Thus is a rather disappointing book, albeit nicely produced. Even the dust jacket and title page includes a word that is not in the English language - Postwar is not one word (even Microsoft Word does not recognise it!) and it should, of course, be Post-War or Post-war.

Not a great start, then, and there are lot of other criticisms to follow. I will write about these when I have time (and when I have calmed down!) - my service in the Royal Navy from 1967-1989 does qualify me, to some degree, to criticise this book. Frankly, I wish I had not bought it and wish I had returned it as unwanted.

The indexing is poor and most of us who served will go to the index early on to see if the ships in which we served are there. Many of the ships named in the index do not have the fact that there is a photograph of the ship noted in bold (as it should).

The author seems to fall into the trap of thinking that the Royal Navy is only about ships and submarines. The Royal Navy is about much more than that and, in my view, this book does a disservice to the Sendior Service. While there is mention of the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Marines, these fighting arms of the Royal Navy in Queen Elizabeth's reign are given scant coverage. There is no meaningful coverage of people, of shore establishments, of naval air stations, of dockyards and naval bases and of the whole panoply of support services such as armament depots, store depots and victualling yards, let alone harbour craft managed by various organisations such the Director of Marine Services (Navy). I could go on. If it was the author's intention not to cover this lot - and I admit it would make for a larger and more costly tome - then the book's title and sub-title should have been different. As it is, this book does in no way do what it says on the tin! ( )