Válečné lodě na Jadranu 1857-1897 – Jelínek Milan (2020)

The naval history of the 19th century remains relatively hidden from Czech readers, yet it continues to generate considerable interest in Western countries. Rightfully so. At that time, the seas and oceans were ruled by Great Britain, which ambitious France sought to rival, while Russia lagged somewhat behind, although it was still very strong at sea. However, after 1861, the military-naval potential of Italy quickly rose, followed a few decades later by Germany and Japan... Nevertheless, the greatest interest among domestic enthusiasts of naval history at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is directed towards the Austro-Hungarian Navy, in which many Czech young men served. One of the few ways to bring the maritime history of the 19th century closer to Czech fans of naval history is to uncover the development of the naval forces of the Habsburg monarchy after 1866. The author Milan Jelínek from Hradec Králové took advantage of this and prepared a unique book in our country, focusing on the development of military-naval technology, the political motivations behind this development, the technological capabilities of the imperial shipyards, and personnel matters of the Austro-Hungarian naval forces, as well as the rise of naval warfare in the neighboring Kingdom of Italy, and he could not overlook the significant progress in ship development.