No comments about The African American Encounter with Japan and China: Black Internationalism in Asia, 1895-1945.

No comments about All the Tsar's Men: Russia's General Staff and the Fate of the Empire, 1898--1914 (Woodrow Wilson Center Press).

5 comments about The Tide at Sunrise: A History of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05.

1. The book is a very detailed history of a important war that few Americans know about. Sometimes it might pop up in the History books because Teddy Roosevelt helped bring it to a close. But it is important, because it shows Japan not just as an Asian power, but a WORLD power. True, the peace that came afterwards was not to its advantage - it didn't get as much as it wanted, it was in debt, and nations that had been friendly to it before the war were now anti-Japanese - but it had proven itself a match for European powers by defeating Russia on all fronts.
   The book also enlightened on some facts I did not know of. The Japanese, for example, helped fuel the unrest within Russia, helping bring the revolution closer to reality. The interaction between the Russian Generals seem to be, to me, almost childish but not as childish as that between the Kaiser and the Tsar. The Battle of Tsushima, in which ANOTHER Russian Fleet was destroyed by the Japanese, becomes the climax of a war fought with machine guns, spies, mines, thousands of men moved by ships and trains, and,it seems, tons of luck.
   This is a major turning point in Asian and World history and a great book too.



2. (This would be 5 stars if the maps were better.)
   
   This is a very well researched book on a subject much under-rated in the West. The R-J War was in many ways a prelude to WWI and was fought on the same relative scale and with many of the same novel tactics and weapons that would be brought to bear by the much richer European powers to their mutual exhaustion in 1914-1918. Since the R-J War was partially responsible for the Russian revolution of 1905, perhaps Russia could have avoided the Bolshevik revolution of 1918 if it had heeded its own recent histroy in 1905.
   
   The Warners had extensive experience with Japanese and Chinese culture and history which shows up in their excellent introduction to the diplomatic and historical lead up to the war so that it isn't until page 155 that you actually see the beginning of the war. By that time it actually makes sense to you, in its own twisted way.
   
   Tha R-J War saw the use of trench warfare, the machine gun, and massive infantry assualts on fortified positions. If the European powers had learned anything from their observers in the war they might have avoided many of the same problems that made WWI such a disaster.
   
   The book has one maddening flaw which is no map index. In addition, the maps are not in context so it is hard to tell where on the larger area of conflict a particular battle is taking place. Other than that the sources are extensive and well annotated. There also seems to be a typo in that early on they mention a Japanese 14 centimeter gun as being massive when they had many larger guns available on all their ships.



3. This is how history should be written. The Warner's have perfected the historical narrative to a fine art. They have the perfect combination of the attention to detail, the global view, biographical details on the major participants, and proper attention to military and political events.
   
   There area also the explosion of a few myths: of course the Japanese were daring and intelligent, the Russians were largely incompetent and out-generalled by the Japanese. Basic trends in the Japanese descent in eventual barabarity in their treatment of prisoners was here as well. Japanese DID treat their prisoners well once they were captured, but in the heat of battle they were not so generousl. Many of these myths about the "gallant little Japanese" were purposefully fostered by the British press and butressed by interesting supportive stories from the British military liaison officers.
   
   Japan was not as efficient as she is often protrayed. There was serious lack of fast manuevre warfare in many cases. General Nogi was a pain to not only his troops, but the entire effective Japanese military hierarchy. Generals Oku, Kuroki, Kodama and even the plodding Oyama were much more effective in accomplishing their tasks and regarded Nogi as a pain to be disposed of.
   
   The Japanese did not really effectively bottle up the Russian Fleet in their initial attack. In fact no ships were sunk in the initial attack on Port Arthur. The Russians were really bottled up only in their own mind, but they still managed to effectively throw a continuous scare into the Japanese and Togo did avoid seriously pressing the Russians until he allowed the Army bombardment to effectively sink the Russian Far Seas Fleet.
   
   Togo found his backbone when the Baltic Fleet steamed to its doom at the straits of Tsushima. The Warner's dedicate a lot of time on the travels of the fleet: its firing on British fishboats at Dogger Bank, its time spent in Madagascar and its eventual journey to be seriously out-maneuvred and sank at Tsushima. The maps on this part of the battle are however sparse and I could not help but to have wished that they included more narrative on the sea battle.
   
   I very much enjoyed this book and looked forward to reading chapters every night. Very much a top-rated study on this war. Sources are balanced with very much original work translated from Japanese and Russian and Chinese. All done in a way that engages the reader with a lively and well-paced style.



4. I don't care if this book tells you the secret of the meaning of life, it costs too much for a print-only history book. Try "Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear: Russia's War with Japan" by Richard Connaughton for an excellent (and affordable) account of the Russian-Japanese War. Aside from that, much of the vast text is pointless gossip that is not really germane to the topic. In short: not very good and certainly not worth the price.



