IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY (Jane)

Found! Very limited quantity of Fred T Jane's book, in perfect condition, and a reprint of the 1904 original edition. This reprint is itself years out-of-print and at a bargain price! Nowadays, Jane is principally remembered for the annual review of "Fighting Ships" which he began, and which still bears his name. However, he also published a number of more specific naval reference works, of which the most highly regarded are his complementary studies of the little-known navies of Imperial Russia and Japan. Traditionally, both navies have been obsessed with secrecy, but Jane persuaded them to allow him both aces and official assistance. As a result he was able to visit dockyards and bases, and to hold wide-ranging discussions with naval officers of all ranks, which gives his books a unique first-hand authority. "The Imperial Japanese Navy" is also remarkable for its breadth of its coverage, combining a review of the country's naval history, with an assessment of the navy itself at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. The historical chapters are particularly detailed for the war against China, and even include the early operations against Russia - however, the book was originally published before Tsushima, so for this new edition Admiral Togo's official report of the battle has been appended. The analytical section contains chapters on the ships and their equipment, dockyards and bases, administration, personnel and training, as well as an enlightening summary of Japanese attitudes to other navies. In terms of detail, much of Jane's information is unobtainable elsewhere - which alone would justify this new edition - but as a portrait of a major sea-power in the making, "The Imperial Japanese Navy" has never been surpassed.