Books
by N A M Rodger
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The Command of the Ocean - A Naval History of Britain 1649-1815 |
The second of Rodger's trilogy of naval histories, this is one of the most impressive, comprehensive and yet readable works I've had the chance to enjoy. From Cromwell to Nelson, the author defines each epoch in three ways - as Social, Operational and Organizational history. So it's not just about battles, it's about attitudes, politics, design and innovation. More importantly it's how they all came together to provide Britain with the means of achieving utter dominion over the oceans.
(Clive Yelf - bwl 50 March 2009) |
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The Price of Victory: A Naval History of Britain 1815-1945 |
This the third and final volume of Rodger’s monumental naval history of Britain, shows how the service reformed itself in the course of the nineteenth century. Despite being the largest and most powerful naval power, Britain entered the first word war with a remarkably dysfunctional process of command and control and in the absence of a clear strategy for conducting naval warfare. In summary, he sets the scene for Britain’s headlong decline as a worldwide maritime power.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 118 Autumn 2025) |
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