Military Model Scene

Title: Elizabeth's Navy
Author: Paul Brown
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4728-5497-1

70 Years of the Post-war Royal Navy, a new 344-page hardback book from Osprey, which is also available in standard e-book formats for those who enjoy their books in electronic form. It showcases the many and varied vessels which have equipped the Royal Navy from the end of WW2 through to the present day.
The story is spread over 7 chapters, beginning with the 'Big Navy' of 1952-1959, starting at the year of the Coronation, with many ships still in service, or in reserve, left over from WW2 and a large number of personnel. It was also the first introduction of the angled flight deck to our aircraft carriers, a change that is now standard around the world. During this period the Navy still had to cope with war in Korea and remaining commitments of 'Empire', at a time these were starting to be reduced. Chapter 2 looks at the 1960s, with new vessels, such as nuclear submarines, but even more reductions in the overall size of the Navy in more Defence Reviews. In chapter 3, it gets to the seventies, the second Cod War, more withdrawal from Empire and a focus on the Eastern Atlantic and the UK role in NATO. Next comes the Falklands Decade, the 1980s, and ships whose name have become well known due to the conflict, including the addition of the ski ramp to HMS Hermes and the success of the Sea Harrier. The Nineties come next, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact but war in the Gulf. Moving into the new Millennium, a second Gulf War but yet more reductions in the size of the Royal Navy. It rounds things off with Broadening Horizons, the period from 2010 through to 2022. New submarines, and the building of 2 new (large) Aircraft Carriers, yet there remain plenty of challenges for the UK and the Royal Navy to face and cope with in the years to come. Every chapter is well illustrated with a super collection of archive images, essentially one picture per page, accompanied by a detailed caption identifying each ship and their basic history. From aircraft carriers and submarines to minesweepers and fast patrol boats, and some marvellous names.
This is a marvellous tribute to the history of the Royal Navy over the course of the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II. A time of reduction and retreat from Empire, acceptance that Britain cannot afford, and does not need, the fleet of a world power that she once represented, A beautiful book and one I am sure anyone would enjoy.
Thanks to Osprey for the review copy.

Robin