Being there . . . to consider three new Osprey Publishing Christmas gifts for our US naval history
buffs, offerings in its two unique series, “DUEL: Engage the Enemy” and “New Vanguard”, that
that might interest general World War II buffs and serious collectors, or anyone else with the
slightest smidgen of interest in America’s wars in the Atlantic seas. Who among them wouldn’t
be delighted to receive, “US NAVY PROTECTED CRUISERS 1883 – 1918”, “ALLIED WARSHIPS vs
THE ATLANTIC WALL – Normandy, 1944”, and “SUPER-BATTLESHIPS OF WORLD WAR II”?
Ranging from 48 to 80 pages, each of the three is crammed with mounds of incredible
information, carefully selected facts, including the bits of minuities surrounding each fact. It
was Osprey that pioneered an incredible new concept in publishing, “. . . . not fewer facts, but
the more the informative details, the better”. Here in America, the late 19 th and all the 20 th
century, researchers and their writers were taught the “successful narrative concept”, “Write
simply is to enthrall the reader to trigger his or her imagination even more”. Indeed, but now
many of us argue, “Yielded to your instinct to teach so the reader learns more. Write
informationally, stuff the pages with every aspect of, say, a historic ship to being introduced,
i.e., its early design, development, operation, and history of machinery during warfare. In short,
appetite will grow upon what it feeds, enriching the mind and pages of a gourmand-author.
Assisting the impulse to include active, important information should be full color artwork,
photos and active illustrations, cutaway drawings, and unrivaled, mostly new, details, all for $19
or $20 per book, depending upon number of pages, crystal-clear photos, and color illustrations.
Of course, what the subject is about is what matters. Then, knowing, trusting and believing
in the author who writes it is critical. Like the publishers and editors of America’s three other
best military presses, CASEMATE, SCHIFFER, and McFARLAND, only the most experienced
historians and researchers are chased and corralled for contract signings, ensuring the
companies have exhausted their fiduciary capacities to present us the best in book publishing
for the shelves in our homes. In short, friend reader, they and “wanna-be” reviewers, like me,
laboriously observe our duties, discharges, and obligations of selecting, introducing, and
recommending only the best. Below, the three highly appraised are a mere sampling of what
Osprey, and the other three publishing companies in each of their own way styles, proudly
place before you, not only for your own winter reading, but unexpected Christmas or New Year
gifts.
FROM THE WARMTH OF YOUR PRIVACY PLUNGE INTO THE NEAR-FREEZING WATERS OF THE
NORTH ATLANTIC TO IMMERSE YOURSELF AND WATCH, THEN FIGHT IN THE GUN TURRETS OF
AMERICA’S CRUISERS AND BATTLESHIPS DURING HER HISTORIC NAVAL WARS
Reviewed and Highly Recommended by Don DeNevi as A Three in One Christmas or Jan 1 Gift
“US NAVY PROTECTED CRUISERS 1883 – 1918”, by Brian Lane Herder, Illustrated by Paul Wright.
OSPREY PUBLISHING/Bloomsbury Publishing: 2023, New Vanguard Series #320, 48 pages, 7 ¼” x
9 ¾”, softcover, $20. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
“ALLIED WARSHIPS vs THE ATLANTIC WALL – – Normandy 1944”, by Steven J. Zaloga. OSPREY
PUBLISHING/Bloomsbury Publishing: 2023, Osprey DUEL Engage the Enemy Series, 80 pages, 7
¼” x 9 ¾”, softcover, $23. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
“SUPER – BATTLESHIPS OF WORLD WAR II – – Montana-class, Lion-class, H-class, A – 150 and
Sovetsky Soyuz – class”, by Mark Stille/Illustrated by Paul Wright. OSPREY
PUBLISHING/Bloomsbury Publishing: 2023, New Vanguard Series #314, 48 pages, 7 ¼” x 9 ¾”,
softcover, $19. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
Now, dear reader, tell me what cold salt-water navy buff, especially, one who loves the flash
of bright light instantly followed by the horrendous roar of a blazing behemoth (Hippopotamus-
size) canon, isn’t going to shine when opening this Christmas-wrapped ½” thick package,
thinking. “Only one measly book? What’s up with that?”, then finding THREE! And you getting
away with paying less than $65 for the splendid surprise! Then, wait until he opens each
beautifully designed cover and discovers pictured six additional themed texts, i.e., New
Vanguard Series, “German Battleships 1939 – 45”, “Imperial Japanese Navy Battleships 1941 –
45”, “British Battleships 1939 – 45 (Vol. 2)”, “Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers”, “US Fast
Battleships 1938 – 91”, and “US Fast Battleships 1936 – 47”. Inside the back cover are six covers
dealing with WW II big-gun battleships at work firing away. In short, go on-line and peruse, just
what the geniuses at OSPREY want – – sales, naturally, but the empty space on your shelf will
smile. It, too, knows that once you open the pages you won’t be able to table or shelf the
mesmerizing read.
