Joseph Moretz's innovative work focuses on what battleships actually did in the inter-war years and what its designed war role in fact was. In doing so, the book tells us much about British naval policy and planning of the time. Drawing heavily on official Admiralty records and private papers of leading officers, the author examines the navy's operational experience and the evolution of its tactical doctrine during the interwar period. He argues that operational experience, combined with assumptions about the nature of a future naval war, were more important in keeping the battleship afloat than conservatism in Navy.

Volume 1 of 5 This is a significant work of reference in that it provides the personnel state of the Royal Navy as at the end of the Great War; the list is corrected to 18th December 1918. And not just the personnel are featured, for here are listed HM ships of all types including merchant vessels commissioned as HM Ships. With most of the ships listed type, armament, displacement and propulsion details are given, e.g, LION. Battle Cruiser. 26,350 tons. 70,000 HP. 8-13.5 inch, 16-4 inch, 4-3pdr. This publication begins with the alphabetical list of the officers on the active list of the Royal Navy and the Royal marines showing their rank, seniority and of the retired and emergency officers serving, where serving and this includes retired and emergency officers. If the name is preceded by a number, this identifies the ship or shore station in which he is serving (they are all numbered). This is followed by a list showing officers according to seniority. Other lists are of Royal Marines; ships/shore stations with their identifying number and showing officers serving with them; RNR, RNVR, Dominion naval officers; retired RN, RM and RNR officers; invalided officers and much more. There is a section for Honours and Awards including VC (shown after the Orders of Knighthood, the DSO and Royal Red Cross), DSC, DSM and foreign awards. At the end there is a section on Dress Regulations for officers of the Fleet and even a list of lantern slides available in local libraries. The description given above by no means exhausts the information available.