This is the best one-volume history of World War Two at sea that I have read. Extremely well written, it provides a comprehensive overview of all major (and some minor) theaters of naval action during the war.

This book covers the naval war during World War II in all areas the Atlantic, the Pacific, and even smaller places like the Mediterranean encounters. It is therefore a comprehensive history. It is well written, easy to understand and with some humour. What made this book interesting for me is that the author puts the naval war in a larger context . For each country the navy is described not only in what ships etc they had but also how the command structure was, how the navy fitted in with the overall strategy of the leaders and why thus success or failure was often pre- programmed. The author also demonstrates how the character of the war at sea changed due to technological advances. It also becomes clear that the naval war was part of total war and hence the party which could come up with more materiel would eventually win. I found the 600 pages fascinating and easy to read and would strongly recommend this book.

"The War for the Seas: A Maritime History of World War II" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Evan Hawdsley. Mr. Hawdsley had published more than ten books. 

I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The book covers World War II at sea around the world. All the major players in WWII maritime warfare are covered. This book gives the reader a very comprehensive look at the naval action of WWII. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 25+ hours I spent reading this 568-page comprehensive history of WWII at sea. While this book is full of details, it read well. I think that better cover art could have been selected. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I've seen many books that cover the war in the Atlantic or the Pacific, but this is the first all the major naval engagements worldwide. It also covers the naval actions of the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, and the USSR - something that's also a rarity in books on WWII.

The author weaves all of the great powers and all of the seas together in one big story. Highly recommended.