It was Henry VIII who began the process of making England a first-rate sea-power. He inherited no more than seven warships from his father King Henry VII, yet at his own death the King's Navy had 53 seaworthy ships afloat (much the same size as the Royal Navy today) manned by almost 8,000 sailors. Here was the springboard for Queen Elizabeth's captains (such as Francis Drake) a decade later. As G R Elton has commented (in 'England Under he Tudors') Henry VIII originally needed a navy to hold the English Channel and blockade the enemy while he invaded France. Later when invasion from the continent grew serious Henry's navy fought in many actions. Moorhouse doesn't only deal with seagoing exploits. Thanks to Henry VIII dockyards were built (Greenwich and Deptford), timber had to be felled in quantities previously unknown (from land seized during the dissolution of the monasteries), and hemp (for rope) was harvested; new skills were developed, not least the gun-founders and the master shipwrights. Some of the ships were celebrated - 'Henry Grace a Dieu' (aka 'Great Harry') was the biggest ship in the world - 1,000 tons, 122 guns, crew of 700 and the 'Mary Rose' (500 tons, 80 guns, 40 crew) became one of the most famous after she heeled over too far, took water and sank with the loss of almost all hands off Portsmouth. In addition to guarding the Channel (three sea wars against the French during Henry's reign) there were naval skirmishes against the Scots. Moorhouse makes parallels with events 400 years later off Normandy. KING HARRY'S NAVY draws on Moorhouse's special skills of description and atmosphere, which critics invariably comment on when reviewing his books.
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"Geoffrey Moorhouse... brings to the subject a deep knowledge and love of the period (as shown previously in his book The Pilgrimage of Grace). With infectious relish he tells us everything that was going on in England at the time... in his detailed narrative of English naval and military affaris over the 38 years of Henry's reign. It is a rich fruitcake of a story, laden with plums... he gives us a rich and colourful tapestry of the age." (NAM RODGER GUARDIAN )
"Till now a tabloid historiography has focused on his domestic difficulties and his spats with Rome, and this achievement has gone unregarded. As this absorbing study demonstrates, however, Henry's great project had implications for everything from diplomacy to the environment, and did much to build the Britannia which one day would rule the waves." (THE SCOTSMAN )
"Henry VIII's complex domestic life - he had six wives - has rather overshadowed that he founded what was to become the Royal Navy. But no more, in this well-researched and pacy account..." (BELFAST TELEGRAPH )
"Moorhouse has all the credentials for writing this book... this book - which is beautifully written - should please the most rigorous academics as well as the general reader... His new book should change people's perceptions of this famous historical figure, and add another reason to that list of why he is remembered. It is also, it has to be said, a rattling good read." (TRIBUNE )
" a good deal of detail about life in the Tudor navy." (DORSET ECHO )
"Till now a tabloid historiography has focused on his domestic difficulties and his spats with Rome, and this achievement has gone unregarded. As this absorbing study demonstrates, however, Henry's great project had implications for everything from diplomacy to the environment, and did much to build the Britannia which one day would rule the waves." (THE SCOTSMAN )
"Henry VIII's complex domestic life - he had six wives - has rather overshadowed that he founded what was to become the Royal Navy. But no more, in this well-researched and pacy account..." (BELFAST TELEGRAPH )
"Moorhouse has all the credentials for writing this book... this book - which is beautifully written - should please the most rigorous academics as well as the general reader... His new book should change people's perceptions of this famous historical figure, and add another reason to that list of why he is remembered. It is also, it has to be said, a rattling good read." (TRIBUNE )
" a good deal of detail about life in the Tudor navy." (DORSET ECHO )
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Ground-breaking history of how King Henry VIII created England's navy
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Geoffrey Moorhouse's latest book can only add to his considerable reputation. He sets out to make the case that Henry VIII, through enthusiasm, pride and with a close eye on the power of the Spanish and French threats to Britain's well-being, began the nation's great naval tradition of effective sea-power. The book illuminates life at home and at sea in the Tudor era, contrasting the commonplace brutality of disease and punishment with the extravagant splendour of a cash-strapped Henry's court at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Moorhouse portrays the characters who enabled the transition of naval leadership from landlubberish aristocratic idiocy into a properly organised Admiralty, without which the Drakes, the Frobishers, the Cunninghams and the Nelsons could never have flourished; and there's the rub. This entertaining book could easily be overshadowed by the plethora of Nelsonia that has emerged over the past year. This is too good a work to ignore; what's more, the final chapter gives an insight into the defeat of the Spanish Armada which is much more plausible than the accepted view of its swift drubbing by a laid-back, bowls playing privateeer. Great Harry indeed! This is Great Geoffrey Moorhouse!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Ralph Cook.
Format:Hardcover
Mr Moorhouse's interests extend to all aspects of life in Tudor times, and this shows strongly in the book, in which about 100 pages are dedicated to preparing the background before a real description of the navy itself begins. To be honest this is the second time I've set about reading it. On the first occasion I got bogged down in the detail of 14th and 15th Century international politics, wine imports from the Dordogne, trading in fish with Iceland, navigational hazards in the River Thames,and so forth. Ultimately this is all of some relevance to the main theme but it is not particularly enjoyable to read if your prime interest is warships and naval warfare. However, given that so much more has been written about his daughters reign than Henry's own (other, of course, than hundreds of books about his numerous marriages), a book giving these insights can of course be justified, but you need to be aware of the character of the book. For all that, it is very well written and very nicely produced, complete with a good colour section. I have given it 5 stars because it does what it sets out to do very well indeed- but the content is much more broadly based than the book's title leads one to expect. Since it is now available in new condition for less than £10, 'Great Harry's Navy' is certainly a bargain.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Greg O'rilla
Format:Hardcover
How refreshing to read a book that presents Henry VIII in a positive light! We hear far too much about Henry's marriages, his disastrous wars and his bloodthirsty nature and not nearly enough about his achievements. Henry's feat in building up the English navy should not be underestimated. He was genuinely interested in all aspects of shipbuilding, and understood what England needed. Geoffrey Moorhouse's book is meticulously researched and the information is presented in a lively, engaging way. This is a wonderful book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent history
This book is a must for those interested in the creation of Britain's Royal Navy. We are used to stories of 'daring do' by his daughter Elizabeth's 'Sea Dogs' but without Henry... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Oneandall
5.0 out of 5 stars
full of useful facts
This book is full of useful facts and it is clear that the author is steeped in his subject and it is well researched. Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2010 by cosmicelk
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