This design history of post-war British warship development, based on both declassified documentation and personal experience, is the fourth and final volume in the authors’ masterly account of development of Royal Navy’s ships from the 1850s to the Falklands War. In this volume, the author covers the period in which he himself worked as a Naval Constructor. This personal knowledge is augmented by George Moore’s in-depth archival research on recently declassified material. The RN fleet in 1945 was enormous, but it was old and worn out, and Britain faced austerity. This book explores how designers responded to these challenges. It covers all the new construction and innovations, from aircraft carriers, through destroyers and frigates, to submarines (including nuclear and strategic), to minesweepers and small craft. Today, the Royal Navy is still a powerful and potent force with new and a number of innovative classes, both surface and sub-surface, coming on stream. This book offers a fascinating insight into how the post-war fleet developed and adapted to the changing role of the Navy.

DAVID K BROWN had an eminent career as a warship designer with the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, retiring as Deputy Chief Naval Architect. He published widely on technical and historical subjects, and built a reputation as a clear and insightful commentator on warship development. Atlantic Escorts was his last book, published shortly before his death in 2008.