Here is the definitive English-language overview of Russian and Soviet battleships, from the ironclad Petr Velikii of 1869 to Stalin"s final projects. Meticulously researched, this work describes and illustrates the design history, technical detail, characteristics, and service history of the forty sea-going battleships that served in the Russian and Soviet navies. It is the first book about Russian battleships to be drawn from Russian-language materials, including books and articles published since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some one hundred drawings of ships and design studies, many specially commissioned for this book, are showcased, as well as one hundred photographs, many of them never before published in the west. The author analyzes all aspects of battleship design, from the policy decisions behind their construction to details of fire control and gunnery, and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses compared with their foreign contemporaries. In addition, numerous projected battleships and conjectural studies are outlined. In analyzing the active and often tragic careers of these ships, Stephen McLaughlin reassesses many of the myths and misconceptions that have grown up around Russian ships and the Russian navy. 528 pages. 105 photographs. 96 line drawings. Appendixes. Notes. Bibliography. Hardcover. 10 x 12 inches.