The Author: Michael Green is the author of numerous acclaimed books in the Images of War series.

Overview

This classic Images of War book traces the key role played by destroyers of the United States Navy since the first order for 16 in 1898. Prior to the USA’s entry into the First World War a further 63 destroyers were commissioned, and due to the U-boat threat, 267 more were authorized by Congress once hostilities were joined.

Between 1932 and Pearl Harbor, ten new classes totaling 169 destroyers came into service. During the war years American shipyards turned out a further 334 vessels. Of the three classes, the 175 Fletcher-class were judged the most successful.

The Cold War years saw the development of seven more classes. More recently 82 of the stealth shaped Arleigh Burke class have been ordered but the futuristic Zumwalt-class program has been curtailed for cost reasons.

Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Battleship lovers – break out your drool cups! Everything you always wanted to know about French WW2 battleships is here! This heavy book is the ultimate – last of the FMN battleships. You now have the sine qua non of French battleship books. You could stop reading this review right here because you have all you really need to know about this book, but your battleship addiction means you want more details. Let’s chase that dragon!

Based in Central Europe, Kagero Publishing House is the biggest publisher and exporter of English-written publications about military history, releasing nearly 60 titles every year. Founded by Damian Majsak in 1995, Kagero expanded in 1998 to release new publications in English. Illustrator Waldemar Góralski is one of many Kagero contributors, and has authored over twenty five publications.

The book provides great 3D style detail drawings of the German Battle Cruiser SMS Derfflinger. The Derfflinger was built in early 1910 and was considered to be the best of the Battle Cruisers up until the end of World War One.

The book is pack full of amazing pictures of the ship from all angles and showing all the finer details of the ship’s make up. The details are fantastic and provide much for any modeler who wishes to super detail a model of the ship.

There is also a pull out outline drawing of the ship in 1/350 scale including a hull “cut-through “for the length pf the ship.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the SMS Derfflinger or any war ship for that matter, and this is a must for anyone going to build a model of this ship. In fact, I am now off to build my Flyhawk 1/700 Model of this ship with the book as all the reference material I will need.

As a former carrier sailor, books on the history of these ships fascinate me, and both modelers and fans of the Essex-class carriers will enjoy this new release in the “Images of War” series from Pen and Sword in their Maritime line. There are some great photographs of the ships and their aircraft, along with some of astronaut recoveries. A total of 24 ships of the Essex-class were built and served well from World War II through Korea and Vietnam, with the last ship serving as a training carrier until 1991.