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. Written by America's leading authority, it is an objective but sympathetic view of the difficult economic and political environment in which British designers had to work, and benefits from the author's ability to compare and contrast the US Navy's experience. Norman Friedman is renowned for his ability to explain the policy and strategy changes that drive design decisions, and his latest book uses previously unpublished material to draw a new and convincing picture of British naval policy over the previous seventy years and more. Hugely successful with enthusiasts and professionals alike from its first publication in 2006, this is the book's third edition. - Di Norman Friedman, con disegni al tratto di A.D. Baker III, questa autorevole trattazione sull’evoluzione delle cacciatorpediniere e fregate britanniche della seconda guerra mondiale ad oggi. Prende in esame tutte le diverse classi di nave realizzate in questo periodo con dati storico-tecnici completi e attraverso l’analisi di materiale inedito ritrovato in archivi fornisce una nuova panoramica sulla politica navale britanniche degli ultimi 50 e oltre anni. La ricca iconografia comprende 200 foto in bianco e nero e 60 piani di costruzione.