The Battlecruiser Hood

The destruction of the HMS Hood by the Bismarck in 1941 was one of the most shocking episodes in the history of the Royal Navy. Built during World War I, the Hood was the largest, fastest and one of the most handsome capital ships in the world. For the first time, this volume in the renowned Anatomy of a Ship series is available in paperback, and features a detailed description of every aspect of the beloved battlecruiser. In addition to analysing the genesis of its design and contemporary significance, this exceptional study provides the finest documentation of the Hood, with a complete set of superb line drawings, supported by technical details and a record of the ship's service history.

“A wonderfully illustrated biography” of one of history’s greatest warships whose sinking “signaled the end of the surety that Britannia ruled the waves” (War History Online). Unmatched for beauty, unequalled for size, for twenty years the HMS Hood was the glory ship of the Royal Navy, flying the flag across the world in the twilight years of the British Empire. Here, in words, photos and color illustrations, is the story of her life, her work and her people from keel-laying on the Clyde in 1916 to destruction at the hands of the Bismarck in 1941. Among the eyecatching strengths of the book is a unique gallery of photos, including stills from a recently discovered piece of color footage of the ship, plus a spectacular set of computer-generated images of both the exterior and interior by the world’s leading exponent of the art—a man who worked with the film director James Cameron (of Titanic fame). A wealth of new information on Hood’s structure and operation make it essential reading for the enthusiast, modeler and historian alike. Hugely successful from its first publication, this is the third printing of the ultimate book on the ultimate ship of the pre-war era. “The most comprehensive study of a modern warship ever undertaken.”—Warship World

The battlecruiser HMS Hood is one of the great warships of history. Unmatched for beauty, unequalled for size, for twenty years the Hood was the glory ship of the Royal Navy, flying the flag across the world in the twilight years of the British Empire. Here, in words, photos and colour illustrations, is the story of her life, her work and her people from keel-laying on the Clyde in 1916 to destruction at the hands of the Bismarck in 1941. Among the eyecatching strengths of the book is a unique gallery of photos, including stills from a recently discovered piece of colour footage of the ship, plus a spectacular set of computer-generated images of both the exterior and interior by the world's leading exponent of the art - a man who worked with the film director James Cameron (of Titanic fame). A wealth of new information on Hood's structure and operation make it essential reading for the enthusiast, modeller and historian alike. Hugely successful from its first publication, this is the third printing of the ultimate book on the ultimate ship of the pre-war era.

The year 2001 witnesses the sixtieth anniversary of one of the most shocking and tragic episodes in the history of the Royal Navy; the loss of HMS Hood. Built during the First World War, the Hood was the largest, fastest and one of the most handsome capital ships in the world. This revised edition features a full and detailed description of every aspect of HMS Hood, analysing the genesis of the design and its contemporary significance

The Bismarck is perhaps the most famous – and notorious – warship ever built. Completed in 1941, the 45,000-ton German battleship sank HMS Hood, the pride of the British Navy, during one of the most sensational encounters in naval history. Following the sinking, Bismarck was chased around the North Atlantic by many units of the Royal Navy. She was finally dispatched with gunfire and torpedoes on 27 May, less than five months after her completion. Her wreck still lies where she sank, 4,800m down and 960km off the west coast of France. Drawing on new research and technology, this edition is the most comprehensive examination of Bismarck ever published. It includes a complete set of detailed line drawings with fully descriptive keys and full-colour 3D artwork, supported by technical details, photographs and text on the building of the ship and a record of the ship's service history.

"Author Andrew Norman explores the events leading up to the [sinking of the HMS Hood] and the legacy it left in its wake. His research includes reports from both the Royal Naval Museum and German naval records as well as a unique interview with the only living survivor ... of the Hood disaster, Ted Briggs. Virtually all of the author's material is taken from original sources and many of the photographs he includes to illustrate the text have never before been published. In HMS Hood : pride of the Royal Navy, he poses his own theory for the ship's sinking -- one that has until this point not yet been proposed"--Jacket.

The story of the HMS Hood, the last great warship of the British Royal Navy, told by the bestselling author of Hannibal. When it was launched in 1918, the HMS Hood was the flagship of the Royal Navy. As a battle cruiser, “The Mighty Hood” was fast enough to evade enemy cruiser ships and powerful enough to destroy them. But for all the Hood’s might, it had one fatal flaw: armor had been sacrificed for speed. In 1941, the Hood confronted the legendary German warship Bismarck. A salvo from the enemy penetrated the Hood’s ammunition magazine, destroying the British ship and killing all but three of its crew. The brutal defeat marked the end of the Royal Navy’s dominance. But it also inspired Winston Churchill’s vow to sink the Bismarck—a vow that in time was fulfilled. Through oral history and documentary research, Ernle Bradford chronicles the Hood’s career from design to demise, with colorful insight into life aboard the ship as well as its broader historical significance.

There have been many fine books written on HMS Hood, the glory of the Royal Navy, while television and cinema have also taken the subject to their heart. No book, however, has ever offered the combination of in-depth research and thrilling narrative to be found in The End of Glory. For twenty years Hood symbolised the Royal Navy during the twilight years of the British Empire before, in 1941, being destroyed in seconds by the battleship Bismarck, a catastrophe that shattered the morale the British public. For those who manned her, however, she was both a home and a fighting platform, and this new book, through official documents as well as the personal accounts and reminiscences of more than 150 crewmen, offers a vivid image of the face of naval life and the face of naval battle. A brilliant behind-the scenes exposé of a warship in peace and war, it not only paints an intimate picture of everyday life but deals with any number of controversial issues such as the Invergordon mutiny, escapades ashore and afloat, the Christmas mutiny of 1940 and the terrible conditions onboard in war. This coverage, based on so many original sources, makes for a truly compelling story which neither historian, enthusiast nor general reader will find easy to put down.