Sino-Japanese Naval War 1894-1895
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: Piotr Olender
Publisher: Mushroom Model Publications
ISBN: 978-83-63678-30-2
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 228
The history of China and Japan in the latter half of the 19th Century is an interesting one, as their respective policies of isolationism fell to the wayside under pressures from Europe and the United States. By the end of the century, both sides were at odds with one another, and conflict was inevitable. China, with a weak central government and provincial leaders gaining in strength, needed reforms but lacked the motivation and ability to enact them. Japan, on the other hand, had a strong central government, but had that power challenged by pressures from the United States. In the late 1800s, Japan underwent significant political changes, and by the end of the century, looked to the continent as a place to further secure their power.
This book in the Mushroom Model Publications Maritime Series examines the naval war between China and Japan at the height of their conflict. This is more of a detailed historical text than a reference on the ships involved, and as such it is an excellent read. The author clearly has a passion for the era and the subject, and the depth of research is quite thorough. For those who wish to delve even deeper, there is a comprehensive bibliography that should cover all the bases.
For the scale modeler, the book does provide a good selection of photos, no small feat given the era and location. Of course, all the photos are black and white (it was the 1890s after all), but many of them are sharp and clear, highlighting the great variety of ships that were involved in this war. The ships include both indigenous designs as well as foreign hulls that came from France, England, and elsewhere. The book also includes several pages of side-view scale drawings.
For those interested in naval warfare at the end of the 1800s, this book is an essential piece to the era's historiography. My thanks to Mushroom Model Publications for the review copy.