Admirals: The Naval Commanders Who Made Britain Great

by Andrew D. Lambert

From the man described by Amanda Foreman as 'one of the most eminent naval historians of our age' comes the story of how this country's maritime power helped Britain gain unparalleled dominance of the world's economy. Told through the lives of ten of our most remarkable admirals, Andrew Lambert's book spans Elizabethan times to the Second World War, culminating with the spirit which led Andrew Browne Cunningham famously to declare, when the army feared he would lose too many ships, 'it takes three years to build a ship; it takes three centuries to build a tradition.'

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Naval History, Military History, Biography, War, World War II

492 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Andrew Lambert, FRHistS, is a British naval historian, who since 2001 has been the Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College London

Reviews

[Tom Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of anything about WWII, I found this book very interesting. Getting a better idea of the personalities involved in running the war at sea during this world conflict was very informative. Andrew Lambert has a writing style that keeps the readers interest which when dealing with a non-fiction subject can be a challenge. I have no challenge to the book but to the decision to give Admiral Halsey the fifth star. His desertion of the fleet at Leyte Gulf, the loss of ships and men in a typhoon that could of been avoided, are enough for me to keep him a four star. If Admiral Halsey had a subordinate who performed this way he would of had him run out of the Navy. But he had good friends in high places and a bigger than life reputation so he slid by. Admiral Spruance was a major part of many critical battles and in my mind deserved a fifth star. But the quiet performers never get all the glories granted to those who work on their own PR.

[Alistair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an impressive read, with Andrew Lambert clearly going to great lengths in his research on each of the admirals discussed in the book. Andrew's style of writing pulls the reader in and he wonderfully sets the scene, regardless of whether it is politics, combat, or scenes at the Admiralty.

He has picked ten wonderful emn to write about, with many linking to each other the further one gets through the book. Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in naval history as it wonderfully describes the way the role of the Admiral has changed over the years and the different strains this places on the men who hold the role.

[Kate Millin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes through the Admirals who inspired and were inspired by Nelson, and who were the leading lights in the view of the author in developing the navy until the end of World War Two. Interesting, blunt about the characters they have to work with and around, mainly the politicians of each period. An interesting viewpoint.

[Keith Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book with good insights on management styles and how leaders can get the best out of their teams. It emphasises the huge importance of the ocean to Britain. Andrew Lambert strikes a perfect balance between it being readable and academic

[Andy C.]

Wow does this guy do a good job of biographies. Admirals is good, a short bio of each of the major Admirals that contributed to the supremacy and longevity of the British navy – the instrument of Pax Britannica. Interesting to see how political the chief Admirals’ were, and necessarily so to complete their jobs. And very interesting to see how each operated and succeeded within their context and strategic framework. By far the best seems to me to be Fisher, but others may choose differently.

[Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normalmente no considero exitoso el abandonar un libro sin haberlo terminado, pero ya leí de éste lo que me interesaba: las decisiones de Beatty y el talento de Fisher. No me interesa mucho el resto. Los dos caps que leí están bien escritos y muestran efectivamente tanto los hechos como las consecuencias que las decisiones de estos hombres tuvieron, sobre todo, al moldear el curso de la WWI. Bien.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great biography. The author does a good job not only introducing and describing the admirals, but putting them in the context of the other branches of the military and the historical events they were subject to. The book assumes the reader knows a lot of the basic history of WWII, so in some spots the historical events are not described thoroughly, instead focusing on the individuals.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent biography of 11 key British Admirals (excluding Nelson), explaining why their contribution mattered both in the context of the world they lived in and the context of later generations.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

History-telling at its most brilliant and engaging...