- Hardcover: 976 pages
- Publisher: Allen Lane; 1st Edition edition (7 Oct 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0713994118
- ISBN-13: 978-0713994117
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.6 x 6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 295,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Command of the Ocean
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
NAM Rodger’s The Command of the Ocean, the second part of his naval history trilogy that began with The Safeguard of the Sea, describes Britain’s rise to naval greatness during the period 1649-1815 when she finally gained sovereignty of the seas around the British Isles. It ably demonstrates the importance of naval history to the life of government and the nation; links naval history with political, social, economic, diplomatic, administrative, medical and religious history and charts the naval histories of Britain’s enemies and neighbors including France, Holland, Spain, Denmark and the United States.
Have no doubt, this is a brilliant piece of scholarship, cleverly organized and wonderfully written. Given the promising subject matter of naval warfare to work with it is not surprising that an historian with literary flair can produce a gripping narrative. Perhaps what is surprising is that half the book is devoted to the seemingly mundane background of naval history--how the Navy was managed, financed, directed, and supplied with materials, how the men were fed and so on--rather than the showy foreground, yet it remains a deeply engrossing read throughout. The secret of Rodger’s success is not just down to the cracking narrative and fine scholarship but partly to the way he has organized his material. The main body of the book is arranged into four parallel streams: policy, strategy and naval operations; finance, administration and logistics; social history; and finally the tools of sea-power, ships and weapons. These four themes are broken up into thirty six relatively small chapters each covering a certain time span. Constructing the book in this way has certain practical advantages for the reader. Most importantly, separating the key themes and alternating between them keeps the narrative fresh and interesting while giving the reader the best chance of taking on board the who, what, where, when, how and why of things without losing either the sense of continuity or one’s bearings. Over 100 pages of information are left outside the main body of the text: the front of the book contains several maps, a useful chart listing dates, battles and the names of the ships involved while the back contains an English glossary, a general chronology and appendixes on ships, fleets, rates of pay, Admirals and officials, manpower and naval finance. Rodger’s choice of structure along with his great story-telling abilities means we can assimilate the maximum amount of information with a minimal degree of effort while being thoroughly entertained along the way. On the whole The Command of the Ocean is one those rare specimens that will simultaneously stimulate the specialist and greatly please the general reader. --Larry Brown
Paul Kennedy, The Sunday Times
'nothing written during the past century, perhaps ever, approaches Rodger’s ambitious and masterly three-volume Naval History of Britain'
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First Sentence
The English Commonwealth which executed its former king Charles I on 30 January 1649 was in principle a republic governed by a sovereign Parliament, but the Parliament was the 'Rump' remaining of the Long Parliament (originally elected in 1640) after Colonel Thomas Pride's troops had purged it of all remaining opponents of military rule in December. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The English Commonwealth which executed its former king Charles I on 30 January 1649 was in principle a republic governed by a sovereign Parliament, but the Parliament was the 'Rump' remaining of the Long Parliament (originally elected in 1640) after Colonel Thomas Pride's troops had purged it of all remaining opponents of military rule in December. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is not a pub quiz book,
By
This review is from: The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815 (Hardcover)
NAM Roger has continued the excellent work he started with his first volume. This is an excellent book, well referenced and remarkably readable. Covering the technical, social and historical aspects of the Royal Navy for the period he has avoided the trap of concentrating on the battles and gives a clear view of the difficulties that the Royal Navy had to overcome to make it the force that it was in the nineteenth century. This is not a pub quiz book, however, anyone who is serious about British naval history should read this book.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant at sea, but also good all round,
This review is from: The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649-1815 (Paperback)
This is a brilliant book to read for anyone, whether they are a professional historian, or just as a passing fancy.
It highlights not just the military side of the period, but also the social and political aspects of it, portraying the personalities of the period with the utmost accuracy. There are also some fundamental points made in this book which although complex, are explained so well that they will improve any readers understanding of the period.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written and dispells many myths,
By
This review is from: The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649-1815 (Paperback)
I picked up this book in Portsmouth after having realised I knew next to nothing about the true history of the Navy (apart from Nelson). This book was a delight, alternating between the naval history, the social background and technical developments. The one bit that really grabbed me was the role of Samuel Pepys in the Royal Navy. Also, the author goes into a few myths and errors that previous historians have introduces in their books, which shows how well researched the book is. I am now going to get the earlier book in the series to see where it all began.
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