A heavily illustrated account of the evolution, design and deployment of dreadnought battleships.

When HMS Dreadnought was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1906 this revolutionary new class of big-gun iron-clad warship immediately changed the face of naval warfare, rendering all other battleships worldwide obsolete. The Admiralty realized that as soon as the ship was revealed to the global naval community Britain would be a in race to stay ahead, and so the first dreadnoughts were built in record time. While there were those who regarded the vessel as a triumphant revolution in naval design, the dreadnought initially had its critics, including those who thought its slower, heavier guns left it vulnerable to the secondary armament of other warships. Nevertheless, other countries, notably Germany, and the United States soon began to lay down dreadnoughts. The culmination of this arms race would be the confrontation of the British and German fleets at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 – the greatest clash of naval firepower in history. This book gives detailed insights into the design, operation and combat history of these incredible vessels.

Introduction
Layout
Firepower
Propulsion and Electrical Systems
Crew
In War and Peace
Appendix
Bibliography
Index

"This book covers [the] design, technology, crew life and operational history of these ships, with numerous design drawings, original art and photographs that capture the awe held for these ships."

"...even experienced readers of books about battleships will learn a good deal from examining this volume."

"Author Chris McNab puts forth a splendid effort to let the reader understand just what life was like aboard a warship in choppy seas sailing to its fate at the Battle of Jutland. Some of the photography is simply superb. The description of ranks, personnel, their respective duties and the role of the dreadnought in World War I is engaging and thorough."

"​Highly recommended."

"Fascinating minutiae liberally spice this ripping read...Recommended!"

"...offers a spectacular analysis for those with a more than passing interest of the big ships of WWI."

"...you are provided a mass of photos, including some of preserved ships along with a fair number of illustrations and tables to help explain the development of these ships and major systems."