American Battleships, 1886–1923. Predreadnought Design and Construction

Here for the first time is a comprehensive analysis of American predreadnought battleships. These first-generation capital ships were completed for the United States Navy during the 1890s and early 1900s, the formative years of what was to be one of the most powerful navies of the twentieth century. Because the battleship was once considered the principal ship of any major navy, an accurate appraisal of these ships is essential to an understanding of the military power of the United States during this period and of their effect on the conduct of America's foreign policy.

This book provides more than just an informative introduction to an historic line of great ships in that it includes specific detail on physical and tactical characteristics such as dimensions, speed, endurance, armament, and protection for each of the twenty-seven ships in the ten classes of predreadnought construction. The text includes a thorough account of how these ships were funded, designed, built, and modified during their years of service. The authors have extensively researched the files of the original Bureau of Construction and Repair not only for their wealth of technical data, but also for the many rare photographs and drawings that so amply supplement the text. Many of these remarkable illustrations have never before been published.

Following a brief introduction that broadly defines the historical context in which the predreadnought warship was developed, he book begins with an analysis of the first American battleships, the Maine and the Texas. What follows provides complete data on those great ships that bridged the gap between the ironclads of the nineteenth century and the massive dreadnoughts of the twentieth. While much has been written about the activity of these ships, which included the voyage of the "Great White Fleet" from 1907 to 1909, little attention has been focused on the ships themselves. John Reily and Robert Scheina have provided naval historians and warship enthusiasts with a reliable guide to the design of these ships. American Battleships 1886-1923 will long be regarded as the primary source for data on a critical period in the history of warship construction and development.