“A wonderfully illustrated biography” of one of history’s greatest warships whose sinking “signaled the end of the surety that Britannia ruled the waves” (War History Online). Unmatched for beauty, unequalled for size, for twenty years the HMS Hood was the glory ship of the Royal Navy, flying the flag across the world in the twilight years of the British Empire. Here, in words, photos and color illustrations, is the story of her life, her work and her people from keel-laying on the Clyde in 1916 to destruction at the hands of the Bismarck in 1941. Among the eyecatching strengths of the book is a unique gallery of photos, including stills from a recently discovered piece of color footage of the ship, plus a spectacular set of computer-generated images of both the exterior and interior by the world’s leading exponent of the art—a man who worked with the film director James Cameron (of Titanic fame). A wealth of new information on Hood’s structure and operation make it essential reading for the enthusiast, modeler and historian alike. Hugely successful from its first publication, this is the third printing of the ultimate book on the ultimate ship of the pre-war era. “The most comprehensive study of a modern warship ever undertaken.”—Warship World

An account of the WWII sea battle by the author of The Cay: “The story of the Bismarck is one of exciting high adventure, and [Taylor] captures it nicely.” —The New York Times From the award-winning author, this is a compelling history of the sinking of British battlecruiser H.M.S. Hood in the cold waters of the North Atlantic in 1941. It was a great loss to the Royal Navy and resulted in the deaths of more than fourteen hundred sailors. Soon the Allies were in hot pursuit of the Bismarck, the German fleet’s biggest and most fearsome ship. The Nazi battleship would meet its end just days after it sank the Hood—and this book tells the riveting story of this deadly confrontation at sea.

The story of the HMS Hood, the last great warship of the British Royal Navy, told by the bestselling author of Hannibal. When it was launched in 1918, the HMS Hood was the flagship of the Royal Navy. As a battle cruiser, “The Mighty Hood” was fast enough to evade enemy cruiser ships and powerful enough to destroy them. But for all the Hood’s might, it had one fatal flaw: armor had been sacrificed for speed. In 1941, the Hood confronted the legendary German warship Bismarck. A salvo from the enemy penetrated the Hood’s ammunition magazine, destroying the British ship and killing all but three of its crew. The brutal defeat marked the end of the Royal Navy’s dominance. But it also inspired Winston Churchill’s vow to sink the Bismarck—a vow that in time was fulfilled. Through oral history and documentary research, Ernle Bradford chronicles the Hood’s career from design to demise, with colorful insight into life aboard the ship as well as its broader historical significance.

For over twenty years the battlecruiser HMS 'Hood' toured the world as the most iconic warship in the Royal Navy. Unmatched in her beauty and charisma, 'Hood' is one of history's greatest warships. During the twilight years of the British Empire the 'Hood 'toured the world showing the flag as a symbol of British power. As the Royal Navy's show-ship, 'Hood' came to command a special place in the hearts and minds of the British public. Such was the regard for HMS 'Hood' that her destruction in the Denmark Strait on the morning of 24 May 1941 by the German battleship 'Bismarck' created dismay across the world. Within minutes of entering battle 'the Mighty Hood' as she was affectionately known, was destroyed by a catastrophic explosion which had echoes of Jutland a quarter of a century earlier. Out of a crew of a crew of 1,418, only 3 survived. The sinking of HMS 'Hood' was the single largest disaster ever sustained by the Royal Navy. This book charts the life and death of this legendary battlecruiser in both peace and war from her early origins, through the interwar years, to her destruction.

The battlecruiser HMS Hood is one of the great warships of history. Unmatched for beauty, unequalled for size, for twenty years the Hood was the glory ship of the Royal Navy, flying the flag across the world in the twilight years of the British Empire. Here, in words, photos and colour illustrations, is the story of her life, her work and her people from keel-laying on the Clyde in 1916 to destruction at the hands of the Bismarck in 1941. Among the eyecatching strengths of the book is a unique gallery of photos, including stills from a recently discovered piece of colour footage of the ship, plus a spectacular set of computer-generated images of both the exterior and interior by the world's leading exponent of the art - a man who worked with the film director James Cameron (of Titanic fame). A wealth of new information on Hood's structure and operation make it essential reading for the enthusiast, modeller and historian alike. Hugely successful from its first publication, this is the third printing of the ultimate book on the ultimate ship of the pre-war era.

The destruction of the HMS Hood by the Bismarck in 1941 was one of the most shocking episodes in the history of the Royal Navy. Built during World War I, the Hood was the largest, fastest and one of the most handsome capital ships in the world. For the first time, this volume in the renowned Anatomy of a Ship series is available in paperback, and features a detailed description of every aspect of the beloved battlecruiser. In addition to analysing the genesis of its design and contemporary significance, this exceptional study provides the finest documentation of the Hood, with a complete set of superb line drawings, supported by technical details and a record of the ship's service history.

Dawn, 24 May 1941, two groups of ships, one British, one German meet in the Denmark Strait. Here two giants of maritime history 'HMS Hood' and the 'Bismarck' meet. Within minutes of the battle beginning 'HMS Hood' blows up with a catastrophic loss of life. Out of a crew of 1,418 only three survive. Coupled with this, the Royal Navy's newest battleship is outfought. While this is a cause of celebration for the Germans, 'Bismarck' has been wounded curtailing her Atlantic raiding sortie. Despite the wealth of documentary information and photographic evidence available on the battle, there continues to be controversy as to how the conflict was actually fought. This book analyses the events of 24 May 1941 to both shed new light and provide clarifications on how the battle was fought, the damage that different ships sustained, and how it was that the pride of the Royal Navy was destroyed in such a catastrophic manner.