Paul Wright (8) (1947–)

You get a class by class technical description and illustration of all ship types, and a short overview of the battleship actions in WW I. As Austria-Hungary only built five classes of battleship and operational use was limited, the subject neatly fits in the Vanguard format.
The author know his stuff and, while he gives credit to the ingeniosity and fighting spirit of the Austro-Hungarian navy, he is not blind to its shortcomings either.

Austria-Hungary did not have an overseas empire; its empire lay within its own boundaries and the primary purpose of its navy until the beginning of the twentieth century was the defense of its coastline. As its merchant marine dramatically grew, admirals believed that the navy should take a more proactive policy of defense. The 1890s saw the beginning of a series of naval building programs that would create a well-balanced modern fleet. Cruisers were constructed for the protection of show more overseas trade and for “showing the flag” but the decisive projection of Austria-Hungary's commitment to control the Adriatic was the construction of a force of modern battleships. Despite the naval arms race throughout Europe at the time, the navy had difficulty obtaining funds for new ships. show less