5. The Warners' book is now over thirty years old, but it is still the single best book on this war. They did an impressive job of developing both the Russian and Japanese sides of the war in equitable fashion. There is also a fairness that is inherent in their coverage. There are less dismissive of the Czar than generations of authors, but are not so revisionist that they ignore his shortcomings. Admiral Togo Heihachiro emerges as a impressive naval commander, but one that is ruthless in conduct of battle. (Readers can understand why Admirals Nimitz and Halsey had such different reactions to meeting the man a few years later when both as junior officers were part of Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet.)
   
   The best thing about this book is how the Wagners integrate diplomatic and military issues together, and the story ground and naval operations. The narrative is particularly strong on ground operations, and still remains the best account available in English. These battles were huge and involved more men than were at Gettysburg or Waterloo. The naval operations and diplomacy of the war have seen a lot of detailed study in the years since the book was published. There are better in-depth studies than what a reader will find here, but this is not a bad place to start.
   
   The authors show that one of the reasons why the Japanese emerged successfully from this conflict is that they had better information and intelligence on their opponent than the Russians did. The various military services had strengths and weaknesses that cancelled each other out, but better Japanese information at all levels of war made a significant difference.
   
   Weakness in this book include little to no coverage of the Korean and Chinese perspectives. Still, for an overall account there is little that is anywhere near as good.

5 comments about Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear: Russia's War with Japan (Cassell Military Paperbacks).

1. This is a very informative book on the Russo Japanese war! A very straight forward and fact filled book. A very well researched piece of work. I enjoyed it very much.



2. There aren't NO footnotes to this Cassell edition of this important book. It is indeed sad - and very unprofessional - that an otherwise very good book of this level of narrative detail would omit its reference sources. Additionally, the narrative detail is degraded by the poor quality of maps provided. The maps in this book are of such extremely poor quality, they provide barely enough detail to orient yourself to the flow of combat. As a result you cannot adequately envision a lot of of important details regarding the conduct of operations. If you can locate some independent maps, the narrative detail is much more meaningful. Most people are highly ignorant regarding the importance of this war in regards to the military operations througout the 20th Century. Both of these significant inadequacies (no sources and poor maps) in this edition only exacerbate our lack of knowledge regarding this important war.



3. Chapters One and Two were extremely interesting. However, the author often allowed the story to become bogged down in the tactical minutia--Regiment X advanced on Hill Y to attack Brigade Z. Connaughton demonstrated very little ability to convey the wider importance of individual engagements or make the reader care. Despite maps included at the beginning of almost every chapter, I rarely understood who a particular engagement fit into a larger battle. Thus, chapters five through nine and parts of nine and ten were painfully dull. If Connaughton was intent on writing a comprehensive tactical history of the Russo-Japanese War, it needed to several times longer to adequately explain events. Given how well this book started, I was very disappointed with the final product.
   
   On a side-note, the chapter in this book on the Russian Fleet's journey around the world seems to be more-or-less a summary of The Fleet that Had to Die, by Richard Hough. At times he even uses similar phrases! Also, the absense of citations was bothersome.



4. There are not a great number of modern histories of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, but Richard Connaughton's Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear is clearly the best. The author, with 30 year's experience in the British Army and access to British official records on the war, brings a richer and more detailed military account than Denis and Peggy Warner's The Tide at Sunrise (which is also very good, but less detailed). While the author leans toward admiration of the Japanese war effort - at one point, describing the Japanese army as "a well-oiled machine with high morale, confident, well practiced and undefeated" - he is more than fair to the Russian side as well. This book is marked by superb detail, superior organization and insight derived from sound military judgment and experience.
   
   Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear consists of 15 chapters, with a conventional chronological structure based upon major topics. The author also provides 15 sketch maps, which are a bit skimpy but adequate. Connaughton provides a succinct but excellent background chapter on events leading up to the war, followed by an even better chapter on opposing forces. In addition to excellent detail on both ground and naval forces, the author cites the main Russian weakness as an over-abundance of elderly, ineffective leaders. In the sections on early ground and naval actions, the author notes that a British correspondent reported the attack on Port Arthur as it was occurring- a first in journalism. Throughout the book, the author makes the point - and supports it with evidence - that Japanese operations were facilitated by a superb intelligence effort, while Russian efforts were hindered by awful intelligence support. Despite the fact that the Russians usually had numerical superiority on the ground and at sea, they continually thought they were out-numbered.
   
   Although many historians have been very harsh on the Russian war effort, Connaughton notes that Russian strategic plans were usually sound, but poorly executed. On the ground, the Russians were also hindered by commanders who adhered to outdated tactics, such as volley firing and attacks in mass formations across open ground. The Russians did enjoy some advantages, such as a superior logistic capability based upon the China Eastern Railway and new quick-firing artillery pieces. Russian infantry units were also quite good at building defensive positions integrating machineguns and barbed wire, intimating conditions that would soon appear in the First World War. The author also notes that the Japanese were unsuccessful in following up after their victories, with pursuits being hindered by inadequate cavalry and weaker logistics. I also noted from this account, that the Japanese made the mistake of using landmarks such as rail lines as boundary markers between their formations - which usually leads to no one really controlling the rail line.
   
