Reviews for The 74-Gun Ship Bellona

The average rating for The 74-Gun Ship Bellona based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-11-08 00:00:00 Zezo Aser This book is notable for its breadth and the way it is able to draw continuities between periods of naval warfare that varied greatly in their technological forms. From triremes that attempted to ram each other to ships of the line with their innumerable cannon to armored battleships and aircraft carriers, the book gives an informative sweep of the developments and counter-developments in naval technology and the changing strategies and tactics they necessitated. The book also adequately conveys the interrelations of naval and land forces and the changing fortunes of the world's various naval forces. However, my chief complaint against this book is its disorganization. Whether this results from the five different authors or the vast swaths of history it covers (or both), the result is often confusing. With few transitions, a technological or strategic detail will be discussed, and then suddenly the narrative is on to a description of an historical battle; then it moves on to a bit of personal history about a commander, before the reader finds him/herself back in the historical battle whose description s/he thought was finished. Perhaps the book tries to accomplish too much and is insufficiently edited, but in the end it offers intriguing tidbits but a frustrating flow.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-06-22 00:00:00 Jack Lori The best book I have read yet about naval warfare.