WORLD WAR I - FICTION
"Blooding of the Guns" by
Alexander Fullerton 
This is a fine fictional account of the
Battle of Jutland. Jutland was the one major engagement between the British and
German navies in World War I on 30 May, 1916. The clash involved hundreds of
ships ranging from small destroyers to 30,000 ton battleships. During the battle
the British learned of a major design flaw in their battle cruisers. These ships
were lightly armored for speed but armed with large caliber main guns to match
battleships. Unfortunately, the magazines were not properly protected from the
turrets firing above them and the had a tendency to blowup and disintegrate the
entire ship. Most of this novel takes place during the battle. The author gives
excellent descriptions of the equipment, crews, tactics, and running and
handling of the ships that participated in the action. The battle sequences are
exciting and realistic. The main characters are Hugh Everard, Captain of a Queen
Elizabeth class battleship. He is the mentor of his nephews, David and Nick.
David is older than Nick and an experienced sailor assigned on a battle cruiser.
The inexperienced Nick is newly assigned to a Destroyer. Each of these three men
are severely tested during the battle. This is the first novel in the Everard
saga and well worth the read, but be warned: these novels can be addictive.
Reviewed by Kenneth S. Smith
11/14/2001
Available from:
Soho Press, Inc.
853 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