   The sections on the siege of Port Arthur are particularly interesting since they allude to the slaughter that modern weapons could inflict on infantry. The author is equally harsh on General Nogi's wasteful attacks (which Allied generals would repeat in 1914-16) and the self-defeating behavior of General Stoessel. Interesting details include the Russian use of naval torpedoes on land and the Japanese mistake in making their assault ladders too short. Russian heroes, such as Smirnov, Tretyakov and Kondratenko do get their due in these pages, as well. Amazingly, the author notes that the Japanese prepared the surrender document two years before the war began (talk about prior planning!). Japanese success in blasting the Russian defenders off the vital 203 Meter Hill with heavy artillery may have convinced European military observers that firepower could break any defense.
   
   In a few cases the author overstretches himself. At one point, he states that "an approach march at night culminating in a dawn attack was a new phenomenon of warfare." Didn't Washington teach the British that lesson at Trenton and Princeton in 1776? At another point, he notes the appearance "for the first time in modern warfare [of] the construction of opposing lines of trenches.." which ignores the appearance of trench warfare at Petersburg in 1864. However, these omissions are not that for a British military historian, since they rarely acknowledge or utilize examples from American military history. In a few cases, the author may have used `facts' that were unconfirmed, such as Japanese heavy artillery consumption at Port Arthur (the figures sound unreasonably high) and the infamous Samsonov-Rennenkampf brawl (which probably didn't happen).
   
   The author asks two key questions: why were the Japanese able to consistently defeat the Russians and why were the lessons of this war not understood before World War One? As for the first, the author believes that the Japanese had a distinct advantage fighter closer to home, which led to higher morale. The Japanese military also benefited from a leadership structure based more on merit and ability, rather than political connections. As for the second, the author notes that different observers took home different lessons from the war and often drew diverging conclusions, often in line with their own prior biases.



5. Connaughton's book is a good ,comprehensive history of Russo -Japanese war. Both were expansionist powers .So confrontation seemed inevitable. Budding Japanese nationalism collided head-on with Russian imperialism.. Creeping Russian expansion into Korea posed a threat Japanese national interests. Tokyo reacted violently.
   
   On February 6,1904 Admiral Togo launched a pre-emptive strike on Russian fleet that lay at anchor at Port Arthur. Though Togo failed in destroying the fleet , he succeded in crippling its movements. Japanese landed troops on the west coast of Korean peninsula and soon effected a crossing of river Yalu. This marked the beginning of demise of Russian power in the Far East.
   
   Here I wish to make a few comments which a student of War/History may find it enriching. Russian withdrawl from Yalu together with its failure to fall back upon Liaotung peninsula unbarred the road to Port Arthur which came to be besieged by Japanese forces. Subsequent Russian attempts to relieve the siege were foiled. However the striking feature of these campaigns were Japanese inability to gain decisive victory. Japanese armies often managed to pierce or outflank Russian positions but failed in enveloping it. Russians refused pitched battles and effected tactical retreats into the depths of Manchuria.
   
   Author has argued Russo-Japanese war as harbinger of First World War : machineguns, barbed wire entanglements, artillery, Japanese use of arsenic smoke during the siege of Port Arthur. I endorse this view. Coming of machineguns bestowed lethal firepower on defending forces making massed frontal assaults suicidal and costly. This led to emergence of no man's land which gradually widened separating combatants making decision increasingly difficult. Japanese came to depend on artillery overwhelmingly to suppress enemy fire zones which at that time were not too deep. It sound ironical experience derived from this war was not incorporated into the training manuals of Western armies. As a result, European had to re learn this experience painfully during Great War. Equally significant was the importance of troop morale in war.Japanese morale was superb. Japanese soldier never shrank from courting death. He knew only one thing ,advance,Advance despite all obstacles strewn across the path. Victory at all costs. The above combined with a fanatical respect for authority [personified in the form of Emperor] transformed Japanese soldier into formidable fighting machine.
   
   Regrettably , this was a war ignored by historians and academics though this cause a tectonic shift in forces which drastically re arranged world affairs. What were they?
   
   It stimulated revolutionary tendencies in Russia which for a long time was gnawing at its vitals.
   
   By removing Russian threat it helped Kaiser's Germany to focus efforts in the West .This altered balance of power in Europe. In order to restore equilibrium Britain ended her policy of isolation and entered into an alliance with France.
   
   But biggest impact of Japanese victory was felt in Asia, Africa. It infused confidence and boosted the morale of peoples who were struggling to free themselves from European tyranny. In India ,the effect was profound. During wintry nights people sat in circles and spoke about Japanese victories while passing huqqa.
   
   Finally, it sowed the seed of future confrontation with US. Covert American support emboldened Russians turn down Japanese demand for war reparations. Tokyo now started viewing Washington with suspicion, hostility and distrust.
   
   Author was unable to attach sufficient importance to the above aspects. Be as it may,the book is an essential reading for history buffs and layman alike.

