Battle at Sea: 3,000 Years of Naval Warfare may not sound like the most thrilling name for a book, but this stunningly illustrated publication will have even the most ardent history-phobes flicking through the pages for hours.

Put simply, this is a comprehensive history of the marine warfare. But DK (who else?) have compiled this hefty work (don't leave it on the floor you could stub your toe) drawing on the Royal Navy's vast archives of paintings, photographs, technical diagrams and historical documents, as well as sourcing information and visual aids from galleries, museums and libraries around the world. In turn, the book itself has become an essential document, as the 98,000 people who bought DK's previous title in this series, Battle, will recognise.

The large format 360-page hardback is broken down into four easy-to-navigate sections set out in chronological order highlighting major sea battles, and events such the D-Day landings. The first chpter is The Age of Galleys, and covers the first naval battles in the Eastern Mediterranean circa 3,000 BC up to the beginning of sail ships. Gun, Sail, and Empire widens the scope of the book and looks at the effect of sail on colonisation, while Steam and Steel carries the read up until Word War One and the development of the Dreadnought. The final chapter, Carriers, Submarines, and Missiles brings us naval roles in the Gulf Wars and examines the most developed vessels in the world. Each section covers naval strategy and technological developments, but also it offers a humanistic aspect. Life of all the roles involved in nautical life is examined, from the harsh life below deck to the gruesome punishments dished out  (one Dutch practise involved dragging a man under the keel).  

DK, yet again, have proved that style and substance can be achieved, and is key to producing the ultimate reference guides.