The Ship Model Forum

Hi guys I've tinkered with this a bit and added some more books, as ever if you have any suggestions to add please let me know.

Please note this list is British Battleships & Battlecruisers of the 20th Century only and general photo books can appear in another catagory.

British Battleships & Battlecruisers

Battlecruiser HMS Hood : An Illustrated Biography 1916-1941 by Bruce Taylor
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/hood1.JPG
HMS Hood : Life and Death of a Battlecruiser by Roger Chesneau
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a4.jpg
Battleships of the World 1905-1970 by Siegfried Breyer
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ships2.jpg
Battleships & Battlecruisers 1905-1970 by Siegfried Breyer
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
British Battleships 1889-1904 by Ray A. Burt
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/burt1.JPG
British battleships in World War 1 (1986) by Ray A. Burt.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ipsww1.jpg
British Battleships 1919-1939 (1993) by Ray A. Burt
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ookpic.jpg
Battleships of the World An International Encyclopaedia by M.J. Whitley
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ships2.jpg
British Battleships of World War 2 by Alan Raven & John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
British Battleships of WW2 by Dr. Oscar Parkes
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
British Battleships 1892-1957 by Randolph Pears
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Dreadnoughts in Camera 1905-1920 by Roger D. Thomas & Brian Patterson
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... camera.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... amera2.jpg
British battleships. By W.D.G Blundell. Altmark Publication
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
British Battlecruisers. By Peter C. Smith. Altmark Publication
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... uisers.jpg
Royal Navy Warships 1939-1945 by W.D.G Blundell. Altmark Publication
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rships.jpg
Battlecruisers by John Roberts. Shipshape series
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... oberts.jpg
Battleships of World War 1 by Anthony Preston
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... w1pres.jpg
Battleships: Allied Battleships in World War II. By William H. Garzke, Robert O. Dulin, Thomas G. Webb
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Conway's All the Worlds Battleships 1906 to the present. Edited By Ian Sturton
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ships2.jpg
Battleships 1856-1919. Phoebus Publication
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ps1856.jpg
Battleships 1919-1977 Phoebus Publication.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ps1919.jpg
King George V Class Battleships by V.E. Tarrant
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... arrant.jpg
Shipcraft series 2 : King George V Class Battleships
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... aftkgv.jpg
Battlecruisers Shipshape series. by John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... oberts.jpg
British Warships of the Second World War By John Roberts. Blueprint Series
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... oberts.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ships2.jpg
Battleships of the Grand Fleet: A Pictorial review of the Royal Navy's Capital Ships in WW1 by Ray A. Burt & W.P. Trotter.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... psBook.jpg
The Grand Fleet Warship Development 1906-1922 by D.K. Brown
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... dfleet.jpg
Nelson to Vanguard. Warship Design and Development 1923-1945 by D.K. Brown
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... guard1.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... gaurd2.jpg
Rebuilding the Royal Navy. Warship design since 1945. By D.K. Brown & George Moore
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... alnavy.jpg
The Eclipse of the Big Gun. The Warship 1906-45. Editor D.K. Brown
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... %20gun.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... iggun2.jpg
Dreadnought : A History of the Modern Battleship by Richard Hough. Introduction by C.S. Forester
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nought.jpg
Warship Monographs : The Invincible Class by J. Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ncible.jpg
Warship Monographs : The Queen Elizabeth Class by John Campbell
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a1.jpg
HMS Vanguard 1944-1960 Britain's Last Battleship by Neil McCart
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a18.jpg
Nelson & Rodney 1927-1949 The Big Battleships by Neil McCart
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a16.jpg
Battleships at War by Cdr. B.R. Coward RN
