[.ca] Safeguard Of The Sea (ISBN 0393319601)

From Amazon.com:
"Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves...." The dominance of the British Royal Navy in maritime history is legendary, but this has not always been the case. Various attempts to build and sustain a national standing Navy were attempted by a number of rulers, from Edward the Confessor in the 11th century to Henry V in the 15th century. It wasn't until the Tudor reign (1485 to 1603), however, that a permanent, effective Navy emerged. Until this time the shores of Britain had been susceptible to attack and invasion. N.A.M. Rodger's compendium on the history of the Royal Navy (the first of a four volume set) reminds us that "the successful navies have been those which rested on long years of steady investment in the infrastructure ... of a seagoing fleet." Emphasizing the important role the Tudors played in building the financial foundation for the Navy, Rodger focuses on the role of Elizabeth I's administration and the amount of money shipbuilding absorbed during her reign. He also traces the evolution of professionalism in the Navy, demonstrating how the rank of naval officer became socially respectable, even though it was not exclusively open to just nobles--indeed, Francis Drake came from an impoverished background--setting a standard that would see the British Navy dominate the oceans for many years. A fellow in the British National Maritime Museum, Rodger's unique understanding of this history comes across well as he explores a number of themes, ranging from policy and strategy to ship and weapon design. He gathers this information from Anglo-Saxon, Danish, French, Irish, and Spanish sources, carefully weaving these materials into an immense tapestry of incredible depth and scope. In years to come The Safeguard of the Sea promises to be the definitive account of British Naval History long after Britannia has stopped ruling the waves.

The Navy, Not the Battles:
In this splendid book, the author examines the evolution of British seapower from its earliest days to the mid-seventeenth century. Those looking for breathless (and usually fanciful) accounts of battles will be disappointed -- and enlightened. This book does cover countless conflicts and engagements, but the focus is upon the navy as an organization; a challenge to and a reflection of the evolving institutions of finance, government and society. The author's command of the subject is overwhelming. Thankfully, the book itself is not. The thematic structure of the book imposes a sense of order upon an otherwise confusing mass of information. The illustrations and maps are of limited interest, though the text needs no adornment. Those interested in the design of warships can find appropriate drawings in other sources. The author does display some biases, particularly with regard to the influence of religion on British politics, but those biases are unobtrusive and lend added provocative interest to the book. It may seem strange to say that a book of this length and scholarship is hard to put down, but this one truly is.