Originally published in 2007, the revised edition was recently issued in 2026. The book's content is well sequenced, beginning with the battlecruiser's design history, the careers of the 3 famous battlecruisers HMS Renown, HMS Repulse and HMS Hood, a comprehensive review of all the well known scale models of these famous ships produced to date, a well photographed model showcase in various scales, five WW2 camouflage schemes for the 3 ships, a summary of modifications and refits for each ship documented by photos, line drawings and a selected reference.

In the years prior to WWI, First Sea Lord of the British Admiralty Jackie Fisher hoped to combine a armored cruiser's speed with the hitting power of a battleship. The battlecruisers, as they came to be called, had to be fast enough to hunt down German cruisers and raiders, as well as support smaller British cruisers in a fleet role by engaging the enemy's cruiser screen. Never designed to engage better armored battleships, 3 classes of battlecruisers were built starting about 1904, the Invincible, Indefatigable and Lion classes. After the success of Royal Navy battlecruisers in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914 and other engagements, FSL Fisher, recently called out of retirement, had the most famous class of battlecruisers designed, the Repulse class, which included HMS Repulse and HMS Renown. Called the "darlings of the fleet and public", this opinion changed at the May 1916 Battle of Jutland when 3 battlecruisers (Invincible, Indefatigable and Queen Mary) were all sunk by the German fleet. The final Admiral class was limited to 1 ship, the HMS Hood, when it was realized that the German Navy had ceased to build any more similar sized ships.

Model builders will thoroughly enjoy this book. All major kit releases and scales of the Renown, Repulse and Hood are reviewed, as well as the latest resin and 3D printed versions. 16 aftermarket offerings are also covered, including 3D printed sets. I especially enjoyed the 9 models in the showcase, they are super detailed and well photographed. Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the opportunity to review the revised edition of British Battlecruisers of the Second World War.