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H.M.S. Rodney: Warships of the Royal Navy
The biography of a British battleship, from an author with “a facility for rendering nonfiction into a narrative as brisk and readable as a novel” (HistoryNet).
The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitler’s navy, the mighty Bismarck, in a thrilling duel. The Rodney, carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship, finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so removed a major threat to the Atlantic convoy routes so vital to the survival of the nation.
This compelling book, from the acclaimed author of Killing the Bismarck, not only traces this mighty battleship’s career in detail, but describes the careers of all the ships carrying the name.
The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitler’s navy, the mighty Bismarck, in a thrilling duel. The Rodney, carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship, finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so removed a major threat to the Atlantic convoy routes so vital to the survival of the nation.
This compelling book, from the acclaimed author of Killing the Bismarck, not only traces this mighty battleship’s career in detail, but describes the careers of all the ships carrying the name.
750 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2012
76 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Iain Ballantyne
26 books36 followers'Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom - 80th anniversary edition' is Iain's latest book and an updated and expanded new version of the 2016 original, this time published both as an e-book and a shop paperback. His previous book was 'Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (Sept 2019), also for Agora Books.
Although he has written several naval history books, including those on the Second World War and the Cold War, Iain Ballantyne has, during the course of his career as a journalist, editor, and author, also covered the activities of land forces.
Those assignments took him to Kuwait, Oman, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Hong Kong, sometimes during times of conflict. Iain has visited WW2 battlefields in company with those who fought there as young men, while also spending hours in conversation with Arnhem veterans.
As a teenager, Iain embarked on an expedition to follow the course of the Rhine, including a pilgrimage to Oosterbeek and Arnhem. He retraced the route of the British Airborne soldiers in 1944 as they tried to take the famous ‘bridge too far’.
Iain Ballantyne’s assignments as a writer on naval affairs have taken him from the Arctic to mine infested waters off war-torn Kuwait, aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Libya, into the South China Sea and below the Irish Sea in a hunter-killer submarine.
Iain has contributed to coverage of naval and military issues in national and regional newspapers, and provided analysis and commentaries for radio and television, as well as prestigious publications by NATO and the Royal Navy.
His most recent naval history book was 'The Deadly Trade: The Complete History of Submarine Warfare from Archimedes to the Present' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018). It was published in the USA in December 2018, as 'The Deadly Deep' (Pegasus Books).
Iain's other books include ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion, 2013), which was published in the USA in September 2019 as 'Undersea Warriors' (Pegasus Books).
Iain won a Mountbatten Certificate of Merit for his action-packed depiction of the pursuit and destruction of Hitler's flagship as recounted in ‘Killing the Bismarck’ (Pen & Sword, 2010).
In 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship by the UK’s Maritime Foundation. One of its top annual awards, it recognised Iain’s immense contribution to the maritime cause since 1990, as a journalist, author of naval history books and Editor of 'WARSHIPS International Fleet Review' magazine from 1998 to the present.
Although he has written several naval history books, including those on the Second World War and the Cold War, Iain Ballantyne has, during the course of his career as a journalist, editor, and author, also covered the activities of land forces.
Those assignments took him to Kuwait, Oman, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Hong Kong, sometimes during times of conflict. Iain has visited WW2 battlefields in company with those who fought there as young men, while also spending hours in conversation with Arnhem veterans.
As a teenager, Iain embarked on an expedition to follow the course of the Rhine, including a pilgrimage to Oosterbeek and Arnhem. He retraced the route of the British Airborne soldiers in 1944 as they tried to take the famous ‘bridge too far’.
Iain Ballantyne’s assignments as a writer on naval affairs have taken him from the Arctic to mine infested waters off war-torn Kuwait, aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Libya, into the South China Sea and below the Irish Sea in a hunter-killer submarine.
Iain has contributed to coverage of naval and military issues in national and regional newspapers, and provided analysis and commentaries for radio and television, as well as prestigious publications by NATO and the Royal Navy.
His most recent naval history book was 'The Deadly Trade: The Complete History of Submarine Warfare from Archimedes to the Present' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018). It was published in the USA in December 2018, as 'The Deadly Deep' (Pegasus Books).
Iain's other books include ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion, 2013), which was published in the USA in September 2019 as 'Undersea Warriors' (Pegasus Books).
Iain won a Mountbatten Certificate of Merit for his action-packed depiction of the pursuit and destruction of Hitler's flagship as recounted in ‘Killing the Bismarck’ (Pen & Sword, 2010).
In 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship by the UK’s Maritime Foundation. One of its top annual awards, it recognised Iain’s immense contribution to the maritime cause since 1990, as a journalist, author of naval history books and Editor of 'WARSHIPS International Fleet Review' magazine from 1998 to the present.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 12, 2020
HMS Rodney
I enjoyed the book very much and lied the considerable details about the crew who served on her .Possibly too much detail about the earlier ships names Rodney which i skipped over .Recommended for anyone who would like an understanding of what life at sea was like on a battleship during he Second World War .
I enjoyed the book very much and lied the considerable details about the crew who served on her .Possibly too much detail about the earlier ships names Rodney which i skipped over .Recommended for anyone who would like an understanding of what life at sea was like on a battleship during he Second World War .
July 2, 2020
HMS Rodney a general history
A reasonably good account of the history of HMS Rodney in its various incarnations. It is a history of the ships career and not a technical treatise.Some useful insights.
A reasonably good account of the history of HMS Rodney in its various incarnations. It is a history of the ships career and not a technical treatise.Some useful insights.
November 7, 2021
At first when i read this book i got bored by the story of George Rodney and some old ship of the line Rodney.But i kept on reading,and once i reached the battleship Rodney,i didn't regret reading this book.A really good book on the monster battleship.
October 26, 2020
No page numbers for index and barely any pictures
What is the point of an index if there are no page numbers?
A reasonable photo gallery would have been nice!
What is the point of an index if there are no page numbers?
A reasonable photo gallery would have been nice!
August 11, 2016
A must read for a Navy fan
One of the best books I have read this Sumner, I would also recommend this author's book on HMS Warspite.
One of the best books I have read this Sumner, I would also recommend this author's book on HMS Warspite.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews