Product Description

Following the acclaimed Frontiers, Noel Mostert's new book chronicles the first true 'world war'. This was to be the longest, hardest and cruellest war ever fought at sea - on a scale comparable only with the Second World War. Methods of battle under sail, little altered for centuries, would be forced to change and develop at an unprecedented pace that brought with it the fearsome power of rockets, torpedoes and submarines. While the war on land saw the rise of the greatest soldier the world had known - Napoleon Buonaparte - the war at sea had the unprecedented genius of Horatio Nelson. Mostert writes with intriguing insight about the parallels between the two historic figures. In February 1793 France declared war on Britain and Holland. The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars that raged for the next twenty-two years saw European powers manoeuvring for mercantile and political advantage, in a complex and ever-changing web of alliances and coalitions. By 1815 the world was a different place, age-old certainties were shattered, established dynasties and kingdoms overthrown, the United States had been established as a world power and a new age was dawning.The Great War, as it was known to contemporaries, spanned generations and continents. In The Line Upon a Wind, Noel Mostert has achieved a work of unparalleled research, rousing descriptions and illuminating analysis - maritime history at its very best.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #269579 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

The Independent
`enthralling [...] A great book for the beach'

Saul David
'Mostert's research has been prodigious. He takes almost 100 pages
to set a scene, but barely a sentence is wasted'

Financial Times
'There's enough here [...] to satisfy even the most demanding
naval polymath.'

Customer Reviews

pop history
From the very first page, Mostert treats the reader with sweeping generalisations which left this reader (who has no more than a BA in English History) wiping his eyes with disbelief. We are treated to the usual myths about the unique bellicosity of Europeans, compared to the peace-loving orientals (has the man never read about the bloody history of the Shogunate? or the brutal subjection of women in China, which continues to this day?). He writes about the 30 Years War of the 17th century, in apparent ignorance of its religious nature. He writes off Spanish naval power as early as 1653--yet over 150 years later, almost half of Villeneuve's fleet at Trafalgar were Spanish ships. I could go on, but let us just say that after having read several superb works of history aimed at the general reader, this is a huge disappointment. Save your money and buy Patrick O'Brien instead; he may write novels, but he's a lot closer to his subject than Mostert will ever be.

A great read, but not a quick read
I don't have a BA in History. I don't need one - this is a thoroughly enjoyable book, bringing for those that can see incredible parallels with our current times. I would not hesitate to say that this is one of the best three books of any genre, fiction or non-fiction, that I have ever read. BUY IT!

An Excellent Account
This is an excellent account of the war at sea between 1793 and 1815. It is very well researched and Mostert provides superb analysis. The book brings home the astonishing achievements of the sailors and officers of the Royal Navy during this period. The brutality, endurance and bravery is almost beyond modern comprehension. This book elicited very positive reviews in the Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and The Scotsman, don't let the curious 1 star review above put you off.