HMS Hood Pride of the Royal Navy

By Andrew Norman
Stackpole Books
ISBN 081170789x

This book can best be described by one word – dreadful. It attempts to provide an account of the life of HMS Hood, one of the most famous ships to ever serve in the Royal Navy. The errors are almost beyond belief; some examples are:
· Author doesn’t know the difference between a Russia Convoy and surface action group including HMS Hood and Prince of Wales hunting for Bismarck claiming the latter was PQ convoy of the Russia series. · No idea of what an Admiral of the Fleet was.
· Refers to the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1923 – a force not founded until 1942. · Lists HMS Repulse as a battleship instead of battlecruiser.
· Claims HMS Hood was fitted with 5.9 inch guns instead of the correct 5.5 inch.
· Photo on page 69 doesn’t resemble Scapa Flow in the least. · Lists Bismarck as “pocket” battleship displaying ignorance on this.  This book is an absolute horrid waste of paper.