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The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain, 660-1649

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Though numerous books have been written about the battles, ships and heroes of the Royal Navy, surprisingly few have been written about the "naval history" of Britain - that is, the role that sea power has played in shaping its history. To rectify this, N.A.M. Rodger has written this book, the first of what is projected to be a three-volume history of Britain's sea power from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day.

Britain's beginnings as a naval power were hardly auspicious. For centuries, most English kings eschewed maintaining a standing naval force, preferring to rely instead on conscripting merchant ships in time of need. That this was possible was due in part to the nature of naval warfare during the Middle Ages, which was largely an extension of land warfare; battles consisted of the crews of opposing ships engaging in hand-to-hand combat, almost always in the shallows or just off the coast. Yet Rodger notes that naval power was invaluable in granting mobility to an attacking force, a fact that was lost on most medieval English kings. Of their ranks, Rodger sees only Richard I and Henry V as understanding the value of sea power, and he credits both the French and the Castilians for superior strategic thinking in naval warfare during this period.

Though Rodger notes that both naval technology and combat tactics began to change in the 15th century, it was the 16th century that saw the emergence of England as a sea power. This he credits to the creation of an administrative structure to support the navy, a development lacking during the medieval period. This provided support for a standing force that could quickly and effectively be mobilized to deal with naval threats, as it was in 1588 to face the Spanish Armada. Rodger devotes an entire chapter to the naval showdown of 1588, penetrating through the myths to provide a thorough analysis of the battle that reversed the expansion of Spanish power. Yet the Armada was just the first battle in a fifteen-year war that created both a long-range merchant fleet and a group of people who realized the fortunes that could be made at sea - essential prerequisites to England's emergence as a true maritime power.

England's development into the dominant naval power she would become was hardly a linear one, though; as the years after peace was signed with Spain saw her naval position deteriorate. Though corruption played a role in this, Rodger sees the medieval structure of government assuming the burdens of a modern state as the main problem. Nowhere was this better represented in the naval challenges facing Charles I, who faced increasing demands for a different kind of force, one capable of defending England's new merchant fleet. The civil war resolved the challenges created by this demand, as the conflict between the king and Parliament led to the creation of the means of financing a modern naval force. Rodger ends with England in possession of a fractured, demoralized navy, yet one poised to make the great strides in the decades to come that would establish Britain as a world power.

Rodger relates all of this in a narrative that is extremely engaging, one that is backed by impressive scholarship. Yet this book is not without its flaws. Rodger assumes a degree of knowledge about ships and naval terminology that may be lacking in his reader, a problem that could have been addressed with a better glossary. More glaring is his lack of perspective. In endeavoring to construct a naval history of Britain, Rodger tends to view every major development through this lens. As a result, occasionally he overrates the role sea power plays in British history, as when he argues that the failure to provide an adequate maritime defense was a significant factor in the Peasants' Revolt in 1381 - something that might have come as a surprise to its participants, who would have argued that it had more to do with the poll tax and the restrictions of serfdom than the inadequacies of naval policy.

These problems should not obscure the overall excellence of Rodger's work. This is an invaluable study of Britain's emergence as a naval power, one that is essential reading for any student of early Britain or fans of naval history. One can only hope that the other volumes in the trilogy can measure up to the high standards he set with this book.

N.A.M. Rodger's SAFEGUARD OF THE SEAS is an excellent work of analytical history, combining an elegant classical writing style with an erudite examination of technical issues. In the tradition of John Keegan and John F. Guilmartin, Rodger combines the written evidence of the chroniclers with modern technological data (e.g. the performance of black powder artillery) to create a convincingly real view of how naval forces evolved during the period. This book is an entertaining read for the novice and a worthy reference for the expert.

This is a marvelous book by a master in the field. The time-span is substantial, but the author develops basic themes that are sustained throughout -- some of them debatable and personal to the author, but that keeps the detailed text lively and interesting. This book is not light reading. It would be of greatest interest to those with some prior knowledge of the history and international politics of the period. The book is particularly valuable for its discussion of naval administration, finance and logistics, which topics are neglected in other accounts of British naval history. The maps are quite simple, but adequate for those already conversant with the geography of the British Isles and adjacent waters. The illustrations, while limited in number, are well-chosen and seldom seen in other books.

This is an excellent introduction to British Naval history, clearly written with copious references and bibliography that will provide access to much more detailed sources for those who want to pursue this subject.

First an foremost this is a naval history and tends to gloss over other elements of history except where they are necessary to drive forward the narrative. Second this is a British naval history and Scottish, Welsh and Irish naval history are given appropriate coverage in the text.

Rodger builds a powerful argument about the role and importance of the Navy in British history. He describes in detail the fitful development of the Navy and the many false starts in naval administration. The overwhelming impression left by this book is that there was no inevitability that Britain as an island nation would become a predominant naval power. Indeed, Rodgers does an excellent job in demonstrating the relative poverty of the British navies that was not effectively resolved until after the Civil War. Perhaps Rodgers most valuable contribution is in his coverage of the role of the Navy in the Civil War as a key factor in the success of the Parliamentarian side in this conflict.