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... satwar.jpg
British Warships of the Second World War : A Folio of authentic scale plans by Alan Raven & John Roberts.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... kplans.jpg
The Hybrid Warship : The amalgamation of Big Guns and Aircraft by R.D. Layman & Stephen Mclaughlin.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... 20book.jpg
The Metal Fighting Ship of the Royal Navy 897-1984 by E.H.H. Archibald
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ghting.jpg
The World's Great Battleships by Anthony Preston
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... sgreat.jpg
Battleships By Anthony Preston
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Battleship 1856-1977 by Anthony Preston. Illustrated by John Batchelor
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... on1856.jpg
The Encyclopaedia of the World's Warships : A Technical Directory of Major Fighting Ships from 1900 to the present.
Author : Hugh Lyon. Consultant Captain J.E. Moore R.N.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... pstech.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nical2.jpg
Battleships WW2 Fact Files By Anthony J. Watts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Battleships and Battlecruisers by Richard Humble
(Can't find my book to scan for this one!)
Battleships of the World By Rene Greger & Geoffrey Brooks
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... greger.jpg
Jane's Battleships of the 20th Century by Bernard Ireland & Tony Gibbons
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ips20c.jpg
Battleships by Ian Johnstone & Rob McAuley in association with Channel 4
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ipsch4.jpg
Janes Fighting Ships Of WW1
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nesww1.jpg
Janes Fightting Ships of WW2
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nesww2.jpg
The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships & Battlecruisers : A Technical directory of all the world's capital ships from 1860 to the present day. By Tony Gibbons
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Battleships & Battlecruisers of the Royal Navy since 1861 by Cdr. B.R. Coward RN
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Battleship Royal Sovereign and her Sister Ships by Peter C. Smith.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ereign.jpg
Warspite, Warships of the Royal Navy by Iain Ballantyne.
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... antyne.jpg
Battleship Design & Development 1905-1945 by Norman Friedman
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eships.jpg
Battlecruisers : A History 1908-1948 By Ronald Bassett
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... uisers.jpg
Battlecruiser Invincible : The History of the First Battlecruiser 1909-16 by V.E. Tarrant
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/inv1.jpg
Bismarck & Hood : Great Naval Adversaries by Paul J. Kemp
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ckhood.jpg
Battleship: The Development and decline of the Dreadnought by Peter Simkins IWM Publication
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ship11.jpg
Battleship, Cruiser, Destroyer by Gregory Haines & Cdr. B.R. Coward RN
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ruiser.jpg
The Design and Construction of British Warships, 1939-45: The Official Record: Major Surface Ships v. 1 by D.K. Brown (Ed)
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a11.jpg
(Please note cover is same on all 3, just bottom right caption differs Volume 1 is on RN BB & BC's)
Hit First, Hit Hard: HMS Renown 1916-48 by Peter C Smith
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a2.jpg
Battleship Sailors: The Fighting Career of HMS "Warspite" Recalled by Her Men by Harry Plevy
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a3.jpg
HMS Royal Oak Disaster by Gerald S Snyder
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a7.jpg
Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting by John Campbell
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a6.jpg
Jutland: The German Perspective - A New View of the Great Battle, 31 May 1916 by V.E. Tarrant
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a5.jpg
The Battle of Jutland by Richard Hough
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a17.jpg
Osprey Military Campaign 72 : Jutland Clash of the Dreadnoughts by Charles London
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/jutlandosprey.jpg
Building For Victory: The Warship Building Programmes of the Royal Navy 1939-1945 by George Moore
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a10.jpg
Battleship Nelson : The Story of HMS Nelson with a Foreword by Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton GCB, KCB, CB by Ronald Careless
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a102.jpg
HMS Tiger at Bay : A sailors memoir 1914-18 by Victor Hayward.