No comments about RUSSO-JAPANESE NAVAL WAR 1905 VOL. II.

5 comments about The Russo-Japanese War 1904-05 (Men-at-Arms).

1. With Osprey's Men-at-Arms series, it is always hit or miss. At times, the series books can be really painful to read. The series has a penchant for attracting well intentioned authors who will drone on concerning the most obscure uniform details. Other times, the uniform plates look almost cartoonish in their execution. It seems as though there is no quality control at Osprey Publishing.
   
   So it was with great pleasure and not a little bit of surprise that I read, "The Russo-Japanes War 1904-05". The book starts with a nice chronology of the war and then passes on to the technological innovations that took place in the first major war of the Twentieth Century. The book finishes with a well written overview of the uniforms and equipment of the Russian and Japanese armies. Fortunately, the ilustrations of Andrei Keachtchouk are first rate and complement the text. This book is a fine example of what all Osprey Men-at-Arms books should aspire to achieve. Highly recommended.



2. A very detailed work on a subject with very little English language coverage. I have over 150 MAA titles, and this is one of the top 10. The text and the accompanying photgraphs from both Russian and Japanese archives make for an outstanding detailed read. The illustrations are first rate.



3. This is a good primer. I got this to go with the Battle series on the Russo-Japanese war. Its funny how little things would change for these to armies over the next 40 years. I recommend if you are into the era, I do not recommend if you are looking for serious research material.



4. I probably own about 20 or so Osprey titles, mostly about ancient history, but a few about WWI and the time period immediately before and after that conflict. This is my favorite Osprey title, in terms of content and superlative execution.
   
   The book contains a satisfactory chronology of the war, and sections on new technology and innovations which came into play, such as machine guns, trench warfare, aerial observation, and telephone communications.
   
   There is also a section on use of local Chinese in paramilitary roles by both sides, more effectively, incidentally, by the Japanese.
   
   The authors explore the level of training, morale, and discipline on both sides. They also detail the kinds of troops that Russia employed: local Siberian militia, Cossacks, line infantry, and frontier guards, the last of which, as it turned out, were the best of the Russian troops in terms of their effectiveness. Unfortunately for Russia, the frontier guards only fielded 55 companies of 250 men each. The section on Japan has less information on troop types, focusing on their relatively good standard of living and treatment, and high level of motivation.
   
   There is a good amount of detail on uniforms, but not too much: I don't read these books to find out what color piping the 1st regiment of the 2nd brigade wore. There is just enough to satisfy one's interest in how the troops were outfitted and equipped, in a general way.
   
   The plates are simply outstanding: on the Russian side, there are pages depicting summer uniforms, winter uniforms, Cossacks, and frontier and naval uniforms. The Japanese plates show early war uniforms, which were of an old-style pattern, and also summer and winter uniforms.
   
   It was interesting to read that even though the war was well-observed by foreign military representatives, they didn't seem to take the lessons to heart, and repeated the same mistakes at the beginning of the Great War. I'm referring to such things as underestimation of the effectiveness of machine guns as an offensive & defensive weapon, and also the importance of good defensive trenches. Most notably in this respect, the reliance on elan and the "offensive spirit" in lieu of good planning and leadership, which in just over a decade destroyed the cream of France, Great Britain, and Germany.



5. I bought this book mostly for the subject material, as I was not familiar with this war. Osprey books provide an adequate, but not great, summary of the conflict and armies involved. The illustrations in this example are excellent, and show a wide array of uniforms and the photos are also helpful. Makes a good introduction that could be followed by a larger, more in-depth book.

1 comments about Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy.

1. OK, I have to admit Finland's Marshal Mannerheim is a historical personage I find truely fascinating. I own and have read a number of biographies, including Stig Axel Fridolf Jägerskiöld's Mannerheim, Marshal of Finland (Nordic Series), J E O Screen's Mannerheim: The Years of Preparation and Mannerheim: The Finnish Years as well we Oliver Warner's
   Marshal Mannerheim and the Finns. Mannerheim was a truely great man, an able Officer and then a General in the service of the Russian Tsar prior to and during WW1, the leader of the White Finn's who fought (and won) in the Finnish Civil War between the Whites and the Reds which followed Finland's gaining of independance from Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. He became Regent of Finland for a short period after the Civil War, then returned to prominence as the Military Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces in the 1939-40 Winter War where the Soviet Union attacked Finland. He led Finland's military through the Second World War, establishing his place in history as both the man responsible for Finland remaining a free and independant state where so many other eastern european and Baltic states were overrun by the Soviet Union, and also as one of the greatest defensive Military Commanders of all time.
   
   Earlier biographies of Mannerheim make for somewhat dry reading. Clements has come up with something new - a biography of Mannerheim that is not a hagiography, as Jägerskiöld's is, and which is far more interesting to read than the earlier accounts by Warner or Screen. Clements takes history and weaves a spell-binding tale that takes the reader deep into Mannerheim's life and personality. The books beautifully illustrated with a good collecvtion of photos, many of which I hadn't seen before. There's good attention to detail,you can see the results of the exhaustive research the author has undertaken on every page.
   
