The five volumes that constitute Arthur Marder's From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow represented arguably the finest contribution to the literature of naval history since Alfred Mahan. A J P Taylor wrote that 'his naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivaled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative . . . He is beyond praise, as he is beyond cavil.'

The five volumes were subtitled The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919 and they are still, despite recent major contributions from Robert Massie and Andrew Gordan, regarded by many as the definitive history of naval events leading up to and including the Great War.

The fourth volume covers the period from Jellicoe's arrival at the Admiralty to deal with the U-boat menace until his dismissal a year later. Mounting losses brought about the introduction of the convoy system and the turn of the tide in anti-submarine warfare. The volume also looks at the beginnings of naval aviation.

A new introduction by Barry Gough, the distinguished Canadian maritime and naval historian, assesses the importance of Marder's work and anchors it firmly amongst the great naval narrative histories of this era.

This new paperback edition will bring a truly great work to a new generation of historians and general readers

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Preface
• PART I. THE CRISIS OF THE NAVAL WAR: the Jellicoe-Carson Period December 1916-July 1917
  • CHAPTER I. IN THE BACKGROUND: THE RISE OF NAVAL AVIATION
    • 1. AIRSHIP POLICY
    • 2. THE EVOLUTION OF THE CARRIER
    • 3. EVOLUTION OF THE TORPEDO PLANE
  • CHAPTER II. THE GRAND FLEET UNDER BEATTY
    • I. BEATTY AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
    • 2. GRAND FLEET TACTICS
    • 3. GRAND FLEET STRATEGY
  • CHAPTER III. NEW STRATEGY AND NEW MEN: PLESS AND WHITEHALL (December 1916-January 1917)
    • 1. THE LAUNCHING OF UNRESTRICTED U-BOAT WARFARE
    • 2. NEW FACES AT WHITEHALL
  • CHAPTER IV. FIGHTING THE U-BOATS (December 1916-April 1917)
    • I. MEASURES TO EASE THE SHIPPING SHORTAGE
    • 2. NAVAL MEASURES OLD AND NEW
    • 3. SHIPPING DEFENCE
    • 4. THE CAMPAIGN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
  • CHAPTER V. FAILURE OF THE ANTI-SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN (February 1917-April 1917)
    • 1. SURFACE RAIDERS AND U-BOATS
    • 2. THE POT SIMMERS
  • CHAPTER VI. THE INTRODUCTION OF MERCANTILE CONVOY (December 1916-April 1917)
    • 1. FORCES AND ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION
    • 2. THE TURNING OF THE TIDE
    • 3. LLOYD GEORGE’S INTERVENTION
  • CHAPTER VII. THE AFTERMATH OF 30 APRIL (May 1917-July 1917)
    • I. REORGANIZATION OF THE ADMIRALTY
    • 2. CONVOY PROBLEMS
    • 3. CARSON’S DISMISSAL
• PART II. EBBING OF THE TIDE: the Jellicoe-Geddes Period July 1917-December 1917
  • CHAPTER VIII. A REVOLUTION AT THE ADMIRALTY (July 1917-October 1917)
    • 1. THE GEDDES RÉGIME
    • 2. FURTHER REORGANIZATION
  • CHAPTER IX. OFFENSIVE SCHEMES (July 1917-December 1917)
    • 1. MINING AND OTHER SCHEMES
    • 2. A BLOCKING OPERATION
    • 3. A NAVAL AIR OFFENSIVE
    • 4. A BALTIC OFFENSIVE
    • 5. THE NORTHERN NEUTRALS IN NAVAL STRATEGY
  • CHAPTER X. THE CONVOY SYSTEM IN OPERATION (July 1917-December 1917)
    • 1. EXTENSION OF OCEAN CONVOY
    • 2. ORGANIZATION
    • 3. PROBLEMS
    • 4. RESULTS
  • CHAPTER XI. HOME WATERS: A TALE OF WOE (October 1917–December 1917)
    • 1. THE INCIDENT OF 17 OCTOBER
    • 2. THE 17 NOVEMBER ACTION
    • 3. THE SECOND CONVOY INCIDENT
    • 4. THE DOVER STRAITS SIEVE
  • CHAPTER XII. JELLICOE’S DISMISSAL (December 1917)
    • I. IMMEDIATE BACKGROUND
    • 2. RESIGNATION AND AFTERMATH
• Index