The Secret Dome (Hardback)

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"This is a fine tribute to a genuinely multitalented man, and one whose achievements deserve to be properly recognised."

Warships International Fleet Review - May 2026

The book is outstanding.

I consider this book essential reading to historians within this field.

A brilliant and enlightening piece of work which packs so much in but does so exquisitely.

It is a worthy testament to the author's evident love for his work, and his mastery of the topic at hand which becomes obvious as soon as one starts reading it.

The hardback with the wonderfully designed cover graphics work really well, and once the book is opened everything about it is presented well, including the font and paper.

The book contains a wealth of detail, but is brought to the reader in a hugely assimilable fashion through short & easy to understand chapters.

The content is laced with fascinating historical vignettes. These range from the 'Horrible History' type depictions of 18th century surgery and dentistry, and the invention of modern ink in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars.

Presented in the context of Henry Christian Stevens' family history of invention, a backdrop around the aptitude prevalent in Stevens' family towards groundbreaking invention is clearly illuminated.

The Secret Dome itself was truly groundbreaking and its huge impact on (and after) the Second World War is detailed both qualitatively and quantitatively.

As a lifelong military historian I must confess to having had no knowledge of this hugely important invention and its impact in combating the Axis forces. However, the book excels even far beyond this to present a wide-ranging picture of aerial and naval warfare from a host of unexpected perspectives such as night navigation and fighting in the latter part of the war. Ewan brings to light so much; again, I'd never even heard of the B32 Bomber!

He juxtaposes earlier depictions of the fighting during the WW1 Battle of Jutland accompanied by some stark casualty statistics applicable to both sides. This is framed from the perspective of Stevens' own participation in that battle. The price paid by so many from both sides is vividly detailed, making one wonder why this hugely important battle has received so little screen time compared to other naval movie depictions. It deserves it.

The vulnerability of the navy to air attack was what drove Stevens to craft his Secret Dome invention. The Dome's mechanical and electronic operations are detailed really well and easily enough for a layperson to get to grips with, and for the imaginative reader to sense the noise, the movement and disorientation that was necessary to inoculate novice gunners to the stress of what was to come, and to get to grips with the trigonometric factors that made all the difference in gunner efficacy.

The Dome was so successful that it was modified and adopted for use throughout the Allied world, on both land and sea.

This book opens a new window into a relatively untapped field of WW2 study. It does so extremely well. Having read it I very much look forward to visiting the Langham Dome in Norfolk.

The book is a credit to Ewan Ward-Thomas as author, who has done a great service not just to his family – he is Henry Christian Stevens' grandson – but to the broader field of military history.

Another fascinating aspect is post-war awards presented to inventors such as Stevens which were not bestowed lightly, adding to the overall rich texture of the book.

Derek Molyneux. An Irish Military Historian and Author

“The author mined personal journals and correspondence and unpublished documents to bring this success story to light.”

Seapower Magazine

As featured in

AirMail - Royal Air Forces Association - Spring 2025

As featured in

The Bookseller, Jan 23