Jane’s Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world’s warships arranged by nation, including information on ships’ names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc. Each edition describes and illustrates warships of different national naval and paramilitary forces, providing data on their characteristics. The first issue was illustrated with Jane’s own ink sketches–photos began to appear with the third volume in 1900. The present title was adopted in 1905.
It was originally published by John Frederick Thomas Jane (usually known as “Fred T.”) in London in 1898 as Jane’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, in order to assist naval officers and the general public in playing naval wargames.[1] Its success eventually launched a number of military publications carrying the name “Jane’s”. It is a unit of Jane’s Information Group, which is now owned by IHS.[2]
Ten early editions of Jane’s (those of 1898, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1914, 1919, 1924, 1931, 1939, 1944-45, and 1950-51) were reissued in facsimile reprints by Arco Publishing starting in 1969. All of these appeared in the oblong or “landscape” format that characterized the series until the 1956/57 edition, while from 1957/58 the present “portrait” layout was adopted, thus matching the sister Jane’s publication on aircraft.
Beginning in the early 2000s, Jane’s has also been published online, on CD and microfiche.
Books in order of publication:
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1906-7 | 1906 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1924 | 1924 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1939 | 1939 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1950-51 | 1951 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1955-56 | 1955 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1957-58 | 1957 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships, 1898: A Reprint Of The 1898 Edition Of Fighting Ships | 1969 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1914 | 1969 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1919 | 1969 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905-6 | 1970 |
| Janes Fighting Ships 1971-1972 | 1972 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1987-88 | 1987 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1988-89 | 1988 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I – a Comprehensive Encyclopedia with More Than 1000 Illustrations | 1990 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1990-91 | 1990 |
| Jane’s American Fighting Ships of the 20th Century | 1991 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1991-92 | 1991 |
| Janes Fighting Ships 92-93 | 1992 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II | 1994 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships Recognition Handbook | 1994 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1995-96 | 1995 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1996-97 | 1996 |
| Jane’s War at Sea 1897-1997: 100 Years of Jane’s Fighting Ships | 1997 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 1997-98 | 1997 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2002-2003 | 2002 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2004-2005 | 2004 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships | 2005 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2011-2012 | 2011 |
| Ihs Jane’s Fighting Ships 12/13 | 2012 |
| Ihs Jane’s Fighting Ships 2013/2014 | 2013 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2014-2015: Yearbook | 2014 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2015 2016: Yearbook | 2015 |
| Jane’s Fighting Ships 2016/2017: Yearbook | 2015 |
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