From the sinking of the British passenger liner Athenia on September 3, 1939, by a German U-boat (against orders), to the Japanese surrender onboard the Missouri, on September 2, 1945, War at Sea covers every major naval battle of World War II. War at Sea is a comprehensive history for the general reader that details the operations of all the combatants. For the first time equal weight has been given to the battles fought by the four primary navies - the U.S., the British, the German, and the Japanese. It also includes the vital role played by the Canadian, Italian, and Soviet navies. Using archival material such as intelligence documents, ship logs, official reports, and interviews with surviving servicemen, Nathan Miller has written a lively and fascinating book that focuses on the stories of the men involved. War at Sea is filled with anecdotes and personal accounts, giving a complete picture of the human side of the struggle and what life at sea was like - from being hit by torpedoes to living in the confines of a submarine for weeks at a time. Mr. Miller gives the political and historical background necessary to analyze the strategies of the combatants.