This book is the first in a trilogy of histories; we can only hope that the future volumes match the excellence displayed by this first installment.

Having read Professor Rodger's excellent 'Wooden World' I was expecting much of the same and was not disappointed - this is an impeccably researched and erudite alternative history of England and its French dominions, which puts the naval element into full perspective .

Absolutely chock-full of notes and references, this nontheless flows as well as any historical novel, highlighting the hitherto unseen good and bad points of the various rulers of the day, and the key role that naval support provided, giving a new slant on history and politics. There are more twists and turns to the story than any TV soap could possibly invent.

What comes across loud and clear is the futility of war: the waste of money and resources in the pursuit of expansion is illustrated by the singular lack of success by all parties to make any substantial territorial gains - French, Dutch, Flemish, Scots or Scandinavian.

Imbedded in the politics is a reasoned overview of the development of the ship; from longboat and cog, through galley, hulk and caravel to the rise of the 3-masted ship-rigged vessel which came to dominate naval warfare in the following 200 years. The gradual change from supply and support vessel to an active ingredient of the war machine develops as technology improves, and the viability of funding a navy become more financially and logistically sound.

As one might expect from a work of this scope, the text is rounded off with a conclusion condensing the preceding 1000 years into a précis with the author's informed slant. There are 5 appendices (chronology, ships, fleets, pay & officials), a large reference, glossary, abbreviations and a huge bibliography.

For a complete overview of the mediaeval history of the British Isles, you can't go far wrong with this excellent book. Then read the follow-up - twice as large, covering a third of the time. *****

Monumental (691 pages!!) first volume in the excellent Naval History of Britain. Likely to be used more as a reference than as a a book to read (unlike the very readable Vol II) this has much of interest and value. Debunks the rounded military leaderships of William I & Edward I. It shows very clearly the emergence of naval structure & power in Elizabethan times - and the origins of the English pirate stealing from the Spanish pirate.... More surprising perhaps is the real contribution Charles I's Ship money made to the Navy Royal. One quibble, despite claims to the contrary it is very anglocentric; Scottish marine developments are crucial but are generally en passant. May '06

In 1540 England was a minor power. In previous centuries England had been one of the great powers of Europe. This strength had been based on the possession of large chunks of French Territory. The Hundred Years War had expelled England from all territories in France except for Calais. Henry the VIII of England attempted to reverse the trend by increasing the annual revenue spent on war from a level of 2% per year to 9%. To do this he had to seize the property of the Catholic Church and a by-product was the English Reformation. Despite his efforts England remained a second rate power.

In the reign of Elizabeth the First England started to build up a navy. In the reigns of Elizabeth and Charles the first, the expenditure on the navy was reasonable. It hovered around 2% of the revenue of the nation. Within fifty years from the death of Charles the first England had again become a great power due to the wealth that it gained from the control of the seas.

This book describes how all of this happened. The development of the navy in the time of Elizabeth was to some extent an accident. The war with Spain led to the development of privateering. This led to an expansion in the English Navy that was self-financing.

As England developed its navy it started to develop a technical edge over Spain the leading naval power of the age. This was due to the need to develop techniques that would allow the English to be successful pirates. The English pioneered the use of fast multi decked gun ships with a hire rate of fire. The success that could be made from piracy led to the expansion of shipyards and the ability to produce ships.

This book is an interesting historical survey of the time and the early development of England's Navy. The only slight negative is that it is the first of a four part naval history of Britain. The author thus feels obliged to give a blow by blow account of English naval development even in times when the in reality England had no navy and might from time to time rent a few ships. The early chapters can thus be a little bit of a drudge. This slowness is more than made up by the later chapters and an especially interesting examination of naval tactics in the Elizabethan error. A must read for anyone interested in either naval history or the history of Great Britain.

Typical of Rodger's work. Well researched, well written, and detailed without getting bogged down, this, Volume I of Rodger's series on the English/British navy, could hardly be any better.

NAM Rodger is the best in British Naval History. This book argues the idea that Britain's navy rose not out of a quest to dominate but a desire to safeguard the trade in and around the isles. From Viking attacks to the pirating conducted by Drake this book tries to cover it all. It is very well written and dived up naturally. For those interested in British naval history this is a must have.

Histories of the Royal Navy tend to focus on the great days of Nelson, with some attention to the days of Drake and the Elizabethans. N.A.M. Rodger has crafted a fine introduction to the early days of English seapower-- from defense of the coasts in the days of the Saxon kingdoms to the end of the Civil War. Rodger is always a fine writer, and the world of early naval issues is too often neglected. This is a much-needed update and re-working of the themes in Laird Clowes' classic early 20th-century history of the Royal Navy-- highly recommended.