The Scapegoat: The life and tragedy of a fighting admiral and Churchill's role in his death - Steve R Dunn

The information presented was written by Chris Buckham; however, it was published in Soldier Magazine. Therefore, the material is reproduced here by the author with the permission of the magazine. If you would like to republish this information or refer to excerpts please contact the Assistant Editor Soldier Magazine (rclark@soldiermagazine.co.uk). Website for the Magazine is: http://www.army.mod.uk/soldier-magazine/soldier-magazine.aspx

Title: The Scapegoat: The life and tragedy of a fighting admiral and Churchill's role in his death

Author: Steve R Dunn
ISBN: 978-1-84624-971-6
Hardcover
Pages: 252
Publisher: Book Guild Publishing
Photo's: 4 b/w
Rating: 4/5

The Battle of Coronel in WW1 has, for the most part, faded into the annals of history; the author has shed new light on this engagement. Drawing upon a myriad of primary sources, Dunn highlights the politics, jealousies, tragedy and farce that undermined the ultimately futile efforts of Admiral Cradock to stop the German Far East fleet from escaping back to Germany at the beginning of the war. Well-written, balanced and critical, the author presents the reader with a macro level canvas encompassing issues of political interference, ship building technology and service environments of both adversaries before focusing on the personalities of Cradock, Churchill and the battle that cost him (Cradock) his life. An engaging read of a noble yet tragic figure.