Naval history book recommendations

I'm reading Castles of Steel, a history of the naval side of the First World War by Robert K. Massie. I'm quite liking it so far, though I've barely started - Jellicoe's just replaced Callaghan. Massie's quoting from a lot of diaries and memoirs of the people involved, so it's possible to get a feel for the personal views and feelings of most of the key players.

Are there any books on naval history that the users here would especially recommend? Or, indeed, advise people to stay away from?

Currently I'm in the process of finishing On Seas Contested by Vincent O'Hara, W. David Dickson, and Richard Worth. It's a really nice sort of survey book that looks at the seven principle navies of the world leading up to WWII, their equipment, personnel, and doctrines, and how the combination played out during the war. It's a really good read for an overall understanding of the situation.

I'm also currently reading Struggle for the Middle Sea, another book by Vincent O'Hara that treats the various conflicts within the Mediterranean in great detail.

In the queue is In the Hands of Fate, which is a detailed look at the actions of Patrol Wing 10 (USN PBY squadron) during the early days of the Pacific. Haven't read a whole lot so far, but it promises to be very informative.

I'd also recommend Black Cat Raiders of WWII, if you've got any interest in seaplanes or in reading about actions that haven't gotten the same press. It's a shorter book composed of equal parts narrative and anecdotes from interviews of surviving crews that tells how PBY's went from being outdated and outmatched daytime bombers to being a nighttime scourge of the Tokyo Express.

I don't know if you use Facebook, but there's a closed group you can ask to join called Naval Book Review. If you're looking for recommendations on specific interests, it's a great place to ask.

www.facebook.com/groups/147847172303109/

Hope that helps some!