Dr. Norman Friedman’s name comes to the forefront when discussing the technical history of warship design, guns and engineering. He has authored many books and an eight-volume series of all major U.S. warship types. I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Friedman while at the Pentagon and briefly discussed one of his previous books with him. His 2008 work is an examination of the relationship between, and evolution of, guns, armor and fire control on a battleship. How these three systems worked separately and together determined the outcome of battles in the era of the dreadnought (battleship).

Readers will learn how the British Navy – with hundreds of warships – discussed, debated and tried to amass fire on a target from multiple ships. This article was easy to write, but imagine trying to get a shell on or close to target on a rolling deck that is moving several knots. For years, the British stuck with firing initial salvos and then adjusting fire. The United States, unlike Britain, dreamed of getting shells on target the first time and developed a myriad of rangefinders and primitive computers to address this complex task. Rangefinders appeared on the masts of American warships on the eve of World War I. American engineers also debated means of keeping range. A whole chapter is devoted to range-keeping.

The book explains complex physics in layman’s terms, and is a delight for those interested in naval gunnery. Some technology, like the Argo Mk IV Clock, was developed for export to other navies. The chapter on tactics puts all the technology and experience together into case studies that range from pre-World War I battles (like the 1905 Russo-Japanese War) to those of World War II.

Surprises in Mr. Friedman’s book include the influence of American engineering and shipbuilding on British warships repaired in America’s great naval shipyards, such as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, during World War II. American battleship power culminated with the construction of the Iowa class, with USS Iowa (BB 61) first commissioned in 1943. Iowa and her sisters (USS New Jersey (BB 62), USS Missouri (BB-63), and USS Wisconsin (BB-64)) would serve until ultimately stricken from the Naval Register in 2006.

Friedman does not neglect other technologies used to increase the efficiency of naval guns, like aviation. The book ends with brief chapters on the history of battleship guns and engineering for the United States, Britain, Japan, Italy, France and Russia. The book is a recommended read for those with a passion for naval history and technology.

Editor’s Note: Aboul-Enein maintain a regular book column in three military base papers, the Naval Great Lakes Bulletin, the Naval District Washington Waterline, and the Bolling Air Force Base Aviator. He wishes to thank his colleague Lt. Andrew Bertrand for his edits and comments that enhanced this book column.