Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed in the last 500 years. Beginning with King Henry VIII's flagship,
Henry Grace à Dieu, this book covers all the main periods of battleship development, including the great sailing ships, such as
Sovereign of the Seas,
SantissimaTrinidad, and
Victory. The advent of steam-driven warships provides the core of the book, beginning with the introduction of
Gloire in 1859, and continuing through all the major pre-
Dreadnoughts, such as the
Inflexible,
Maine, and
Tsessarevitch. There is detailed coverage of the great battleships of the two world wars, including
Derfflinger,
Yamato, and
Iowa, while the book closes with the last new battleship to be commissioned,
Vanguard, in 1946. Each entry includes a brief description of the battleship's development and history, a color profile artwork, key features, and specifications. Packed with illustrations and photographs,
Battleships is a colorful guide for the military historian and naval warfare enthusiast.