The name HMS Dreadnought is closely associated with the age of empire, the Anglo-German antagonism and the pre-First World War naval arms race. Yet it was also bound up with a range of political and cultural, national and international contexts, central to the Edwardian period. This volume investigates these contexts and their intersection in this symbolically charged icon of the Edwardian age.

Contents: Preface, Andrew Lambert and Jan Rÿger; Introduction: the Dreadnought and the Edwardian age, Robert J. Blyth; Part I The Symbolism and Significance of Dreadnought: The symbolic value of the Dreadnought, Jan Rÿger; The power of a name: tradition, technology and transformation, Andrew Lambert. Part II Political and Diplomatic Contexts: 'The greatest and richest sacrifice ever made on the altar of militarism': the finance of naval expansion, c. 1890-1914, Martin Daunton; Grey ambassador: the Dreadnought and British foreign policy, T.G. Otte; Dreadnought: a 'golden opportunity' for Germany's naval aspirations?, Michael Epkenhans. Part III Social and Cultural Contexts: The Woman's Dreadnought: maritime symbolism in Edwardian gender politics, Lucy Delap; 'The surest safeguard of peace': technology, the Navy and the nation in boys' papers, c. 1905-1907, Max Jones. Part IV Technological and Operational Contexts: Dreadnought science; the cultural construction of efficiency and effectiveness, Crosbie Smith; The battleship Dreadnought: technological, economic and strategic contexts, Eric Grove; Grand battle-fleet tactics: from the Edwardian age to Jutland, John Brooks; HMS Dreadnought and the tides of history, Paul Kennedy; Index.