This is a collection of 33 short essays by various authors describing some of the biggest naval warfare mistakes ever made. Starting with the American Revolutionary War, where America first flexed its muscles as a naval-capable power, and running through the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, a huge variety and cross-section of battles are described and critiqued. While the majority of the essays outline the vast operations across many oceans and countries that collectively made up WWII, there are stories from the American Revolution, WWI, Korea, the Cold War and finally the battles in the Mideast, ending with the Iran/Iraq War.

Many of the worst failures were due to very bad decisions often made by the commanding admirals. These decisions caused death for many and often changed the course of a war or had a major impact on the final outcome of the conflict.

You do not need to be a naval or military history buff to enjoy these collected works. The chapters are well-written and an easy read. Reading the book can give anyone a good feel for the complexity and confusion of warfare in any age and a greater appreciation for the courage it took to man those wooden and steel man-of-war boats and ships.