   It's one of those books you pick up and don;t put down until you finish. Whether you've heard of Mannerheim or not, you'll wish you'd met him after you've read this book, he's certainly a man who not only lived in interesting times, he made them interesting and this book brings it out all with engaging authorship. Highly recommended.

2 comments about RUSSO-JAPANESE NAVAL WAR 1905 VOL. I (Maritime Series).

1. This is the first volume of a two volume series on the Russo-Japanese war of 1905. This volume covers the build up to war, the early operations on sea and land particularly the blockade of Port Arthur by the Japanese. This conflict is a good one to start an even larger series of books on naval conflicts of the twentieth century. It was the first conflict involving big rifled gun, steel, steam powered 'modern' warships.
   
   This was also the first time that Japan began to use its military might aggressively. From the success in this war Japan was to go on to China and thence to World War II.
   
   The book is profusely illustrated with photographs, maps and drawings. This volume concentrates on the Japanese ships involved from battleships to smaller gunboats. Similar information on the Russian ships will be in the second volume.



2. This is the first volume (No 3101) in the new Maritime Series published by Mushroom Model Publications. It is a square bound card cover in the larger A4 (8-1/2" x 11-3/4") size with 152 pages. Color is restricted to the well done cover painting.
   
   My knowledge of the Russo-Japanese War was fairly superficial before reading this book, most of it dealing with the Battle of Tsushima (which will no doubt be covered in Volume 2). This book is subtitled "Port Arthur" and the bulk of the book does deal with the Japanese efforts to neutralize the port.
   
   The book is virtually a blow by blow account of the naval war. Particularly welcome are the large number of well done maps without which descriptions tend to very quickly become incomprehensible. Besides maps there are numerous photographs, tables, and ship line drawings (profiles only). The photographs are not of the best quality but are no doubt the best available; the poor quality is probably due to the conditions of the originals.
   
   Although the book focuses on the naval actions and maneuvers the war on land is not neglected. Indeed, the larger political and economic context of the war is very adequately dealt with.
   
   Translation is of a high standard; only occasionally does a passage not read quite right.
   
   Complaints are of a minor nature. The books title is slightly misleading. Virtually all the action takes place in 1904, not 1905 as the title might lead one to believe. There were a few places mentioned that could not be located on the maps like White Wolf Bay and Louise Bay. I was disappointed that the line drawings consisted of profiles only; I find plan views to be equally informative. Incidentally, only Japanese ships are so profiled; Russian ships will no doubt be given similar treatment in Volume 2.
   
   All in all, Mushroom has launched the series with a winner. The Battle of Tsushima will be the focus of Volume 2. I am anxious to see if the description is up to the high standard set by Campbell in Warship thirty years ago.

5 comments about The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905.

1. This book does give an alright over view of the war, however it lacks any meat. The only battle that has any depth is tsushima. The land battles were not described very well, and it was hard to see what tactics led to sucess or failure. The book is good for information, or if your writing a paper, but not a whole lot of content for the military historian. The author does explain some of the flaws of the rusian army, and some of the after effects of the war, however the book seems to be too short for anything more. The book also was a little on the dull side.



2. Almost like the Spanish Civil War which became the precursor to the Second World War; the Russo-Japanese War was the prelude to the First World War. Many of the weapons (machine guns, breach loading guns and artillary, metal warships) were first used in this war. Most of the nations of Europe had observers on both sides of the battles and were able to study the use of these new weapons (which didn't do anyone any good once the shooting started).
   
   The main results of the war were, the first defeat of a European state by an Asian State in one thousand years, the ultimate truth that the Russian fighting forces were more paper than tiger, that the Japanese were to be respected as a European caliber fighting force.
   
   Sadly, it contributed to the continued failure of the Tsarist system to look at reality and the subsequent revolutions of 1905, February and October 1918; and led to the takeover of the Japanese government by militarists after WWI.



3. The book was never delivered. On July 25, 2006, Amazon unilaterally elected to cancel the order that it could not fill since June 4, 2006. I was then asked on August 1, 2006, to provide comments on a book that was never delivered. Brilliant, wouldn't you agree? I am sure it must be a wonderful text, if only I could read it....if delivered, I would probably raise my rating by several stars...



4. 
   
   Not all books by Osprey Publishing are created equal. This book, however, is one of the better ones in the Essential Histories series. The book is well organized and follows a clear chronological path. The largest chapter in the book deals with Russian and Japanese maneuvers. Although the last four chapters are very short, they fit perfectly into the chronological order of the book. They also provide information on the less well covered areas of the war such as its impact on Chinese civilians, Russian diplomacy at the peace talks, and the domestic impact of this conflict in both Japan and Russia.
   
   As with all Osprey Publications, this book has color maps of the major battles, such as Sha-ho, Mukden, and Tsushima. These maps contain just the right amount of information. Unlike maps found in other books, these are not cluttered with extraneous and confusing details. The book also has a nice selection of photos and drawings to compliment the narrative.
   
