England's medieval Navy, 1066-1509 : ships, men & warfare / Susan Rose.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rose, Susan, 1938- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Royal Navy--History--To 1500.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Royal Navy--Officers--History--To 1500.

Great Britain. Royal Navy.

Naval art and science--Great Britain--History--To 1500.

Naval art and science.

Ships, Medieval--Great Britain.

Ships, Medieval.

History.

Great Britain--History, Naval.

Naval history.

Physical Description:

208 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, 2013.

Summary:

We Often Think of England in terms of Shakespeare's precious stone set in a silver sea," safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders. To the English of an earlier period - from the eighth to the eleventh centuries - such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. The sea, rather than being a defensive wall, was a highway by which successive waves of invaders arrived, bringing destruction and fear in their wake. Deploying a wide range of sources, this book looks at how English kings after the Norman Conquest learned to use the Navy of England - a term which at this time included all vessels whether Royal or private, no matter what their ostensible purpose - to increase the safety and prosperity of the kingdom. Within this narrative, the author describes the design and building of ships and harbour facilities, the development of navigation and ship handling, as well as the world of the English seaman. Comparisons with the navies of England's closest neighbours - particularly France and Scotland - are also made, while notable battles such as Damme, Dover, Sluys and La Rochelle are included to explain the development of tactics and arms during the period. In a lucid and enlightening account, Susan Rose shows how the unspoken aim of successive monarchs was to begin to build "the wall" of England, its naval defenses, with a success that was to become so apparent in later centuries. Book jacket.

Contents:

The sources for Medieval Maritime history

Strategic imperatives

The 'navy of England': understanding the naval resources of the crown

Ships and ship types

Shipbuilding and shore facilities

The world of the Medieval mariner

War at sea

Corsairs and commanders

The navies of other European states

The legacy to Henry VIII.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-192) and index.

Co-p̂ublished by: Seaforth Publishing, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd.

ISBN:

9780773543225

0773543228

OCLC:

855947306