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axe99 's review for:
Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941
by Mark R. Peattie, David C. Evans
A detailed, very well-written and thorough examination of strategy, tactics and technology in the Japanese Navy between 1887 and 1941, also including discussions of the years prior to, and the two years immediately following, this period.
While well researched and often exhibiting considerable depth in its discussion, it’s also particularly strong as it is suitably presented to be accessible to people with relatively little knowledge of naval tactics, technology, history or warship design. The scope of the book is also exceptional, touching on auxiliary warships, naval intelligence, logistics, personnel and the rivalry with the Imperial Japanese Army, as well as the strategy, tactics and technology.
It’s not perfect, however, and there are some issues when the authors stray aware from their key areas of expertise. When discussing issues relating to the RN, the authors (in company with many US naval historians that focus more on the Pacific War) more-often-than-I’d expect stray into commonly but incorrectly held myths. The discussion on warship design is generally sound, but at times not as informed as it could be, occasionally making statements that stretch the truth, and on at least one occasion getting things outright incorrect (there were good reasons for the Japanese Navy to procede with a mixed main battery for Kawachi and Settsu despite their awareness of the complications of different length 12 inch guns in the main battery – see the article on the class in Warship 2017). While generally sound, the sections on warship design and development are the weakest in the book (particularly the comparisons between Japanese designs and those in other navies).
These are relatively small issues though, as the book is neither intended as a design history, nor a work on the RN. The characteristics of the Japanese warships are accurately relayed, with appropriate focus on their key features, and how these related to Japanese strategy and doctrine. The developments of strategy (often driven by political rivalries and nationalism) are well explained (and the hostile point of view of the Japanese militarists towards both the treaty limitations and submarines used for commerce reading are placed in their context here, whereas they’re frequently misrepresented in other books), and the information on tactics (and the factors driving it) is insightful. The author’s use of a range of Japanese sources is particularly helpful.
There are also more than a few issues of editing when it comes to fact, either in the main text or the appendix of biographies at the back, with numerous inconsistencies of rank and year between the two. While these don’t take away from the core argument of the work, it is disappointing. The editing of things I was familiar with was sound, however, and the grammatical editing excellent.
It is a well illustrated work given that its not the focus, with portrait photographs of key personalities, maps of key areas, track charts of key battles and diagrams of tactical plans and formations. Further, the quality of writing and the structure of the information is excellent, with the writing both at the sentence, paragraph and sub-chapter level guiding the reader through and forming a cohesive discussion. Sections within each chapter are helpfully broken up into sub-headings (although, sadly, these sub-headings are not listed in the table of contents). There’s also an appendix with brief biographies of key people in the Japanese Navy in the period covered by the book, extensive (and informative) notes, an extensive bibliography and a 28-page index, which is to be commended.
All-in-all, it’s an excellent piece of work, and read for an understanding of Japanese strategic, tactical and technological developments as a whole between 1887-1941, and the people behind them, as well as the consequences of those developments, it’s best-in-class. Pretty much required reading for anyone looking to understand the Imperial Japanese Navy of the period, or the first half of the naval conflict in the Pacific during World War II. However, the biographical editing errors and lack of attention to detail in some points mean that its best read for its broad scope, and should not be taken as authoritative when it comes to technical or biographical data (indeed, it is not internally consistent with its biographical information!). I still rate it 4.5 stars, rounding up to five, because it’s a work of broad strategic argument rather than detailed fact.
While well researched and often exhibiting considerable depth in its discussion, it’s also particularly strong as it is suitably presented to be accessible to people with relatively little knowledge of naval tactics, technology, history or warship design. The scope of the book is also exceptional, touching on auxiliary warships, naval intelligence, logistics, personnel and the rivalry with the Imperial Japanese Army, as well as the strategy, tactics and technology.
It’s not perfect, however, and there are some issues when the authors stray aware from their key areas of expertise. When discussing issues relating to the RN, the authors (in company with many US naval historians that focus more on the Pacific War) more-often-than-I’d expect stray into commonly but incorrectly held myths. The discussion on warship design is generally sound, but at times not as informed as it could be, occasionally making statements that stretch the truth, and on at least one occasion getting things outright incorrect (there were good reasons for the Japanese Navy to procede with a mixed main battery for Kawachi and Settsu despite their awareness of the complications of different length 12 inch guns in the main battery – see the article on the class in Warship 2017). While generally sound, the sections on warship design and development are the weakest in the book (particularly the comparisons between Japanese designs and those in other navies).
These are relatively small issues though, as the book is neither intended as a design history, nor a work on the RN. The characteristics of the Japanese warships are accurately relayed, with appropriate focus on their key features, and how these related to Japanese strategy and doctrine. The developments of strategy (often driven by political rivalries and nationalism) are well explained (and the hostile point of view of the Japanese militarists towards both the treaty limitations and submarines used for commerce reading are placed in their context here, whereas they’re frequently misrepresented in other books), and the information on tactics (and the factors driving it) is insightful. The author’s use of a range of Japanese sources is particularly helpful.
There are also more than a few issues of editing when it comes to fact, either in the main text or the appendix of biographies at the back, with numerous inconsistencies of rank and year between the two. While these don’t take away from the core argument of the work, it is disappointing. The editing of things I was familiar with was sound, however, and the grammatical editing excellent.
It is a well illustrated work given that its not the focus, with portrait photographs of key personalities, maps of key areas, track charts of key battles and diagrams of tactical plans and formations. Further, the quality of writing and the structure of the information is excellent, with the writing both at the sentence, paragraph and sub-chapter level guiding the reader through and forming a cohesive discussion. Sections within each chapter are helpfully broken up into sub-headings (although, sadly, these sub-headings are not listed in the table of contents). There’s also an appendix with brief biographies of key people in the Japanese Navy in the period covered by the book, extensive (and informative) notes, an extensive bibliography and a 28-page index, which is to be commended.
All-in-all, it’s an excellent piece of work, and read for an understanding of Japanese strategic, tactical and technological developments as a whole between 1887-1941, and the people behind them, as well as the consequences of those developments, it’s best-in-class. Pretty much required reading for anyone looking to understand the Imperial Japanese Navy of the period, or the first half of the naval conflict in the Pacific during World War II. However, the biographical editing errors and lack of attention to detail in some points mean that its best read for its broad scope, and should not be taken as authoritative when it comes to technical or biographical data (indeed, it is not internally consistent with its biographical information!). I still rate it 4.5 stars, rounding up to five, because it’s a work of broad strategic argument rather than detailed fact.