   The author does a good job of illustrating how a professional and well disciplined Japanese military was able to soundly defeat the overconfident, and thus unprofessional Russian military. In the Battle of San-De-Pu, the Russian 14th Division launched its attack a day late and at the wrong village. As a result, its men were mown down. At another battle, the Russians failed to dig defensive entrenchments. The Russians preferred to wait and use conscripted Chinese labor for these duties. The Japanese, however, made their own entrenchments and were thus, much better at surviving defensive battles. The Japanese appear to have held an enormous advantage over the Russians in the area of espionage. This war was fought in China. As occupying armies go, the Japanese were far less onerous than the Russians. The Russians alienated the Chinese population by destroying their homes and stealing their livestock. This resulted in far greater human intelligence for the Japanese. The Russian navy had its share of problems as well. Japanese spies in Singapore knew the Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron was on its way. However, any sense of speed was lost at Cam Ranh Bay when Admiral Rozhestvensky found that one of his ships, the Alexander III, did not have enough coal. He had to wait several days for the arrival of the 3rd Squadron and its coal supplies. Thus, Admiral Togo had even more time to set a trap. Clearly, the Japanese were able to routinely beat the Russians in both speed and tempo.
   
   Bottom line: the book is an easy read that tells the story of the war in a clear and chronological fashion. The narrative is complimented by excellent maps and good quality photos. The book also provides insight into how this war affected future conflicts. The military observers of the western powers were too biased in favor of the Japanese. They drew the wrong lessons from the war in their after action reports. The French learned to favor the "offensive." A tactic that yielded catastrophic losses in World War I. For their part, the Japanese began to believe in the superiority of the "spiritual" aspects of war over "material" matters. No doubt, this was a precursor to their overconfident attitude in the early days of World War II.



5. This book is a good introduction to this conflict for its 96 page length. Not very in-depth but for 96 pages what can you expect. If you are looking to get up to speed on this conflict in about 90 minutes of reading this book is excellent.

5 comments about Russian Battleship vs Japanese Battleship: Yellow Sea 1904-05 (Duel).

1. A horizon filled with iron behemoths belching smoke is the stuff of scratchy newsreels. But big gun duels between pre-dreadnoughts in 1904 were a new, stunning phenomenon made possible by advances in naval architecture and engineering.
   
   Author Robert Forczyk does many things in "Russian Battleship vs. Japanese Battleship," his book about the Russo-Japanese War, and does them quite well, from explaining the development of pre-dreadnoughts to detailing the efficiencies of big guns and armor plating to unrolling operational plans by taking us inside the conning towers of Vice Admiral Vitgeft and Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky, who commanded the Russian fleets and Japanese Admiral Togo who defeated them.
   
   Like much of the history of this war, these sea battles have dropped out of mind -- upstaged by the dramatic surface actions of the First World War.
   
   For Americans, the Russo-Japanese War is definitely shrouded in mystery. This book will change that a bit because of what Mr. Forczyk's exhaustive research and authoritative writing brings to that Far Eastern conflict.
   
   What makes the book so exceptional is Mr. Forczyk's scholarship, his ability to make perfect sense of the fog of a forgotten war. This is an informed book, and I'm already looking forward to his next.
   
   Readers need not fear, however, that "Russian Battleship vs. Japanese battleship" is all about counting the number of boilers per ship and belt line armor thickness. The book also spotlights Russian and Japanese naval operations; he has split it into the seven thematic chapters so familiar to the Duel series.
   
   Mr. Forczyk's work focuses on the minutiae of the largest clashes between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Czar Nicholas's Navy in 1904-05 as well as the truly critical events that set the war in motion. The book soars in those parts in which the author describes how the Russians sallied forth on the Yellow Sea, and how the Japanese failed time and again to deliver a knockout blow.
   
   Mr. Forczyk, author of Warsaw 1944: Poland's bid for freedom (Campaign), has read very thoroughly, and tries to give an all-around account of the battleships, the officers, and the brave sailors of the two fleets. He is especially good on the analysis of tactics and weapon systems.
   
   The author offers an insightful and intellectually detailed account of the smoky battles by bolstering his historical narrative with exhaustive analysis. He describes the strategic goals of the Japanese and Russian navies while narrating the action of sailors trying to cope with confused signals, failed weapons, knocked out bridges, flooded boilers and magazines.
   
   With severe early losses, Admiral Togo saw the campaign develop as one of long-range attrition -- not willing to risk his few remaining battleships until the critical moment; he would attack repeatedly and sap Russia's will to fight. As the campaign for Port Arthur stalemated, Russian naval losses grew. Ordered by the Czar to breakout to Vladivostok, Vice Admiral Vitgeft displayed an ever-increasing fatalism. He stoically dispatched his picked-over fleet with: "Gentlemen, we shall meet in the next world."
   
