Being there . . . . for three good reasons: (1) to delve into the hundreds of rare, hitherto
unpublished, photographs of the German High Seas Fleet before and after the monumental
North Atlantic Battle of Jutland in World War I; (2) to smile while nodding approval of author
Jeffrey Judge’s openly heartfelt thankfulness to Pete Schiffer for promising he would publish
whatever Jeffery wrote, and the editors and staff, each a visionary book designer of illustrated
books, for making it all happen; and (3) to join reviewer DeNevi in an national call for a much
needed 9” x 12”, 500 glossy page hardcover history dealing with the dream, then the actual
founding, followed by the 25 year growth and development, warts and all, of the Schiffer
Publishing Company that has brought so much joy and knowledge of America’s wars and their
military to millions of readers across the globe. . . .
“THE IMPERIAL GERMAN NAVY OF WORLD WAR I – – A Comprehensive Photographic Study of
the Kaiser’s Naval Forces, Volume 1: Warships”, by Jeffrey Judge, Graphic Artwork by Jamie L.
Scherer. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.: 2016, 312 pages, hc: $69.99. See: Info@schifferbooks.com,
www.schifferbooks.com, phone (610) 593-1777.
Reviewed and Highly Recommended by Don DeNevi
On one of the Schiffer browsing rooms’ shelves for visitors is “THE IMPERIAL GERMAN NAVY OF
WORLD WAR I”, an ordinary example of the company’s thousands of meticulously researched,
thoughtfully planned, expertly designed, costly- to-publish books due to quality binding and
special high-priced glossed paper for exceptional print and reproduction of fading black and
white photographs. In short, the 35 lb. book is one of the handsomest of the handsome books
all collectors cherish for their personal libraries. If Jeffery Judge’s meticulous research and
narrative were beyond reproach, nay, incomparable and acknowledged as such by world-wide
experts on the subject, Pete, as usual, would choose to ignore questions of cost for the sake of
commensurable quality. Hence, yet another masterwork would be published the entire
company could be proud of it.
Thus, Jeffrey is justified when he resolutely, unabashedly, writes on page 7 in his “Imperial
German Navy Of World War I” Acknowledgments, “I would like to express my sincerest
gratitude to Pete Schiffer for granting me this wonderful opportunity to write my books about
which I have such a strong interest in. I would also like to thank my editors, Bob Biondi and Ian
Robertson, for always being available to provide me with such sound advice throughout these
endeavors.”
Hence, the birth of the fabulous, “The Imperial German Navy of World War I”, one of a series of
books in the Warships, Campaigns & Uniforms catalog section that provides a broad view of the
Kaiser’s naval forces through the extensive use of photos. Every effort has been made to cover
all significant areas during the war period. In addition to the primary use of the rare
photographs, technical. Information is provided for each German warship along with its
corresponding service history with special emphasis on those warships that participated in the
Battle of Skagerrak (Jutland). Countless sources have been used to establish individual case
studies for each warship. In fact, multiple photos of each warship are provided. The entire
series itself is unprecedented in its coverage of the Kaiser’s navy. Such concern for
thoroughness over profit entitles this reviewer to use without reservation or qualification the
phrase “Pure genius on EVERYONE’s part in Schiffer book development”. As for Pete, author
Jeffrey Judge has publicly and humbly, and so justifiably, extended his hand.
As for this reviewer, I recommend, nay demand, Pete add one more Judge title to his vast
collection, “The Story of the Greatest Gift to World Military Literature – – the Schiffer Publishing
Company.”
And, readers of war, specifically naval engagements, if you are unfamiliar with the Battle of
Jutland, suffice to say Jeffrey details it intrinsically and minutely. It was the first and last time in
WWI that the British and German Grand Fleets of battleship actually came to blows. More than
250 ships and over 100,000 seamen were involved. In two days of fighting, May 31 – June 1,
1916, the British lost 14 ships and over 6,000 men, but were ready for action the following day.
It pitted 151 British warships against 99 German ships, most of which are reported in Jeffrey’s
classic. The Germans who lost 11 ships and over 2,500 men avoided complete destruction by
skedaddling, never again seriously challenging control of the North Atlantic. This fact remained
stuck in Hitler’s throat until a blast from his Mauser on April 31, 1945.
