From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, Volume I: The Road to War, 1904-1914

Arthur Marder’s critically acclaimed five volume series, From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, represents one of the finest contributions to the literature of naval history since the work of Alfred Mahan. These new editions of the series are published with a new introduction by Barry Gough, distinguished Canadian maritime and naval historian, that provide an assessment of the importance of Marder’s work and anchors it firmly amongst the great naval narrative histories of this era.

“His naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivalled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative . . . He is beyond praise.” ― A J P Taylor, noted British historian, author of The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848–1918 and The Origins of the Second World War

The first volume in this series covers many facets of the history of the Royal Navy during the pre-war decade, including the economic and political background such as the 1906 Liberal Government hostility towards naval spending, the German naval challenge, the arms race and the subsequent Anglo German rivalry, and, finally, the British plans for the blockade of the German High Seas Fleet.