   Winter brought gloomy skies and rough seas that floundered torpedo boats, rendered long-range guns silent, and made naval maneuvers difficult. Bombarding Japanese Army 11-in. howitzers proved far more effective at sinking Russian battleships in Port Arthur, Mr. Forczyk notes, than Togo's hit-or-miss torpedo boat night raids.
   
   The author expertly juggles narratives, including the story of Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky's famous, ill-fated 1905 circum-voyage from St. Petersburg, and Togo's own venture to intercept them. it's hard to imagine that Mr. Forczyk left any worthwhile stone uncovered. The author combines narrative and research materials for clarity of scene and immediacy. He follows Togo's decisive operation to a concisely written, masterly paced conclusion.
   
   Mr. Forczyk recounts Admiral Togo's operations with unsparing diagnosis, killing all romantic ideas of what transpired in the Sea of Japan. When he sailed out of the East China Sea, Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky's squadron, unfit for fleet combat suffered a comedy of mistakes, among other things, the inability to effectively direct his straggling fleet. It must seem ridiculous to the reader that hospital ships in the Russian squadron remained fully-lighted at night. Rozhestvensky's attempt to protect his wounded from night attack advertised his location to Togo's scouting ships.
   
   The author knows how to narrate a complicated story, but also to dissect opposing leaders clearly and succinctly. His book is filled with fascinating characters such as the Russian Admirals: Marakov, Vigeft, Prince Ukhtomski, and Rozhestvensky -- a world class incompetent -- the Hamilcar of his day.
   
   The author's profiles of Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Vice Admiral Kamimura, and Vice Admiral Dewa, the key players in the Imperial Japanese Navy are more sketchy. He has distilled the essence of their authority and command in a way that helps readers understand the basis of their decision making while avoiding the mistake made by many historians of judging the past by modern standards.
   
   But what "Russian Battleship vs. Japanese Battleship" demonstrates most of all is something baseball analyst Bill James would likely appreciate: how you can see something that has become familiar much more clearly if you look at it from the statistical angle. Mr. Forczyk has a few surprising conclusions for the reader in his revealing analysis.
   
   Many of the disasters that Mr. Forczyk chronicles are well known: the 1905 grand finale near Tsushima Island, for example, or Vice Admiral Marakov and Vice Admiral Vitgeft's clashes off Port Arthur. But supposedly even effective admirals had their horror stories. Togo, for example, made one of the most dreadful mistakes in the war by sending the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima in close to bombard Port Arthur. There, 496 sailors were killed when mines sank both battleships; the Imperial Japanese Navy's biggest loss for one day in the Russo-Japanese War, and a humiliating tragedy that Togo's admirers often choose to forget.
   
   There are finely written accounts of the key warships. Few of the Russian battleships were impressive: Peresvyet lacked firepower -- Sissoi Veliki was overweight -- cylindrical boilers handicapped Poltava -- the Borodino was so heavy, its armor belt was underwater.
   
   The expertly crewed Japanese warships had fewer deficiencies but they were serious: Hatsuse and Yashima were both quickly sunk by mines; "Both Mikasa and Shikishima suffered premature explosions in one of their 12-in. guns, indicated problems with propellant and fuses -- reducing Togo's long-range firepower by nearly 25 percent."
   
   Mr. Forczyk covers these momentous changes with great skill, deftly mixing narrative and analysis, and explaining much that is difficult or unapproachable in this fascinating period. Casual readers take note: Although it's a short book, it is a serious book -- not popular history. But it is also intensely rewarding. The author has a broad vision. He rarely loses the naval enthusiast's attention.
   
   This thoroughly researched book belongs on the A-list of Russo-Japanese War histories; its a worthy addition for all who admire Mr. Forczyk's prose and his ability to see into, and explain, warfare.
   
   "Russian Battleship vs. Japanese Battleship: Yellow Sea 1904-05" contains four representative naval officer biographies, two 3D battle maps, two excellent battle action paintings, and two nice battleship profiles.



2. Osprey's 'Duel' series comes up with another winner in the form of Robert Forczyk's RUSSIAN VS JAPANESE BATTLESHIP, YELLOW SEA 1904-05. An incisive, imaginatively-illustrated summary of the naval battles waged during the Russo-Japanese War, Forczyk's book not only brings those long-ago battles to life but also shows why the outcome of those sea-going slugging matches had been decided even before the first salvo boomed out.
   
   Forczyk, a noted historian, spends the first 40 pages of the book examining the radical developments in warship design, armor, armament, powerplants and communications that transpired in the late 1800s and how Japanese and Russian battleships of that period reflected those developments. He also discusses the factors that lead to the Russo-Japanese War, the strategies adopted by both sides and, lastly, compares the make-up of Russian/Japanese battleship crews.
   
   Forczyk is also a gifted writer. I greatly enjoyed the skillful way in which he laid the foundation for the inevitable hostilities and their equally inevitable outcome item by item. And, although humor is almost unknown in Osprey publications, Forczyk managed to sneak it into RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP VS JAPANESE BATTLESHIP by characterizing the Russian fleet's C-in-C as "a screaming imbecile of a commander."
   
