By Shawn Cafferky
March 2012
ISBN: 978-1-896440-68-2
$25.00 CDN (plus S&H)
After learning the author was deceased, I was at first tempted to give this book a sympathetic review. However, after due consideration, I decided it would do our readers a disservice.
The book contains a number of errors, which leaves the other work suspect. Some examples (which should have been caught in proof reading and/or editing):
- Vice Admiral PW Nelles referred to as Admiral
- HMCS Prestonian said to be a Loch Class frigate
- HMS Surprise listed as cruiser instead of the CinC Yacht for the Mediterranean Fleet
- Stated ASROC could not be fitted on a destroyer hull when the US Navy fitted over 150 ships and Canada four
- The McDonnel Banshee was never operated from HMCS Magnificent
- HMCS Crusader was listed as one of the first eight ships to be converted to DDH status - but why this was not done is never revealed.
In addition, the quality of the photos is very poor. Drawings of various proposals would certainly be of use.
For these reasons, we reluctantly cannot recommend this book.
Are there any redeeming qualities to this book? To be sure some of these errors are grave but some fairly minor. I see the that there is now in its 2nd edition... where any of the errors and omissions you cite fixed in the 2nd edition or was your review based on the latter editor. bdcotter@rogers.com
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