The five volumes that constitute Arthur Marder''s From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow represented arguably the finest contribution to the literature of naval history since Alfred Mahan. A J P Taylor wrote that ''his naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivalled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative . . . He is beyond praise, as he is beyond cavil.'' The five volumes were subtitled The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904-1919 and they are still, despite recent major contributions from Robert Massie and Andrew Gordan, regarded by many as the definitive history of naval events leading up to and including the Great War. The fourth volume covers the period from Jellicoe''s arrival at the Admiralty to deal with the U-boat menace until his dismissal a year later. Mounting losses brought about the introduction of the convoy system and the turn of the tide in anti-submarine warfare. The volume also looks at the beginnings of naval aviation. A new introduction by Barry Gough, the distinguished Canadian maritime and naval historian, assesses the importance of Marder''s work and anchors it firmly amongst the great naval narrative histories of this era. This new paperback edition will bring a truly great work to a new generation of historians and general readers.
