Dreadnought

Outstanding!

A detailed, yet most fascinating account of the people and institutions behind the Angle-German rivalry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many details, but stay with it; you will be rewarded.

Kaiser Wilhelm? Kaiser Shmilhelm...

A superb history of the naval arms races and colonial competitions that sparked World War I. Full of examples of how simple misunderstandings, misguided sensitivities, and misread signals can spark disaster. Also a phenomenal dissection of the evolution of Naval power prior to WWI.

Massie is one of my faves—all his books on the Romanovs (even the DNA research book) are especially appealing to a Russian and military historian. Dreadnought chronicles the British and German navies’/empires’ competition before World War One to build the biggest and most powerful battleships. It’s all about Balance of Power in international relations, diplomacy, arms races,...more

Massie is one of my faves—all his books on the Romanovs (even the DNA research book) are especially appealing to a Russian and military historian. Dreadnought chronicles the British and German navies’/empires’ competition before World War One to build the biggest and most powerful battleships. It’s all about Balance of Power in international relations, diplomacy, arms races, and fossil fuels as strategic resources (OK, in this case it’s coal). Guess what, Cousin—it’s all applicable to current events. I’m not a big fan of naval history, but this book rocks. The characters are all interesting (and real) and so is the diplomacy they’re working (and remember, back in the day high-speed digital communication meant a dude putting his finger on a telegraph key); Massie weaves it all together with clever and exciting narrative. Most wholeheartedly recommend.   hide

Never have I encountered a history book that makes all of the participants come alive in such detail. Massie draws out in great detail the very roots of the naval build up that culminated in the Great War with such attention to detail and yet displays it all with a writing style that makes this dense piece of work as accessible as a dime store novel. Bravo!

Great military history tome to sink your teeth into!

An epic book. A detailed look at the decline in Anglo-German relations before the first world war and the paths missed for peace. A sad book as you see with 20/20 vision of the “if onlys” that might have avoided the slaughter of the First World War. The author really concentrates on the personalities of the key figures, from the Kaiser to Tirpiz to Grey, Winston and Fisher, and is a...more

An epic book. A detailed look at the decline in Anglo-German relations before the first world war and the paths missed for peace. A sad book as you see with 20/20 vision of the “if onlys” that might have avoided the slaughter of the First World War. The author really concentrates on the personalities of the key figures, from the Kaiser to Tirpiz to Grey, Winston and Fisher, and is a traditional historical analysis of great men and their actions, rather than looking at economic or social causes (The rise of German economic power some would argue is more important than the fact Lord Grey liked fishing), but this book reads like a great novel and is worth reading for serious historical buffs and people who just like a good story full of characters and tragedy.   hide

Awesome history of pre WWI