The Guinness Book of Naval Blunders

Who was responsible for the design of the Admiral Popov, the circular Russian battleship that wouldn't steer straight? Why did Lord Anson set out to circumnavigate the world with a crew of Chelsea pensioners? And how did the British cruiser HMS Trinidad manage to torpedo itself in the Arctic in 1942? An absorbing and diverting survey of naval incompetence from Roman times to the Falklands War. Crammed with intruiging and often bizarre anecdotes, and embellished by 50 fascinating illustrations, the book takes a serious but often entertaining look at the misjudgements and oversights of captains, fleet commanders, strategic planners and ship designers over the ages. In addition, more detailed case studies provide in-depth analysis of what went wrong in key naval battles and campaigns such as Navarino, Lissa, Tsushima, the Dardenelles, the Dogger Bank and Leyte Gulf...