Military Model Scene

Title: Spoils of War
Author: Aidan Dodson & Serena Cant
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-5267-4198-1

Perfectly described with the sub-title, the Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars. A 328-page hardback which I found absolutely fascinating. For those interested in the history of the two world wars of the twentieth century then there are a few stories of the post-war fates of the captured enemy fleets that many are aware of. In this I would include things like the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow, maybe the use of the Prinz Eugen as one of the targets for the atomic weapons tests at Bikini Atoll, or even the final stages in the life of the WW2 German Aircraft Carrier, the Graf Zeppelin. There were of course a huge number more, not just the large capital ships and submarines, but many smaller vessels as well.
There are a few famous ships which I suspect many interested in the histories of WW1 and WW2 may well know, such as the fate of the German aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin was used as a target and sunk in the Baltic, while the Prinz Eugen ended up on the other side of the world, where it was one of the test ships at the atomic weapon tests at Kwajalein Atoll, plus the scuttling of the German High Seas fleet at Scapa Flow after WW1. However, there were many, many more, with German and Japanese vessels at the end of WW2. The book details what happened to all those ships, both large and small. Many were used as targets and many more went into service with a whole variety of Allied nations, as prizes, where they often served their new masters for many more years.
The 328-page hardcover book is split into 2 main sections. Part 1 is the First World War, sub-divided into Endgame 1918; Dividing the Spoils; Under New Management and then detailed tables of Ships & Fates. Part 2 tackles World War 2, and this is subdivided into Endgame - Italy, Romania, Bulgaria & Finland; Endgame - Germany 1945; Endgame - Japan1945; Dividing the Spoils; Under New Management and another series of data tables detailing Ships & Fates.
Including a host of archive photos throughout the book, this is really fascinating for anyone with an interest in Naval History of the 20th Century. A super reference for your bookshelf, another highly recommended book from Seaforth.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for our review copy.

Robin