For its final battleship design Italy ignored all treaty restrictions on tonnage,
and produced one of Europe’s largest and most powerful capital ships, comparable
with Germany’s Bismarck class, similarly
built in defiance of international agreements. The three ships of the Littorio
class were typical of Italian design, being fast and elegant, but also boasting
a revolutionary protective scheme – which was tested to the limits, as all three
were to be heavily damaged in the hard-fought naval war in the Mediterranean; Roma had the unfortunate distinction of
being the first capital ship sunk by guided missile.
These important ships have never been covered in depth in
English-language publications, but the need is now satisfied in this
comprehensive and convincing study by two of Italy’s leading
naval historians. The book combines a detailed analysis of the design with an
operational history, evaluating how the ships stood up to combat. It is
illustrated with an amazing collection of photographs, many fine-line plans, and
coloured artwork of camouflage schemes, adding up to as complete a monograph on
a single class ever published.
Among warship enthusiasts battleships enjoy a unique status. As the
great success of Seaforth’s recent book on French battleships proves, that
interest transcends national boundaries, and this superbly executed study is
certain to become another classic in the field.
