I was shocked to see this review...I literally just bought the book as a reference for the British cruisers I'm modeling for my WWI mod, "Wolves of the Kaiser". I haven't spent nearly enough quality time with it, but I agree wholeheartedly with the praise and criticism.
On the plus side you really do get an excellent idea of how politics, other nations' fleet doctrines, and empire building affected each cruiser design. Literally every cruiser crevice seems to get a mention...lol...from coal scuttles to torpedo tubes to the different lifeboats. And the drawings themselves have a wonderful level of detail.
On the negative side, I too was frustrated by how many details were sunk in the space between each pair of pages...extremely disheartening when I need good line drawings to design my models. I'm thinking about getting another copy and having the binding removed so the profiles can be scanned properly.
Nevertheless, it was a great buy for an armored cruiser lover like myself...they have a special place in my heart bc these were very attractive, imposing ships. Not to mention that they figured large in nearly all of the Royal Navy misadventures I read about when I was a boy...for instance, HMS Hampshire sunk with Lord Kitchener, and HMS Black Prince vs. the whole High Seas Fleet at point blank range. And then, of course, there were Aboukir/Cressy/Hogue and the "Live Bait Squadron", which kind of disturbed me as a kid....THREE in one day? Really?....
Anyways, a fact-packed read with a few technical issues detracting, but a cruiser lover's delight. A great reference on the fleet's unsung heroines. My verdict is 4/5 stars.
