With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence. Yet ten of the 12 battleships were already over 20 years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict. This title offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service, with detailed descriptions of the effectiveness of the main armament of individual ships. With specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic re-telling of key battleship conflicts, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas.

Angus Konstam is one of Osprey's most prolific authors, with over 30 published titles. In addition he has written more than 25 larger books for other publishers. His Osprey titles include British Battlecruisers 1939-45, British Motor Torpedo Boats 1939-45 (both New Vanguard Series), and a string of other nautical titles. His other works include Hunt the Bismark (Naval Institute Press, 2003), PT Boats (Ian Allen, 2005) and Warships (PRC, 2001). He has also written a 100 edition part-work series on Naval History for Osprey/Del Prado. His latest book is Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate (Wiley, 2006). A former naval officer, maritime archaeologist and maritime museum curator, Angus has a long and passionate love affair with the sea, maritime history and warships. For more details visit the author's website at www.anguskonstam.com