From Dreadnought to Daring: 100 Years of Comment, Controversy and Debate in the Naval Review

Dreadnought to Daring is an absorbing and highly readable summary of a century of naval thinking which has been written by some of the leading lights in contemporary naval history. Founded in 1912 by some of the Royal Navy’s brightest officers, the quarterly Naval Review has never been subject to official censorship, and its naval members do not need official permission to write for it, so it has always provided an independent, lively and at times outspoken forum for service debate. In broad terms it has covered contemporary operations, principles of naval warfare, history, and anecdotes which record the lighter side of naval life, but sometimes with a bite to them. A correspondence section provides an important barometer of service opinion, while extensive book reviews, written by those with real knowledge of the subject, carry considerable weight. For these reasons the Naval Review is widely regarded as a journal of record. In return for its freedom, circulation is restricted to members and membership to serving or retired officers. However, this volume will give the interested public an insight into its activities, past and present. Intended both to celebrate and to analyse the impact of the journal over its 100-year history, it comprises a series of specially commissioned articles, divided chronologically and thematically, devoted to subjects that have been of importance to the naval community as reflected in the pages of the journal. It concludes with an assessment of how well the Naval Review has succeeded in its founders’ aim and what influence it has had on policy.