France declared war upon the British in 1793. The burden to conduct a long conflict proved heavy for that island nation. Poverty increased. Liberties and freedoms were sometimes taken away. Thousands of men had to leave their families, and disease, desertion and death meant that many never returned. At first the Royal Navy barely had enough warships to cope, but eight years later she had more than enough. By that time a threat of invasion towards Ireland prompted Parliament to enact a new nation, christened The United Kingdom of Great Britain. As such, 1800 became the final year of the old Kingdom of Great Britain. As she passed away, many of her men and women might have wondered as to what had made her navy a true Neptune. What had assisted the slow birth of a naval 'superpower'? This book seeks to answer that very question.

In this readable and informative book, John Ballard tells the story of ten of the most significant ships in the Royal Navy.

The bestselling complete history of the British Navy - our national story through a different prism. The story of our navy is nothing less than the story of Britain, our culture and our empire. Much more than a parade of admirals and their battles, this is the story of how an insignificant island nation conquered the world's oceans to become its greatest trading empire. Yet, as Ben Wilson shows, there was nothing inevitable about this rise to maritime domination, nor was it ever an easy path. EMPIRE OF THE DEEP: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH NAVY also reveals how our naval history has shaped us in more subtle and surprising ways - our language, culture, politics and national character all owe a great debt to this conquest of the seas. This is a gripping, fresh take on our national story.

This text is a comprehensive, authoritative, and illustrated history of the Royal Navy from its earliest times to the present day. This edition is updated to include recent operations in the first and second Gulf wars.

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were the first truly global conflicts. The Royal Navy was a key player in the wider wars and, for Britain, the key factor in her eventual emergence as the only naval power capable of sustained global hegemony. The most iconic battles of any era were fought at sea during these years - from the Battle of the Nile in 1798 to Nelson's momentous victory at Trafalgar in October 1805. In this period, the Navy had reached a peak of efficiency and was unrivalled in manpower and technological strength. The eradication of scurvy in the 1790s had a significant impact on the health of sailors and, along with regular supplies of food and water, gave the British an advantage over their rivals in battle. As well as naval battles, the Navy also undertook amphibious operations, capturing many of France's Caribbean colonies and Dutch colonies in the East Indies and Ceylon; this Imperial dimension was integral to British strength and counteracting French success on continental Europe. This book looks at the history of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815, from a broad perspective, examining the strategy, operations and tactics of British seapower. While it delves into the details of Royal Navy operations such as battle, blockade, commerce protection and exploration, it also covers a myriad of other aspects often overlooked in narrative histories such as the importance of naval logistics, transport, relations with the army and manning. An assessment of key naval figures and combined eyewitness accounts situate the reader firmly in Nelson's navy. Through an exploration of the relationship between the Navy, trade and empire, Martin Robson highlights the contribution Royal Navy made to Britain's rise to global hegemony through the nineteenth century Pax Britannica.

This revisionist study shows how the Royal Navy's ideas about the meaning and application of seapower shaped its policies during the years between the wars. It examines the navy's ongoing struggle with the Treasury for funds, the real meaning of the 'one power standard', naval strategies for war with the United States, Japan, Germany and Italy, the influence of Mahan, the role of the navy in peacetime, and the use of propaganda to influence the British public.

Four years ago the Second Sea Lord of the Royal Navy asked Andrew St George to spend time with every level of the Navy staff, from junior sailors in the engine room of an aircraft carrier, to handlers of landing craft, through to Royal Marines, ships’ commanders, and Royal Navy staff right up to Navy Board and Cabinet level, with the aim of creating a book which distils the leadership culture of perhaps the most highly respected and efficient organization in the world. This book charts that journey – representing the largest piece of research on Royal Navy leadership ever done – and it is the current state of the art leadership framework for the Navy. St George writes about how to plan and execute, how to exercise judgment and how to motivate people. Everything in the book is here because it works, tested over thousands of hours of hard training, rigorous assessment and absolute measurement. The book’s messages are deceptively simple. In order to succeed we must have: the clarity of intent; the strategy; the resources; a contingency plan; an emotional investment. These tenets stand in all walks of business and personal life. The Royal Navy’s way of getting things done depends on soft skills, high emotional intelligence and an understanding of how people work in small teams.This book (15,000 copies) will be issued to every Royal Navy officer and Senior Rate (middle manager) in the Service. The book’s insights are profound and their applications are wide-ranging: for industry, for finance, for professional services, for commerce, for academia and for the public sector these methods of planning, executing and inspiring make a tried, tested and effective way of leadership.