On the whole I would have to say that this is the best study that I have ever read about the Imperial German Navy. That out of the way I did approach this book with a bit of doubt in that I wasn't sure how much I really wanted to know about Alfred von Tirpitz. However, it turns out that the admiral is a very interesting character in his own right and justly regarded as a key player in this period. The essential question for the author is just what were the admiral's intentions, with his conclusion being that Tirpitz was the quintessential bureaucratic politician and, once he succeeded in orchestrating the legislative edifice that created a navy worthy of Germany, Tirpitz then fought tooth and nail against all dissenting voices to keep the great machine turning. That this became a self-serving exercise which ultimately undermined the security of Imperial Germany never became clear to Tirpitz; or at least he worked very hard at remaining in a state of denial. Many readers may find that they are learning more about the parliamentary politics of the Second Reich than they ever wanted to know but this understanding is key to appreciating how great an accomplishment this was by Tirpitz, even if the pursuit of German naval power was a poisoned chalice. ( )

I chose to read this book not through an interest in the life and times of Admiral von Tirpitz, but through an interest in the evolution of the Imerial German Navy pre-WWI. However, after completing the book, I genuinely enjoyed both aspects of the book!

Admiral von Tirpitz developed into a very interesting and powerful character in Wilhelm II's Germany in the pre-war days. He became involved in all facets of the navy: planning, policy, tactics, strategy and most of all controlling the money. This allowed him to grow the Imperial fleet. Von Tirpitz's greatest strengths proved to be his ability to work with the Reichstag (i.e. get funding) and to somewhat contol the Kaiser (as much as anyone could control Wilhelm II).

There is a great deal of information available regarding the Naval race between Britain and Germany leading up to the war. However, this is the best source of information on that subject I have come across. Von Tirpitz was the driving force behind the growth of Germany's fleet, and the fleet was the source of the power von Tirpitz attained in the same period. They are like the two sides of the same coin.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWI, naval matters, Imperial Germany, and so on........A solid 5 Stars from me. ( )