Jutland, 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes - Softcover

Steel, Nigel; Hart, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030436648X ISBN 13: 9780304366484

Publisher: W&N, 2004

Synopsis

Dramatic, illustrated account of the biggest naval battle of the First World War.

On 31 May, 1916, the great battle fleets of Britain and Germany met off Jutland in the North Sea. It was a climactic encounter, the culmination of a fantastically expensive naval race between the two countries, and expectations on both sides were high. For the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, there was the chance to win another Trafalgar. For the German High Seas Fleet, there was the opportunity to break the British blockade and so change the course of the war. But Jutland was a confused and controversial encounter. Tactically, it was a draw; strategically, it was a British victory.

Naval historians have pored over the minutiae of Jutland ever since. Yet they have largely ignored what the battle was actually like for its thousands of participants. Full of drama and pathos, of chaos and courage, JUTLAND, 1916 describes the sea battle in the dreadnought era from the point of view of those who were there.

About this title

Review:

'[Hart and Steele] have attempted to tell the story of the battle through the experience of participants, both German and British, and they have made a considerable success of their effort. Much of it makes grisly reading. ... Oneof the most striking features of the book is the high quality of writing by simple men ... by interweaving such passages from the battle's earliest moments to its last the authors have constructed a gripping narrative.'John Keegan, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (22/3/03) 'Through the deft us of written reminiscence and oral history the two authors present an almost cinematic account, counterpoising poignant details with jingoistic fervour for a conflict both sides expectantly nicknamed "the apocalypse".'SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (2/3/03) 'nothing can beat the voices of the on-the-spot witnesses in conveying the full horror of the business.'NAVY NEWS (1/3/03) '[Jutland 1916] includes a wealth of fascinating eyewitness accounts ... an exciting, fluid read... [the authors] 'warts-and-all' account of the bungling that infected the destroyers helps illustrate how the possibility of a tactical triumph slipped through the Royal Navy's fingers' WARSHIPS INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW (1/7/03) 'The beauty of this book is the extraordinary research into the personal experiences of the officers and men that helpos to sustain the tension of a controversial encounter that still stirs emotions among naval buffs.'OXFORD TIMES (28/2/03) 'The hardihood of the men, the suffering and the losses, still makes compelling reading after nearly 90 years.' Lawrence Phillips, SHIPS TELEGRAPH (Ministry of Defence) March 2003 Peter Hart has written an 8-page article on Jutland publicising the book in BATTLEFIELDS REVIEW.

Book Description:

Dramatic, illustrated account of the biggest naval battle of the First World War

About this edition

• Publisher: W&N
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 030436648X
• ISBN 13: 9780304366484
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480