PublishedPen And Sword, May 2023 |
ISBN9781399018586 |
FormatHardcover, 432 pages |
Dimensions28.9cm × 24.5cm |
This book tells the dramatic story of British coastal forces, both offensive and defensive, in both World Wars and beyond. Norman Friedman uniquely connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought.
In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit. They also built a large number of broadly similar craft for air-sea rescue, and for completeness these are described in an appendix. This book includes an extensive account of how coastal forces supported the biggest European example of seizing a defended shore, the Normandy invasion. Like other books in this series, this one is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously - like the extensive reports of US naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the Royal Navy as early as 1940. Combined with published memoirs, these sources offer a much more complete picture than has previously appeared.