With the Battle Cruisers by Filson Young (WW1).

Years of Endurance (aborard HMS Tiger) by J.R. Mur.


Conway's Anatomy of the Ship Series

The Battleship DREADNOUGHT. Revised Edition with 1/256 scale fold-out plan. By John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nought.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ought1.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... ought2.jpg
The Battleship WARSPITE. By Ross Watton
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... spite1.jpg
The Battlecruiser HOOD. Revised Edition complete with 1/400 scale fold-out plan. By John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... 20hood.jpg

Profiles & Miscellaneous

Warship Special 1 Battlecruisers : The Design and Development of British & German Battlecruisers of the 1st World War era by N.J.M Campbell
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... pecial.jpg
Ensign 1 King George V Class by Alan Raven
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... gn1kgv.jpg
Ensign 4 Queen Elizabeth Class by Alan Raven & John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... eenliz.jpg
Ensign Special Hood Design & Construction by Maurice Northcott
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... pecial.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... pecial.jpg
Ensign 8 Renown & Repulse by Maurice P. Northcott
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... renown.jpg
Man o'war 3 Battleships Rodney & Nelson by Alan Raven & John Roberts
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nelson.jpg
Man o'war 6 HMS Hood by Maurice Northcott (same as Ensign Special Book apart from extra)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... r6hood.jpg
Classic Warships Pictorial HMS HOOD
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... Wiper1.jpg
Warship Profile 1 HMS Dreadnought Battleship 1906-1920. Profile Publications by John Wingate
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... nought.jpg
Warship Profile 19 HMS Hood Battlecruiser 1916-1941 by R.G. Robertson
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... 19hood.jpg
Osprey New Vanguard Series : British Battlecruisers by Angus Konstam & Illustrated by Tony Bryan
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/rnbcosprey.jpg
Morza Statki I Okrety, Biblioteka Magazynu 2 : Biate Stonie HMS Courageous, Glorious, Furious. Magnum X
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rofile.jpg
Morza Statki I Okrety, Biblioteka Magazynu 10 : HMS Renown & Repulse
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a15.jpg
AJ Press 6 HMS Hood
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a13.jpg
AJ Press 14 Nelson & Rodney
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rodney.jpg
Warships of the World 12 HMS Repulse by Maciej S. Sobanski
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... epulse.jpg
Profile Morskie 4 HMS REPULSE
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rskie2.jpg
Profile Morskie 5 HMS Warspite
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a14.jpg
Profile Morskie 25 HMS ROYAL OAK
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rskie5.jpg
Profile Morskie 27 HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rksie3.jpg
Profile Morskie 34 HMS RENOWN
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rskie7.jpg
Profile Morskie 47 HMS MALAYA
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... malaya.jpg
Profile Morskie 49 HMS PRINCE OF WALES
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rksie8.jpg
Profile Morskie 54 HMS RESOLUTION
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rskie6.jpg
Profile Morskie 63 HMS HOOD
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Loz ... rskie4.jpg
Morskaya Kolektsia 4/2000 HMS Vanguard
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a8.jpg
Morskaya Kolektsia 9/2004 HMS Renown & Repulse.
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a9.jpg
HMS Vanguard booklet produced for the Royal Cruise to South Africa 1947, many good photos
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a12.jpg
Ships of the World 1990 No.429 History of British Battleships
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a100.jpg
Ships of the World 1980 No.283 British Warships of WW2
http://www.widdo.net/laurence/a101.jpg

Laurence, in your highly-qualified opinion, which of these two is the better BB/BC book:

Garzke, et. al.'s Battleships: Allied Battleships in World War II, or Whitley's Battleships of the World An International Encyclopedia ?

_________________
Danny DON'T "waterline"...!

Ohh toughie!

They are quite different books indeed,

Garzke, et. al.'s Battleships: Allied Battleships in World War II is an excellent technical reference, but if anything is in the Friedman over scientific mould which I hate. It only has around 5 or 6 ships actually covered so its not comprehensive. It is though an excellent technical reference on the classes it does cover. Of the top of my head Allied one has KGV, Vanguard, Richelieu, Iowa, another USN and 1 more ship ah yes Soviet one I think! It lacks photo's and the drawings could be better!

Whitley's book is the best if you want a 'general overview' it includes all classes and all ships, the odd small line drawing, some excellent pictures and usually a ships operational history in medium detail. It can also be had cheaply and is very good value for what you pay and whats inside. But it is not a technical reference!

If you can tell me specifically what your looking for I will tell you which would be the better to buy, for me to judge which is the better I'd say Whitley purely because I found it far more useful than Garzke, et. al for my interests and needs.

a few more added above

This was the first list I compiled and hasn't been touched for a while.

Has anyone got anymore which are missing?

some more book from russia in the web but very very very slow
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
russian ediction of raven & roberts book
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponBook/NB/index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
some more book
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./WeaponB ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
http://www.Links to this site not allowed due to copyright violations./Magazin ... /index.htm
a book on invincible
http://morkniga.ru/p200268.html
an five volumes on a russian ediction of oscar parks predreadnought bb
http://morkniga.ru/p225.html
http://morkniga.ru/p226.html
http://morkniga.ru/p273.html
http://morkniga.ru/p2648.html
http://morkniga.ru/p2649.html
ciao peppe

Cheers Peppe,

If anyone is interested I have everything on the Royal Navy off that iffy Russian website.

It took me and firefox about 10 days to get everything!

I didn't include it here as alot of the material is questionable in terms of copyrighting etc.

Cheers

Well, there is nothing in my collection that isn't on your list Laurence!

Just a couple opinions of mine for those thinking of which books to buy.

I've always found warship books by Mike Whitley to be very valuable and most interesting reading. He usually goes deep enough for the general warship enthusiast. His books on German Warships are by far my favorite on that subject.

"Battle Cruisers" Ship Shape Series, by John Roberts is second to none for overall quality of text, photos, drawings. No Royal Navy fan should go without this book! I mean nobody!

