British Light Cruisers 1939–45 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | December 2012 | Title | British Light Cruisers 1939–45 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Angus Konstam | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2012 | ISBN | 9781849086844 |
| Format | 48 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $17.95 |
Review
Derived from Great War "scout" concepts, British light cruisers protected maritime trade and supported Royal Navy battle fleets during World War II. They performed particularly yeoman service in the Mediterranean and Arctic theaters. And their actions in the hunts for Graf Spee and Bismark cemented their place in history.
Angus Konstam recaps the total tale in Osprey's excellent British Light Cruisers 1939–45. And while he admits that a "book of this size can never be more than a useful summary of the subject", the author penned a positively illuminating introduction in just 48 pages.
After instructive background notes, contents course through British light cruiser development from 1920 to 1945. Coverage then segues to weaponry and fire control technologies. And contents conclude with class-by-class specifications summary. Only operational history details are missing.
Enlightening illustrations, camouflage comments, captions, tables, bibliography, and index augment coverage. Spend an enlightening hour with Konstam's pithy précis. You'll find it an splendid springboard to further study of this terrific topic.
Recommended.
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!