"Jane's Fighting Ships 2000-2001," edited by Richard Sharpe, is a truly monumental reference work. At about 1,000 richly illustrated pages long, this is one solid book. The bulk of the book consists of alphabetical entries on nations (from Angola to Yugoslavia) with warships and other national waterborne vessels.The book also contains a color chart of the flags displayed on the ships of each nation, and charts showing the ranks and insignia of each nation's navy, coast guard, and/or maritime police force.
For each nation, the book gives information on the navy and other watergoing forces (key leadership, number of personnel, etc). The book covers the various types of vessels employed in each force, giving a wealth of data on each class of vessel: crew complement, weapons systems, dimensions, etc. There are many full-color photos and labeled drawings.
You'll find detailed data on all types of ships: icebreakers, tugs, small patrol craft, aircraft carriers, destroyers, survey ships, minesweepers, underway replenishment tankers, strategic missile submarines, barracks ships, amphibious assault ships, floating drydocks, salvage ships, hospital ships, and much, much, more. The book even includes the patrol boats used by the Swiss Navy on the lakes of that landlocked nation. There is also information on shipboard aircraft.
Along the way are many fascinating facts about the history and capabilities of various ships. "JFS 00-01" is a truly remarkable, visually stunning compilation of naval information.
