Illustrated History of Destroyers of the World

This is a country-by-country directory of ships, from the early torpedo boat destroyers of the 1890s through to the specialist anti-aircraft vessels of today. It is a complete visual guide to destroyers, such as the Type 45 Daring class and the Arleigh Burke (DDG.51) class, with detailed information about the displacement dimensions, armament, machinery, power, performance and protection of each ship. It features 120 destroyers with over 400 identification photographs. It examines over 100 years of destroyer history and evolution, covering topics such as the origins of the torpedo boat and destroyers at Jutland. It includes fascinating quotes from military leaders and a glossary explaining key naval terms and abbreviations. This book charts the complete history of destroyers, from the early development of the self-propelled torpedo through to the widespread use of destroyers in World War II and subsequent transformation into multi-purpose escorts 100 years later. Two A-Z directories describe the main characteristics of each vessel, beginning with the years up to the end of World War I, and then 1918 to date. Each entry includes a specification box detailing country of origin, displacement, dimensions, armament, machinery, power, performance and protection.

Bernard Ireland spent 30 years in ship research for the Admiralty in the Royal Naval Scientific Service. He has worked as an illustrator for the shipping industry, including companies such as Canadian Pacific and Blue Star Lines. He is the author of over 25 specialist naval books, together with major contributions to numerous partworks and journals on the history of ships.