The bold passage of three Nazi battle-cruisers through the English Channel in broad daylight in 1942. The improbable escape of Axis troops from Sicily in 1943. Hitler's most powerful battleship disabled by a a British midget submarine that had penetrated one of Norway's remotest fjords. The rise of the United States Navy to maritime supremacy during World War II. Through accounts of these and other scrupulously researched events, prize-winning author Michael Coles makes a compelling case for the crucial importance of naval power in modern warfare. ----------------------------------------------------- "An interesting collection of masterly essays dealing with carefully selected twentieth century naval episodes. Dispassionate, objective and very fair, the essays have been well written and are easily read." -- H. P. Willmott, widely published military historian, author, and former Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst