The British Sailor of the First World War

by Quintin Colville

In 1914 Great Britain had the largest and most powerful navy the world had ever seen – a well-known fact, but what of the everyday experience of those who served in her? This fully illustrated book looks at the British sailor's life during the First World War, from the Falkland Islands to the East African coast to the North Sea. Meals in the stokers' mess and the admiral's cabin; the claustrophobic terrors of the engine room or submarine; the long separations from loved ones that were the shared experience of all ranks; the perils faced by Royal Naval Air Service pilots in the air; the possessions treasured by sailors while at sea – drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished materials from the National Maritime Museum archives, this is an authoritative and vivid account of lives lived in quite extraordinary circumstances.

Genres: World War I

72 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2015

Reviews

[Matt]

A short and sweet introduction into the lives of sailors in the Royal Navy. This book primarily focuses on sailors who lived and worked on the big surface vessels: Battleships and Battlecruisers. It also, much to my delight, a chapter about British submariners in the First World War who are often ignored. It's short so don't expect a deluge of details and accounts, but rather a succinct summary of their lives and experiences. I've ordered a few of the sources used for the submarine chapter already to dive more deeply.

There's not really any discussion of strategy or tactics, as that is not the focus of the book. It is on the people. If you are interested in that angle of the Naval War of the First World War, then this is an excellent place to start.

[Michael B. Lamothe]

This short book is a useful introduction to the many activities of British sailors in World War I. As such it provides an overview that allows the reader to decide on further reading and research. I wish it had been slightly more detailed with a bit more reading suggestions. A very good introduction to the subject

[Lizzy Perkins]

Great book for researching sailors during WW1.