
Epilogue The War on Terror

Editorial Reviews

The Royal Navy: A History since 1900 will engage and inform both novice and specialist readers desiring an accessible and vivid big-picture account of its subject.”

Michigan War Studies