The Great War at Sea, 1914-1918

by Richard Hough

The contest between the German and British navies during World War I was the greatest naval conflict in history. In this volume, Richard Hough presents a vivid and detailed account of this sea war, beginning with the build-up to war and ending with Germany's capitulation at the end of 1918.
As much a history of men as of guns and ships, this contest pitted England's Winston Churchill, an arrogant but hard-working leader; the influential ex-First Sea Lord "Jacky" Fisher; and Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet Sir John Jellicoe against Germany's autocratic Kaiser Wilhelm and the men
under his command. When war broke out, in August of 1914, Britain had ruled the seas, almost uncontested, for nearly 100 years and boasted the biggest, most heavily gunned battleship in the world, the Dreadnought. German submarines and floating mines put this supremacy to the test, and forced
British naval leaders to devise techniques, such as the convoy, to combat German technology. Hough describes the war's major and minor batttles--fought in the Falklands, the North Sea, and the Dardanelles--and especially its climax, the 1916 Battle of Jutland, an indecisive confrontation that
bitterly disappointed the Royal Navy. Among the many insights and interpretations that Hough brings to this work is his conclusion that the Royal Navy's defeat of the Kriegsmarine was the prime factor in the surrender of Central Powers' land forces at the end of 1918. With vivid portraits of
historic figures, stories of behind-the-scenes political battles, and numerous maps and photographs, The Great War at Sea offers a lively, authoritative account of a dramatic era of naval history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War I, Military Fiction, Naval History, Military History, War

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Richard Alexander Hough was a British author and historian specializing in naval history. As a child, he was obsessed with making model warships and collecting information about navies around the world. In 1941, he joined the Royal Air Force and trained at a flying school near Los Angeles. He flew Hurricanes and Typhoons and was wounded in action.

After World War II, Hough worked as a part-time delivery driver for a wine shop, while looking for employment involving books. He finally joined the publishing house Bodley Head, and then Hamish Hamilton, where he eventually headed the children’s book division.

His work as a publisher inspired him to turn to writing himself in 1950, and he went on to write more than ninety books over a long and successful career. Best-known for his works of naval history and his biographies, he also wrote war novels and books for children (under the pseudonym Bruce Carter), all of which sold in huge numbers around the world. His works include The Longest Battle: The War at Sea 1939-45, Naval Battles of the Twentieth Century and best-selling biographies of Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Captain James Cook. Captain Bligh and Mr Christian, his 1972 account of the mutiny on the Bounty, was the basis of the 1984 film The Bounty, starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson.

Hough was the official historian of the Mountbatten family and a longtime student of Churchill. Winston Churchill figures prominently in nine of his books, including Former Naval Person: Churchill and the Wars at Sea. He won the Daily Express Best Book of the Sea Award in 1972.

Reviews

[Phillip Manson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd think England would be careful about investing much money in building warships just because many other nations were interested in getting the latest in killing machines. But when the Germans started building battle cruisers and dreadnaughts, the British felt compelled to do them one better. Everything culminated in the Battle of Jutland and though the English think they won, the loss of ships and men totals a win for the Germans rather than the Brits. By the time of the Second World War most of the old battleships were too out of date to compete but, as in the case of the U.S. battleships battered at Pearl Harbor, they persisted to fire their 14 inch shells at Normandy on D-Day. The most intriguing thing about World War One was the British experimenting with the idea of the aircraft carrier and the top admirals not thinking of the advantage of having air power to influence battles fought at sea. The submarine experience of fighting underwater is well described, showing how improvements led to bigger boats towards the end of the conflict and torpedoes shot from the beams as well as forward and aft.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts with the development of the Dreadnought in /around 1903 and the transformation of the British navy from the era of Nelson to the modern era. The Germans are also discussed as their fledgling Kriegsmarine is born.

Nelson's naval attitude permeates the British ship building, but the threat of mines and torpedoes cause it to a timid shell of the Nelson idea of war at sea.

The Germans on the other hand attempt to build a fleet to at least try and break the British hold on the worlds ocean, but end up leaving it all in port. Looking at WW2, we see the same thoughts again permeate the German naval doctrine, sending their ships a=out alone or in insufficient numbers to accomplish much, but that is another book.

