This is not a class by class technical history, but rather a study of how strategical, technical and economical forces shaped battleship development from the earliest ironclads to WWII. If you want to know why battleships were built an how fleets grew, this is definitely the book for you. Peter Padfield has a clear understanding of all the factors involved, both technical and political. Highly recommended.

If the book has one weakness, it is that it focuses mainly on the Royal Navy. As the Royal Navy was by far the most influential navy of the period, this is understandable, but other navies only tend to come into view if and when they influence the Royal Navy. ( )