Dazzling details of disguises
Dazzle, Disruption & Concealment, by David L Williams
Landing page image: Dazzle Ships in the London Docks (painting by John Everett, 1915). Image: Wikimedia Commons
Textbook meets coffee table book in this beautifully-presented new work. The author takes a close look at the use of maritime camouflage for merchant and military vessels in the two world wars, exploring the techniques used to achieve two aims: reduced visibility and disruption to the enemy's visual perception.
Illustrated with photographs and technical drawings throughout, this scholarly yet accessible volume covers British, French and American dazzle techniques in detail, and even includes scientific evaluations of the efficacy of each method.
Dazzle, Disruption & Concealment: the Science, Psychology and Art of Ship Camouflage
By David L Williams
History Press, £30
978 07509 96815
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Women who went from unsung to unstoppable
Seafaring Women Through History by Jo StanleyMaritime historian Dr Jo Stanley is back with a celebration of trailblazing female mariners – blending rich historical insight with contemporary perspectives to reflect on what it means to be a woman working at sea.
Titanic connections: the other ships on the scene
The Titanic Fleet: the ships involved in the Titanic disaster By Richard M. JonesRichard Jones has explored another aspect of the sinking – the stories of 30 other vessels that were connected in some way to the famous liner.
A different perspective on Titanic's sinking
Titanic’s Lifeboats: Disaster and Survival During the Liner’s Sinking By James W. BancroftFor the true collector, Titanic’s Lifeboats presents the harrowing stories of each of the lifeboats launched on that fateful evening, drawn from the testimonies of the survivors.
Female MN war veterans brought to the fore
Supposed Killed or Drowned by Enemy Action at Sea, by Nina BakerThe people whose lives Baker explores in Supposed Killed or Drowned by Enemy Action at Sea are not relatives of hers, but they are part of the Merchant Navy family. They are the Scottish women who served and died in the crews of MN vessels in the First and Second World Wars.