The Evoliition - of Naval Armament. By F. Leslie Robertson. (Constable. 18s.
net.)—Commander Robertson's exposition of " the materialistic side " of naval history is much to be com- mended. It fills a gap which has long been obvious. Indeed, our naval wars cannot properly be understood unless one knows something of the build of the opposing warships and of their armaments. The story of " the little ' Revenge,' " for instance, assumes a new aspect when it is realized that the ' Revenge ' was for her day very much what the Queen Elizabeth' was in 1914. Again, the carronade—officially tolerated but never officially recognized—played a notable part in the wars of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, because it was a light and handy piece for use at short ranges. A converted East Indiaman, the Glatton,' armed with carronades, in 1795 beat off eight French warships with heavy loss. Yet in the war of 1812 on the Great Lakes our ships, armed with carronades, were hopelessly outranged and beaten by the American vessels, which were faster and had long guns. Commander Robertson sketches the evolution of the warship and her guns up to 1880, and has produced a most instructive book. It is well illustrated with prints and diagrams.
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