8.6 /10 1 Votes
Country England Publication date 1991 Pages 1007 pp Originally published 1991 Genre Non-fiction Publisher Random House | 4.3/5 Goodreads Language English Media type Print (hardback) ISBN 0-394-52833-6 Followed by Castles of Steel OCLC 23287851 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Similar Robert K Massie books, Europe books, World War II books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War (1991) is a book by Robert K. Massie on the growing European tension in decades before World War I, especially the naval arms race between Britain and Germany. A sequel, covering the naval war between Germany and Britain, Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea was published in 2004.
Contents
Summary
Massie begins with the birth of Queen Victoria and follows the chronology of the royal families of Europe, culminating in the unification of Germany by Bismarck and the crowning of Kaiser William II. With the stage set, Massie describes the series of people and events that contributed to the outbreak of war, including Alfred von Tirpitz and his plan for German naval superiority, the Kruger Telegram, Boer War and Boxer Rebellion.
HMS Dreadnought
While largely concerned with political and historic matters, a substantial chapter documents the design innovations incorporated into the namesake HMS Dreadnought warship and the interactions between Winston Churchill and Admiral of the Fleet Jackie Fisher that influenced its design and construction.