The Grand Fleet 1914-19: The Royal Navy in the First World War

During the First World War the reputation of the British Royal Navy was put on the line in its defence of the country, and, crucially, it was in those years, 1914 19, that the Grand Fleet became the single most potent weapon of war of any nation. In this comprehensive, illustrated history, Ridley-Kitts tells of the creation and development of the Grand Fleet under the drive of the energetic and charismatic Admiral of the Fleet Jacky Fisher, who modernised the navy with the introduction of the revolutionary Dreadnought battleship. This type of vessel in particular made other nations battleships obsolete, created a powerful weapon for the defence of the British Empire and its trade, and finally defeated the machinations of Kaiser William II. Using unique illustrations rendered by the author, the story of the Grand Fleet is told in accessible narrative style, with outstanding technical detail that will satisfy naval enthusiasts. AUTHOR: DANIEL G RIDLEY-KITTS MBE worked in the aircraft industry (Martin-Baker ejector seat company) after leaving school and served in the Royal Air Force as a National Serviceman on a fighter squadron in Germany. He also worked as an architectural draughtsman, joined the North Sea Oil Industry in 1963, working for a variety of oil exploration companies as a geologic/geophysical and engineering draughtsman. Daniel was involved in the development and bringing on stream of several North Sea oil fields. He was made MBE in the 1994 New Year’s Honours List for ‘Services to the Oil Industry’.