Since the Second World War the old categories of destroyer and frigate have tended to merge, a process that this book traces back to the radically different Tribal class destroyers of 1936. It deals with the development of all the modern destroyer classes that fought the war, looks at the emergency programmes that produced vast numbers of trade protection vessels - sloops, corvettes and frigates - then analyses the pressures that shaped the post-war fleet, and continued to dominate design down to recent years.

Hugely successful with enthusiasts and professionals alike from its first publication in 2006, this paperback is the book's third printing.