The command of the ocean : a naval history of Britain, 1649-1815 / N.A.M. Rodger.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rodger, N. A. M., 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain--History, Naval--18th century.

Great Britain.

Naval history.

Great Britain--History, Naval--Stuarts, 1603-1714.

Great Britain--History, Naval--19th century.

Physical Description:

lxv, 907 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First American edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : W.W. Norton, 2005.

Summary:

The Command of the Ocean describes with unprecedented authority and scholarship the rise of Britain to naval greatness, and the central place of the British Navy and naval activity in the life of the nation and its government. Based on the author's own research in a dozen languages over more than a decade, it describes not just battles, voyages, and cruises but also how the navy was manned; how it was supplied with timber, hemp, and iron; how its men (and sometimes women) were fed; and above all how it was financed and directed. It was during the century and a half covered by this book that the successful organizing of these last three-victualing, money, and management-took the navy to the heart of the British state. It is the great achievement of The Command of the Ocean to show how completely integrated and mutually dependent Britain and its navy became.

N. A. M. Rodger provides convincing reassessments of such famous figures as Pepys, Hawke, Howe, and St. Vincent. The particular and distinct qualities of Nelson and Collingwood are illuminatingly contrasted, and the world of the officers and men who made up the originals of Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower is brilliantly brought to life. Rodger's comparative view of other navies-French, Dutch, Spanish, and American-allows him to make a fresh assessment of the qualities of the British.

Contents:

1 A Mountain of Iron: Operations 1649-1654 1

2 Cromwell's Hooves: Operations 1654-1659 20

3 A Looking-Glass of Calamity: Administration 1649-1660 33

4 The Melody of Experienced Saints: Social History 1649-1660 50

5 Terrible, Obstinate and Bloody Battle: Operations 1660-1668 65

6 Protestant Liberty: Operations 1668-1687 80

7 Amazement and Discontent: Administration 1660-1688 95

8 Learning and Doing and Suffering: Social History 1660-1688 112

9 Mad Proceedings: Operations 1688-1692 136

10 Notorious and Treacherous Mismanagement: Operations 1693-1700 152

11 An Additional Empire: Operations 1701-1714 164

12 Strife and Envy: Administration 1689-1714 181

13 Our Mob: Social History 1689-1714 201

14 Great Frigates: Ships 1649-1714 216

15 Pride and Prejudice: Operations 1715-1744 226

16 A Strong Squadron in Soundings: Operations 1744-1748 241

17 A Scandal to the Navy: Operations 1749-1758 257

18 Myths Made Real: Operations 1758-1763 272

19 The Great Wheels of Commerce and War: Administration 1715-1763 291

20 Disagreeable Necessities: Social History 1715-1763 312

21 The Battle of the Legislature: Operations 1763-1779 327

22 Distant Waters: Operations 1780-1783 343

23 The British Lion Has Claws: Operations 1784-1792 358

24 Plans of Improvement: Administration 1763-1792 368

25 A Golden Chain or a Wooden Leg: Social History 1763-1792: Officers 380

26 Dividing and Quartering: Social History 1763-1792: Men and Manning 395

27 Science versus Technology: Ships 1714-1815 408

28 Order and Anarchy: Operations 1793-1797 426

29 Infinite Honour: Social History 1793-1802: Men and Manning 442

30 The Second Coalition: Operations 1797-1801 454

31 A Great and Virtuous Character: Administration 1793-1815 473

32 A Thinking Set of People: Social History 1803-1815: Men and Manning 489

33 Honour and Salt Beef: Social History 1793-1815: Officers 507

34 Gain and Loss: Operations 1803-1805 528

35 A Continental System: Operations 1806-1811 545

36 No Greater Obligations: Operations 1812-1815 563

Appendix II Ships 606

Appendix III Fleets 610

Appendix IV Rates of Pay 618

Appendix V Admirals and Officials 629

Appendix VI Manpower 636

Appendix VII Naval Finance 640.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [777]-863) and index.

ISBN:

0393060500

OCLC:

56922464