"Battle Cruiser Invincible, The History of the first Battle Crusier" by V.E. Tarrant, although not a big technical history, is a most interesting read. As it says, it is a history of the ship and a most interesting history it is! The Falklands battle in particular and daily life on board, technical issues with the gun turrets. A short but a must read book for Royal Navy lovers.

Bob B.

I told John Roberts something similar earlier this year to his face. In my opinion its his best work in 20 years.

I keep telling Vlad on the boards who's a Battlecruiser nut to buy it, and I keep telling Filipe as he loves Royal Navy yet hasn't amassed any of the best books, but both have yet still to buy it.

John Roberts battlecruiser book is a MUST!!! I've seen it for as low as £10 new. I'm without any doubts as soon as it becomes OOP it will rocket up in price, buy it now while you all still can the seperate fold-out plans of Queen Mary are worth more than £10 alone!!!

Would you recommend this book for somebody after hull plans, frames/sections and good P&P drawings - to build from?

Just curious - the Amazon.com reviews seem to point out that only QM is properly represented with scale plans. When I would most like some plans for HMS Tiger as well.

Could anybody suggest a reliable source for Tiger's hull plans??

TIA

Joseph

_________________
IG: @somewhere_east_of_suez
www.JosephReindler.com

Joseph,

The reason why the Amazon reviews say that is the Queen Mary 1913plan sheets come in a pocket at the back of this book as a kind of added bonus. They are 2sided and show hull lines and sections and are worth the cost of the book alone! Inside the book there are some more detailed drawings but not of complete ships in order to scratchbuild them. The book has very good photo quality and it seems John has used many photos from his own and the National Maritime Museums collections.

For Tiger there is a good article written by John Roberts just on her in Conway's Warship. A few weeks back I scanned in everything I had on Tiger for some of the guys on here. The one area we struggled with info on was the enlarged foretop structure, post WW1. For a plan of this I had to go to John himself and it seems he has the Admiralty plans for Tiger and some photos I did not have.

Thanks Laurence, looks like I will probably have to pick up a copy of Mr Roberts' book while I still can. A 1/350 Queen Mary scratch-build would just be too cool... I know all this sounds like some kind of pipe-dream - but I am honestly about to embark upon a rather ambitious scratch-building scheme

_________________
IG: @somewhere_east_of_suez
www.JosephReindler.com

Laurence,
I just looked over your list again and found I didn't have Plevy's book "Battleship Sailors, HMS Warspite". I picked up a copy just now off of the usedbooksearch site. I could add a couple other books to your list, but like "Battleship Sailors" they are not real technical histories or Warship reference books. Still, for those who like personal memoirs of British Battleship service, I might add the following.

"HMS Tiger at Bay" A sailors memoir 1914-18" by Victor Hayward. An enlisted mans experiences in the RN and HMS Tiger

"With the Battle Cruisers" by Filson Young. An officer attached to HMS Lion
in WWI.

"Years of Endurance" by J.R. Mur, A naval surgeon on board HMS Tiger in WWI.

Nothing here for the model builder, but nice insights into life aboard HM Ships at war.

Bob B.

Cheers Bob, I knew of the battlecruiser one having borrowed it from my library when I was a wee lad. The 2 for Tiger I did not know about. I'll add them all when I update the list with the Nelson book I missed.

Do you have copies with dustcovers so a scanned photo you can send me?

Cheers

Sorry Laurence, I'm a primitive when it comes to computers! There is a book cover for "HMS Tiger at Bay", but I've got no scanner or software onboard that I can use to send a copy of the dustjacket. "Years of Endurance" is from the 1920s and thus has no dustjacket. "Tiger at Bay" is a 'William Kimber' book 1977, you should find it easy to get a used copy in the U.K. I would hope.

Bob B.

No worries Bob!

All 4 books just added to the list.

I see the madness has already begun with this one pricewise -

Battlecruisers Shipshape series. by John Roberts

Yesterday's ebay UK had 3 copies listed, one went for £35 with p+p. The other two were priced at £95 & £125 respectively under 'buy it now!'.

Glad I picked mine up for a tenner from Amazon last year!

Dave

I bought one new for five quid about a year ago, is it out of print already?

Mike

_________________
Starling Models

http://www.starling-models.co.uk

I'm afraid I don't know. The 1st edition was published in 1997, mine was reprinted & published by Caxton in 2003.

No idea how long the print runs are/were for.

Dave