A review by kristi_starr35
Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton

5.0

This is a visually beautiful book. The illustrations are striking with their color and frequent symbolism. The story itself blends a focus on the historical events of painting dazzle ships in World War I (the US also dabbled in dazzle with over 1200 ships painted) to protect British boats from German U-boats with a call for creative solutions. Norman Wilkinson's suggestion to use camouflage not to hide but to disorient submarine commanders was certainly an example of "thinking outside the box". In addition to shedding light on a little-known piece of maritime history, author Chris Barton underscores the need for seeking solutions that, on the surface, might seem foolish. But really, does painting ships seem any more foolish than other suggestions of training birds and sea lions to spot subs, or to have swimmers smash U-boats' periscopes?

Book includes insightful author and illustrator notes, a timeline with photos, and a selected bibliography (plus a URL for the full bibliography).