'Weighing in at seven pounds and 760 pages, it is an extraordinarily thorough piece of work. ... There is a remarkable collection of more than 600 photographs, some of which are rare or unique. ... Its comprehensiveness is illustrated by the coverage, for example, of all possible types of landing craft, the monitor Marshal Soult, four captured submarines (including Graph), hundreds of requisitioned trawlers, whalers, drifters and armed yachts, examination service vessels and even down to humble MFVs. ... Other interests prompted a comparison with extant eyewitness accounts concerning the 'fates' of the Ocean Boarding Vessel Malvernian, the American-built diesel-electric escort Gould, landing craft No. 185, and whether Jackal sank as a result of bombing or had to be torpedoed by the Jervis on 12 May, 1942. All these check out; indeed, in view of the depth of research that has evidently been applied here, it is a little presumptuous to imagine that they would not. In short, this is a unique and handsomely produced research tool which will also yield many happy hours of browsing to the enthusiast.'
'This huge work is a treasure-trove of information and totally fascinating to anyone interested in warships ... He has been writing about ships since the early 1950s and this is his 43rd book, the result of a lifetime's experience and work. It is unique and the definitive work on the subject ... this is a book in which to become totally engrossed to the exclusion of household chores or catching up with your correspondence. If you do not buy it, make sure your library does.'
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