By V. M. Tomitch Reviewed by Rob Mackie |
My eyes grew wide when I opened Warships
of the Imperial Russian Navy. It’s 102 softbound 8"x11"
pages are crammed with information about Russian battleships from the advent of steam
through World War I. And the text is in English! There are over 130 black and white
photos, most of them from private collections, and twenty-five 1:800 plan/profile line
drawings.  High quality 1:700 models of Russian Dreadnought-era battleships are
starting to become available, but the instructions and documentation accompanying these
kits is minimal, to say the least. This book fills the void. You get the technical
particulars of every battleship class as well as a concise operating history. Photo
reproduction is generally acceptable (pictured is the Peter Velikey) and the line
drawings crystal clear. I rather doubt whether there is any comparable English reference
for Russian capital ships of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.V. M. Tomitch, a Russian émigré living in San Francisco, wrote the book in 1968. Fortunately Mr. Tomitch saved some copies from the original press run. They have been carefully stored and were printed on acid-free glossy paper, so there has been no deterioration. I strongly recommend this book to any modeler or naval history enthusiast with an interest in the ships of this era. Pacific Front has them at $30 but quantities are limited. Addenda
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