   The book's final 36 pages detail the opening battle at Port Arthur on 8-9 February 1904, the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904 and the debacle at Tsushima on 27 May 1905. (Forcyzk quite correctly summarizes this last encounter as "less a battle than an execution of an untrained mob.") For those of us with only a passing knowledge of the Russo-Japanese War, this section is especially informative.
   
   The text is illustrated with over 50 b&w and color photographs, diagrams of fleet movements, ship profiles, maps and battle scenes.
   
   All in all, Forczyn's book is a wonderful piece of work that will be enjoyed by all sea war buffs. Highly recommended.



3. I have wanted this book for a long time. I read "The fleet that had to Die" by Richard Hough so very long ago, maybe forty five years ago. This book is a great addition to the story, loaded with great illustrations and pictures of these great ships. I love the early warships because they were so inovative. This is the last period in ship design I really love. Great information on early ship to ship warfare in the steam age.



4. Robert Forczyk does his usual excellent job covering the battleships of the Russo-Japanese War. He starts out with the design and development of the ships. He discusses the technical innovations that impacted the designs; including the obvious (guns, armor, engines) as well as not so obvious but critical things like shells, fire control systems and communications. The importance of these last three to actual effectiveness was not limited to this war; think Jutland.
   
   We learn that the excellent Russian APC shells were not bought in quantity (due to cost) and so had no impact on the battles; Japanese Shimosa shells were very destructive, but also very temperamental: the number of burst barrels from prematures significantly degraded Japanese combat power over the course of an extended battle. The Japanese fire control system was much better thought out and more effective, but also more vulnerable to battle damage.
   
   Along the way, Forczyk skewers some myths and throws out some real nuggets of information. Rozhestvensky's reputation as a gunnery expert was completely unfounded; Makarov was a "bull in a china shop" (not sure I agree); the long-range gunnery contests, which so many claim presaged the dreadnought era, were a waste of ammunition. This was particularly important to the Japanese as they had to carefully ration ammunition and high-quality coal, neither of which could be imported after the start of the war, and both were getting worryingly low by the Battle of Tsushima.
   
   Forczyk makes the point that the pace of development was so great, both sides had to risk using untested technology or be left in the dust. Inevitably, this came back to bite both sides. Russian battleships were not as badly designed as is often claimed and were superior at surviving underwater explosions. Some of the oft-questioned design choices were due to the fact that they had to be able to travel long distances to even get to the Far East, had to carry large amounts of coal and had to be able to transit rather narrow canals. The Japanese had to worry about none of these things. The Russian ships that were not significantly overweight were quite good; the ones that were, weren't.
   
   The heart of the book is, of course, the battle descriptions. Here Forczyk makes a risky choice: instead of focusing solely on the two major battles, he covers the entire war from the point of view of the battleships. This might seem a waste of crucial pages, but in fact it provides the context for the battles and shows how the ships performed in a whole host of minor actions.
   
   Up to this point, the book is excellent, but there are problems with the coverage of the two main battles. The first is fairly minor: the various cruisers appear and then disappear from the action, leaving this reader with little idea of what they were trying to accomplish and, usually, only vague notions of what they did accomplish. I know this book is about the battleships, but a little more understanding of the actions of the cruisers would make the actions of the battleships clearer as well.
   
   Of course, following their movements on the maps would help -- if there were any maps that showed the movement of ships. This is the only major shortcoming of the book, and it is major. Besides a strategic overview of the theatre of operations, there are two "still life" maps showing the location of battleships at one particular moment in each battle. They are pretty, but being pretty is the job of the two beautifully drawn battle scenes. Maps are supposed to be informative and these are not. This is a problem, as both battles were complicated. Forczyk makes a valiant effort to describe the battles in words, but good maps are essential. I have read a number of descriptions of both battles (with maps), I know how they go, and I still got lost several times.
   
   I don't really know how to score this book. The prose, photos, drawings and battle scenes deserve a 5; the maps deserve a 2 or 3. If you are interested in the battleships of the Russo-Japanese War and their actions, you should get this book. Just be sure to have on hand another account of the battles of the Yellow Sea and Tsushima -- one with good maps.



5. Robert Forczyk`s book, Russian Battleship vs Japanese Battleship, Yellow Sea 1904-05, is a little paperback gem that provides an excellent overview of naval combat during the Russo-Japanese conflict of 1904-05. These naval actions represent the first time modern battleships engaged in fleet combat, where a variety of design, technical, training and leadership philosophies (particularly interesting how the Russian sailors were treated, given their role in the 1917 Russian Revolution) were put to the test. The book is packed with carefully selected details, emphasizing the ships, the combatants and the tactics. It also provides very well considered analysis and conclusions sections which are especially informative, particularly in the context of subsequent battleship design, combat tactics and strategy, up to the end of WW2.
   While the book is packed with information, what really made it stand out in my view, were the many rarely seen period photographs and the truly exceptional drawings and art work. An exceptional little book, recommended for anyone with an interest in naval combat, battleship design or early 20th century conflict.