It may be remembered that back in 2022 I pointed out a rather obvious flaw in the new introduction to an old book reprinted by Seaforth. Today I was looking at The Royal Navy Officer’s Jutland Pocket-Manual 1916, a cretinously-named 2016 cash in (I’m sorry, reprint) of New Battleship Organisations by Commander (later Admiral Sir) William M. James. Cretinously-named, as it has bugger all to do with Jutland, and the original book definitely wasn’t pocket sized (my own copy belonged to Vice-Admiral Sir Stuart Bonham Carter, a lieutenant who served in the Emperor of India for most of the war, and distant relative of Helena). A new introduction was written by Brian Lavery, described as ‘one of the foremost historians of the Royal Navy’. At the beginning of this introduction we are informed that James ‘entered the navy at the age of 13 by the training ship Britannia in 1895′.
A slight problem. He was 14 and he entered the training ship in 1896.
The publisher of The Royal Navy Officer’s Jutland Manual, and the commissioner of this introduction? None other than Seaforth’s Pen & Sword stablemate, Casemate Publishers. Does anyone proof-read this stuff?
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