Mountbatten: Apprentice War Lord

by Adrian Smith

A far-sighted war hero or an ambitious networker promoted above his talents? Deservedly celebrated as a naval officer and confidant of world leaders, nevertheless, for some, Mountbatten's talents remain questionable. In this timely new biography, Adrian Smith paints a different and convincing picture, of an essentially modern figure of a technocratic age, a nuts and bolts officer specialising in the technical branches of the Senior Service, and aristocrat perhaps, but devoted to professionalism and the lower deck. Smith brings Mountbatten to life and uncovers the essential qualities. Beneath the rich, aristocratic, pleasure-loving and privileged exterior there was a deeply human, even vulnerable but driven character -- and a pivotal figure in the imperial and military history of the twentieth century.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Adrian Smith is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Southampton, and previously taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the University of Kent.

An established author, broadcaster and journalist in the fields of modern British political, social and cultural history, his books include Mountbatten: Apprentice War Lord, The City of Coventry: A Twentieth Century Icon, Mick Mannock, Fighter Pilot: Myth, Life and Politics and The New Statesman: Portrait of a Political Weekly, 1913-1931. In researching and writing The Man Who Built the Swordfish, he worked closely with the family of Sir Richard Fairey and the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum.