War at Sea in the Ironclad Age (History of Warfare)

About this book

Navies once had to depend on the kindness of winds to move them towards their destination--but in one of the most dramatic changes in military machinery the ironclad steam-powered ship took over. This new armored warship ensured British invincibility at sea and secured for them the most extensive empire ever known. But the English were not the lone beneficiaries of these new battleships: they also proved crucial during other wars as well including the American Civil War. With the help of over 150 illustrations and color maps including computer-generated cartography an eminent former Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy describes the changes in technology that led to these supreme instruments of sea warfare the evolution in weapons and tactics and the strategies that forever transformed conflict on the high seas.