author
John Rushworth Jellicoe
1859–1935
A central figure in British naval history, this admiral led the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland during the First World War and later served as governor-general of New Zealand. His career stretched from the age of empire into the modern era of steel battleships and global war.
2 Audiobooks
The Crisis of the Naval War
by John Rushworth Jellicoe
The Grand Fleet, 1914-1916 : its creation, development and work
by John Rushworth Jellicoe
About the author
Born in Southampton in 1859, he entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1874 and built a reputation as a skilled and thoughtful officer. Early in his career he saw action in Egypt and China, and he became closely associated with naval gunnery and modernization at a time when the Royal Navy was changing fast.
He is best remembered for commanding the Grand Fleet during the First World War, especially at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. His handling of that battle has been debated for years, but he remained one of the most important naval leaders of the war and later served as First Sea Lord.
After the war, he continued in public service as governor-general of New Zealand from 1920 to 1924. He was created Earl Jellicoe, and he died in London in 1935, leaving behind a reputation shaped by both achievement and controversy.