Royal Navy in Eastern Waters

(Hardback)

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This new work tells the compelling story of how the Royal Navy secured the strategic space from Egypt in the west to Australasia in the East through the first half of the Second World War; it explains why this contribution, made while Russia's fate remained in the balance and before American economic power took effect, was so critical. Without it the war would certainly have lasted longer and decisive victory might have proved impossible. After the protection of the Atlantic lifeline, this was surely the Royal Navy's finest achievement, the linchpin of victory. The book moves authoritatively between grand strategy, intelligence, accounts of specific operations, and technical assessment of ships and weapons. It challenges established perceptions of Royal Navy capability and will change the way we think about Britain's role and contribution in the first half of the war. The Navy of 1939 was stronger than usually suggested and British intelligence did not fail against Japan. Nor was the Royal Navy outmatched by Japan, coming very close to a British 'Midway' off Ceylon in 1942. And it was the Admiralty, demonstrating a reckless disregard for risks, that caused the loss of Force Z in 1941. The book also lays stress on the key part played by the American relationship in Britain's Eastern naval strategy. Superbly researched and elegantly written, this new book adds a hugely important dimension to our understanding of the war in the East and will become required reading. AUTHOR: Andrew Boyd CMG, OBE, DPhil was educated at Britannia Royal Naval College and St John's College, Oxford. He served as a submariner in the Royal Navy before joining the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1980. He is currently a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham where he specialises in 20th-century naval history. The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters is his first book. 25 illustrations and 4 maps

Reviews

[F]rom the very first pages, [the book] commands the reader's attention.... This book is a history game-changer in putting the Indian Ocean at the centre of Britain's war strategy as it evolved from 1939 to 1942. It is well-written and well researched: there are 85 pages of footnotes and the bibliography extends to 27 pages. --Warship, as part of the publication's Naval Books of the Year
This book is recommended for specialist naval historians as well as general readers interested in the Second World War at sea. - The Northern Mariner

Author Bio

ANDREW BOYD CMG, OBE, DPhil was educated at Britannia Royal Naval College and St John's College, Oxford. He served as a submariner in the Royal Navy before joining the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1980. He is currently a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham where he specialises in 20th-century naval history. The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters is his first book.