Winner of the Longman's History Today Book of the Year Award and the inaugural Westminster Medal for Military Literature More than a century had gone by since the Battle of Trafalgar. Generation after generation of British naval captains had been dreaming ever since of a 'new' Trafalgar - a cataclysmic encounter which would decisively change a war's outcome. At last, in the summer of 1916, they thought their moment had come... Andrew Gordon's extraordinary, gripping book brilliantly recreates the atmosphere of the ...
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Winner of the Longman's History Today Book of the Year Award and the inaugural Westminster Medal for Military Literature More than a century had gone by since the Battle of Trafalgar. Generation after generation of British naval captains had been dreaming ever since of a 'new' Trafalgar - a cataclysmic encounter which would decisively change a war's outcome. At last, in the summer of 1916, they thought their moment had come... Andrew Gordon's extraordinary, gripping book brilliantly recreates the atmosphere of the British navy in the years leading up to Jutland and gives a superb account of the battle itself and its bitterly acrimonious aftermath.
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Add this copy of The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval to cart. $9.97, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by US Naval Institute Press.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval to cart. $15.00, like new condition, Sold by Emerald Green Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Simi Valley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Naval Institute Press.
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Add this copy of The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Navel to cart. $15.00, good condition, Sold by Friends Tucson rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucson, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by US Naval Institute Press.
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Paperback. NOT Ex-library. Good condition. Slight edgewear and bumping. Proceeds benefit the Pima County Public Library system, which serves Tucson and southern Arizona. Until further notice, USPS Priority Mail only reliable option for Hawaii.
Add this copy of The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval to cart. $15.01, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2000 by John Murray.
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Very Good. Size: 9x6x1; Naval Institute Press; Annapolis, 19999. Trade paperback. Reprint Edition. A Very Good, binding firm, stress crease to spine, some cover edge/corner wear, small dent bottom text block corner, some handling/scuff marks to covers, crease bottom rear cover corner, some scuff marks bottom text block edge, a nice, clean and unmarked copy in wraps. 8vo[octavo or approx. 6 x 9], 708pp., indexed, notes, bibliography, b&w illustrations. We pack securely and ship daily w/delivery confirmation on every book. The picture on the listing page is of the actual book for sale. Additional Scan(s) are available for any item, please inquire.
This book does two things extremely well. The first and last quarter offer a superb analysis of the Battle of Jutland. Using the "signals manual" as its Rosetta stone the middle half gives an amazing accounting of how Victorian and Edwardian society impacted the culture of the Royal Navy between Nelson and WW1. This is history writing of the highest order. Unforgettable stuff. You'll never look at the Battle of Jutland the same after reading it.
CloseReading
Jul 23, 2007
England has a sinking feeling
Andrew Gordon's book The Rules of the Game is a difficult book to read and a difficult book to recommend and a difficult book to dismiss. Gordon's book is not difficult to read because it is poorly written. To the contrary, the author's style is very graceful, sometimes funny and always logical. The hurdle most readers will have to get over is the book's subject matter. The Rules of the Game is a book about the Naval Battle of Jutland-the clash between the United Kingdom's Grand Fleet and Germany's High Seas Fleet on May 31-June 1, 1916. The outcome was nothing like either side anticipated and, although both claimed victory, neither accomplished what they wanted. Andrew Gordon takes his readers through a lot of very technical detail. Some of the material went way over this reader's land-lubbing head. But the author is adept at providing context that caries the narrative along. More important, and more enjoyable to read, Gordon plumbs the depths of the Royal Navy's character during the Edwardian period. His book is not just a well crafted combat narrative. It is also an in-depth look at the creation and evolution of a military culture and the effect of custom and technology. Without a doubt it should be required reading for anyone who plans or has a career in the armed forces. The lessons about the differences in a peace time and war time military are very important. In fact anyone interested on the effect of technology on culture will find this book of great interest. And anyone interested in what makes people tick will find a wealth of material for thought. Gordon is good at keeping himself honest. He tells the reader when and why he is making suppositions or assumptions and explains where his ideas lead and why they could be wrong. And he respects his subject. He avoids-or at least acknowledges-judging by hind-site and has sympathy and understanding for the sailors at Jutland. After the battle began a war of reputations. The naval tactics and the combat assumptions used at Jutland by the two British commanders were out of synch and often at odds. A bitter brawl broke out inside the Royal Navy between men personally loyal to Admiral David Beatty and those who agreed with Admiral John Jellicoe. Gordon's book sifts through the controversies with intelligence. And he makes a good case that the officers involved-easily portrayed as Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta sailors-where something else entirely. They were not fools, Gordon asserts. But they may have been made fools of.
