Product Description

The British did not take to water like ducks, for centuries doing little but cling to coastal waters. The Romans and Vikings knocked spots of us as seamen, and the English upper classes saw seafaring as mercantile and beneath them. Britain's success at sea began with Elizabeth I and the defeat of the Armada, thanks to superior gunnery and seamanship. Elizabeth employed practical seamen like Hawkins and Drake - and they repaid her trust. Howarth reconstructs the expansion of trade routes and the great 18th century days of the line of battle ships. With Napoleon's fall, the British were free to expand, and their prestige rose so high that sea warfare almost ceased as British ships patrolled the oceans. In the 20th century, the British navy was twice as big as any other. Full of anecdote, erudition and humour, this is a classic account.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #212303 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Does what it says.
I enjoyed reading this book especially because the detail of the ships themselves and the famous people who sailed them (Hudson, Drake, Nelson, Cook ect.). If you know nothing of ships and just want some history this is probably not for you but if you have a very slight interest in the sea then you will likely enjoy this book.