His treatment of Childers's problematical management style is selective and misleading. The reader will not learn that the dockyards' failure to reach building targets was a factor of technological change and admiralty policy. Inconsistencies in the pattern of expenditure are carefully noted but not explained. An apparent enormous increase in the cost of ships, simply attributed to a mysterious bookkeeping change, actually reflected a crucially important accounting innovation. Beeler's book is unusual in having, literally, a hero and a villain.
Evidence is piled on, but it is one-sided.
Robinson would surely appeal if he could. 8 J. M. Haas Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Content in the History Cooperative database is intended for personal, noncommercial use only. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.