55° 
NATURE 
[April 12, 1883 
to notice separately the first half of the series, which is 
complete in itself. No better description of the scope 
and intention of the book can be given than that appearing 
in the Introduction, where it is described as ‘fa compre- 
hensive summary of al] that has hitherto been published, 
whether in England or abroad, concerning the most 
important fighting vessels of modern times.’ It is 
avowedly a compilation rather than an original work, and 
Sir Thomas Brassey has rendered a most valuable service 
to all persons interested in naval affairs by undertaking 
the very laborious task now completed. He states that 
it has extended over twelve years, and it must often have 
seemed as if the end would never be reached in view of 
the rapid progress being made in naval armaments, and 
the large number of publications which have appeared in 
recent years dealing with war-ships, their armour, arma- 
ment, and equipment. To keep abreast of this progress, 
and at the same time to retrace the history of war-fleets 
during the last quarter of a century, must have been a 
most arduous undertaking, and the author of these bulky 
volumes must be congratulated on his industry and per- | 
severance. As the result he has produced an unrivalled 
book of reference, which should be in the hands of all 
naval officers, ship designers, shipowners, and adminis- 
trators of naval affairs. 
It is a singular fact that until this book appeared 
English readers had to turn to foreign publications for 
the best accounts not merely of foreign navies but of the 
British Navy. There was no English rival to the books 
produced by Dislére or Marchal in France ; by Littrow, 
Brommy, or Kronenfels in Germany; by Von Tromp in 
Holland ; and by King or Véry in the United States. 
Scattered notices in the press, meagre Parliamentary 
papers, the scanty facts respecting H.M. ships given in 
the Navy List, and the special information afforded by 
Reports of Commissions or Committees were the best 
sources of supply open not merely to the general reader 
but to most naval officers. Sir Edward Reed, in 1869, 
dealt with the general problems of armoured construction 
in “ Our Ironclad Ships,” but the character of that work 
excluded the detailed descriptions of individual ships 
and the statistics of various fleets which are most needed 
in discussions of the relative powers of maritime countries. 
This want in English literature Sir Thomas Brassey has 
admirably supplied. His book is better than all its 
foreign predecessors, and this may be said without 
offence, seeing that he has been able to draw freely from 
them, frankly acknowledging his indebtedness. Coming 
later into the field, he has also been able to add much 
valuable information not to be found in the earlier books; 
while in style of production, wealth and beauty of illustra- 
tion, and moderate price, the “ British Navy” stands alone. 
It is only proper to mention that Sir Thomas Brassey has 
evidently desired to secure a wide circulation for his book 
among naval officers, irrespective of the cost of produc- 
tion ; and it is to be hoped that his wish will be realised, 
for it is clearly of the utmost importance that those who 
have to fight our ships should be well informed as to the 
characteristics of the ships with which they may be 
engaged. 
Like all compilations this book requires very careful 
reading. The author gives, in every case, the fullest 
detail as to the authority from whom he is quoting; but 
he does not compare or correct various statements on the 
same subject, or attempt to appraise the relative value of 
the opinions of the writers from whom he quotes. This 
is left to the reader. A careless or hasty consultation of 
the book might therefore lead to wrong conclusions, and 
a word of warning on this point may not be out of place. 
For instance, one may find in close succession statements 
by Admiralty officials, or private shipbuilders who have 
designed and constructed foreign vessels, or officers of 
foreign governments—all of which are to be reckoned 
authoritative—and statements by anonymous or unofficial 
writers in various publications—some of which, at least, 
are of doubtful authority. The reader should turn, there- 
fore, in all cases to the admirable “ List of Authorities” in 
order to make sure whose opinions he is studying before 
adopting them. 
Sir Thomas Brassey undoubtedly did wisely in not 
attempting to reconcile or correct the various statements 
which he has summarised. Had he done so before 
accepting office at the Admiralty, the task would have 
been beyond his power of accomplishment even for the 
Royal Navy, since it could only be performed by the 
freest use of official records; and for foreign navies the 
difficulties would have been obviously greater. As a 
matter of fact, before the publication of the book took 
place the author had accepted office as Civil Lord at the 
Admiralty, and thus had an additional reason for avoiding 
the difficult task. He is careful to explain that the publi- 
cation is in no sense an official one, the work having been 
far advanced before he went to the Admiralty, and having 
been completed on the lines previously laid down. 
This is only one of the many incidental illustrations of 
the magnitude of the work done, and the difficulty of 
bringing such a book uptodate. For instance, in the 
second volume, issued in 1882, the author has to explain 
that the figures given for the naval strengths of various 
countries date from 1879. Again, the descriptions of 
progress and experiments in armour and guns, full as they 
are, necessarily leave unnoticed many important events 
of recent occurrence which must affect future war-ship 
construction. Even if a new edition could be produced 
speedily, and quite up to date, it too would soon need 
additions. 
The author has had many reminders of the fact that 
although his book is announced as “unofficial,” it may 
be used as an aid to criticism of the action of the Board 
of Admiralty, of which he isa member. Admiral of the 
Fleet Sir Thomas Symonds, and other advocates of a 
more energetic policy in naval affairs, have found many 
arguments in support of their views in these volumes. 
Into this controversy we have no intention to enter, but it 
may be observed that Sir Thomas Brassey, who must be 
as familiar with the facts as most persons, remarks that, 
“On a general and dispassionate review of our position, 
we are led to the conclusion that the naval power of 
England, in all the vital elements of strength, is greater 
now than in any former age.” This may be true, but Sir 
Thomas Brassey would also be the first to admit that 
continued and strenuous efforts are required in order that 
this position may be maintained. 
The first volume is chiefly devoted to armoured ships; 
a brief description of unarmoured ships being appended. 
Elaborate tables of the dimensions, speeds, cost, thick- 
