A Missed Opportunity
Salvo! is a book that describes a number of surface (gunnery/torpedo) naval battles from the late 1800s through World War 2. Several of those battles, especially the Yalu River between the Chinese and Japanese, are all but unknown. This book's strength lies in descibing such engagements.But what should have been a highly valuable history is marred by a startling number of factual errors and by the author's bitter hostility to the US Navy. The author takes as many shots at the USN as his subjects do at each other. As often as not, they are nothing more than opinion, or based on inaccurate information, or subjective in ignoring similar events in other navies.If you find this book on the bargain table, consider it. Approach it with caution and don't use it as a reference. Do not under any circumstance pay full price for it.