Fighting Ships and Seamen: Life Aboard in World War I and World War II

By Donald Macintyre

From Jutland to Leyte Gulf, the First and Second World Wars were shaped by monumental naval battles.

Donald Macintyre charts the experiences of sailors and their ships in these conflicts. It should be the perfect book for fans of Richard Hough, Craig L. Symonds and Ian Toll.

During the age of sail, Nelson's signal before battle was always 'Engage the enemy more closely.' Although Macintyre's work focuses on the age of steam, he reveals how this sentiment endured throughout the twentieth century.

Macintyre, a veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War, thrusts the reader into the heart of brutal naval engagements highlighting not only the deeds of his fellow Englishmen but also the heroism of American, Australian German, and Italian seamen.

Alongside epic confrontations, Macintyre explores innovative strategies such as Q-ships and the convoy system, as well as amphibious assaults at Gallipoli, St. Nazaire, and Walcheren. He also examines the crucial roles of submarines and midget submarines. Of particular interest is his account of how the Allies fought back against famous German ships such as L tzow, Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau.

Fighting Ships and Seamen is an essential one-volume account of naval warfare across the two world wars.

'This is stirring stuff, the sort of book that cannot fail to thrill and excite.' - Navy

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FV26QPT4
• ISBN13: 9798280284685
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"