American Battleships / Max R. Newhart / AllWarBooks.com

BOOK REVIEWS

"Max Newhart has created an excellent overview of American Battleships. His work provides the reader with basic technical and historical information on each American Battleship from the Maine to the Montana- class. This work enables students of naval warfare to follow the advancements in Battleship construction by simply turning the pages in chronological order. If you are seeking detailed information on individual ships you will need to look elsewhere. However, if you have a general interest in naval ships and you want to improve your knowledge of American Battleships this is a terrific book."

"American Battleships" (2001) is a well-researched and informative 110-page paperback. This text, destined to become a classic for naval research, offers at least one black and white photo and a list of vital statistics for every US battleship from the late 19th century prototypes (USS Maine and USS Texas), to BB-71 USS Louisiana (cancelled in 1943). Actually, author Max Newhart explains, BB-64 USS Wisconsin is the final US battlewagon launched (seven additional ships where commissioned but later canceled due to Cold War expenses and constraints). Newhart begins the book with an informative chapter about the battleship's construction history. He explains that these floating cities grew in size with the commission of each new battleship class (crew compliments grew from 380 in 1889 to 1943's 2700!). He speaks to the US Navy's battleship presence in every ocean and every major port. He describes each World War II Reserve Fleet's composition (naming each battleship in those groups). Of particular interest are the latest battleships' post-war service across the globe (BB-62 USS New Jersey served in the 1983 Beirut Crisis, BB-63 USS Missouri and BB-64 USS Wisconsin saw action in 1991's Desert Storm). The best portion of this book is each battleship's statistical explanation. Newhart lists each ship's facts and figures (launch date, displacement tons, crew compliment, gun calibers, construction costs, etc.) from naval records. This data is fascinating. The main guns on these war ships went from 4-10' 35 calibers in 1889 to the 1980s 8-MK 143 Tomahawks and ABL's 40 MK! (These powerful ships make one re-appreciate "shock and awe".) Is it any wonder that history's mightiest navy has sailed under the Stars and Stripes? The original photos show these big ships in harbor, at war, and after battle. They alone are worth the cost of this book. Newhart's writing style is easy and instructive. He will teach you about American battleships. This is a remarkable book and recommended to everyone."

Every American Battleship from the USS Maine (BB-1) to the USS Louisiana (BB-71), which includes ships that were designed and never built or completed. Loaded with data and photographs the book includes informative stats and nearly everything you would need to know about America's battleships. There is also a photograph taken at the Bikini Island Atomic bomb test in July 1946.

What "American Battleships" does best is to simply keep a huge topic within a manageable scope and in a highly useful format. Most people will find what they want in this impressive book—and a sure bet for the naval history buff—priced very affordable! This new softbound has 110 pages, and a staggering 168 black and white photographs with 8 illustrations.

Only $9.99