Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion

During World War I, British and American vessels were painted in bold geometric patterns called dazzle camouflage. The designs were intended to make it harder for German submarines to judge a ship’s direction. Norman Wilkinson, a Royal Navy Reserve commander, originated the idea; women artists in Britain and members of the U.S. Women’s Reserve Camouflage Corps also helped carry it out. The book explores this wartime experiment, although whether the camouflage succeeded remains uncertain.