The early chapters are a lead up to the Battle of Jutland and gives a very good 'blow by blow' of the battle as well as the aftermath. I recommend you have a map handy of the North sea area as it will make the battle easier to understand.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia de la flota inglesa antes y durante la IGM. No profundiza en los aspectos ténicos de los barcos, que da por conocidos por el lector, pero a cambio se centra en los altos mandos del almirantazgo y de la Flota. Crítico con los errores cometidos durante el periodo y con las tradiciones desfasadas de la Marina, es en conjunto un buen retrato de una época y de su evolución.
Sin apenas referencias a lo que sucedía en el frente terrestre durante la misma época, deja a medias la evolución de la Campaña de Gallipoli de la ue cuenta su inicio pero no explica la evacuación de las tropas.
Para completar una historia de la IGM, o para introducirse un poco más en la dirección de la guerra desde el punto de vista de la marina.

[Rob Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores the naval history of World War I, mainly from the British side. The Naval action of the war are often dismissed, but should not be. Britain could have lost it all at sea, as well Germany could have lost much earlier. This is also a story of fast paced technology over shooting strategy on both sides. There are opportunities lost, poor decisions made, and luck turning the corner. Well written.

[Jeff Wombold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naval history

Although interesting, like reading a text book, it can be difficult to follow and would require reading many times to get a thorough understanding.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly readable history.

Not bad. An easy enough read, style wise but I wouldn't call it a definitive work. Worth a read if you're new to the area.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lively, entertaining study.

Conclusion: Winston Churchill was a stinker and a buttinski in every war.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of Richard Hough's book promises more than it delivers, for instead of providing a comprehensive coverage of the naval campaigns of the First World War he offers a study focused on the arms race involving dreadnought construction and the stalemated confrontation between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet between the start of the war and the battle of Jutland. While Hough's focus is understandable, it comes at slighting the myriad other aspects of the naval war: of the sixteen chapters, only five do not address either one of these two relatively narrow aspects of the war at sea. Yet Hough is an able writer who provides a gripping account of such events as the pursuit of Germany's Pacific Squadron or the battle of Jutland. Readers seeking an entertaining account of the naval war will not be disappointed by this book, though those desiring a more comprehensive analysis would be better served turning to Paul Halpern's superb A Naval History of World War I.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more of a "how did we all wind up at the Battle of Jutland?" story than anything else, although there are good passages about isolated duels in the Falklands and off the Chilean coast. But most of the German navy was bottled up for the duration of the war, aside from Jutland and a couple of other sorties. Hough isn't really interested enough in submarine warfare to focus much attention on it, and the book is too short in any event for that.

But he does give a very lucid account of the political wheeling and dealing at the Admiralty (less clear about the Germans by far), and sorts out the relationships among Churchill, Balfour, Asquith, Fisher, Jellicoe, Beatty etc. in a way that allows the reader to understand how easily the British might have lost the war at sea.

And as always with books about the battle, the actual account of the operation is confusing. Appropriate, since it was at the time.

[Daniel Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great War at Sea: 1914 - 1918 by Richard Hough is arguably one of the best accounts of the naval battles of the First World War that you will find in a single volume – pertaining to Great Britain and Germany. Hough focuses mostly on these two countries, covering the dreadnaught race and Jutland battle very well, but leaving me feeling that something is missing. The book is well written and researched, as we would expect from this author, and I did not come across any misinformation within its pages, but I felt that there should have been more mention of the United States Navy, even though they did not play a great part in the war, they certainly did participate

From a reviewer’s standpoint, this is clearly a good recommend for the student of naval history, although I would suggest further study as there are other aspects of the war that are lightly touched on in The Great War at Sea.

Reviewed April 4 2018 by Daniel L Little - www.daniellittle.com

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive, pretty interesting. It's a long read, but there's a lot to cover. I like the author's book on the Russo-Japanese War better. He wrote that when he was younger and it's brisk, but emotionally compelling. This work, written more toward the end of his life, feels more like a very precise attempt to document the "Great War at Sea." It's a bit less of a roller coaster ride as the other one, but amazing nonetheless. Also, he includes an amazingly helpful "recommended readings" at the end of the work that is separate from his sources and includes reasons why he considers each piece worth a look.

[Bob Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of the naval aspect of WWI which is often overlooked in favour of the Western Front. Worth reading to get a good overview of what the Great Britain and Germany were doing during the Great War.

[William Shep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, one volume, and highly readable, account of the struggles and triumps of the British navy in the First World War.

[Richard Cadot · Rating 1 out of 5]

More of a book about the author's hatred of Churchill then about history. Annoying at first, unbearable in the end.