The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy

The feats of the British Navy are known and celebrated world-wide. The force that crushed the Armada in 1588 and defeated the French at Trafalgar in 1805 had a profound impact on world affairs for well nigh two centuries. More than this it worked its way deep into the national psyche--as seen in the words to Rule Britannia--not only through its many great exploits but through the reputation of the ordinary sailors for courage enterprise tenacity and humor. Written by an international team of experts this lavishly illustrated volume--boasting more than 200 pictures including sixteen pages of color plates--provides a superb chronicle of the Royal Navys glorious history. Everything is here--from the building of the Mary Rose the first great man-of-war sunk in 1545 (and recently rediscovered); to the Elizabethan navy led by such adventurers as Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins; to the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the great sea battles at Leghorn and Scheveningen and Trafalgar; to the great admirals such as Robert Blake the finest seaman of the commonwealth period and of course Horatio Nelson the greatest fighting officer in the history of the Royal Navy. Throughout the contributors illuminate the Navys evolving strategy operations ship and weapon construction organization manning training and status in society from medieval times to the present day. And they take great care to place this stirring history against the social economic and political climate of the time. There is even a fascinating look at the Royal Navys role in exploration and discovery from the great scientific voyages of Captain James Cook to the travels of the Beagle to the Galapagos Tahiti New Zealand and Australia with Charles Darwin on board. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy recounts in vivid r laoudone magnificent achievements of the worlds most famous Navy. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in maritime or military history.