The Struggle For Sea Power A Naval History Of The American Revolution

A fascinating naval perspective on one of the greatest of all historical conundrums: How did thirteen isolated colonies, which in 1775 began a war with Britain without a navy or an army, win their independence from the greatest naval and military power on earth? The American Revolution involved a naval war of immense scope and variety, including no fewer than twenty-two navies fighting on five oceans—to say nothing of rivers and lakes. In no other war were so many large-scale fleet battles fought, one of which was the most strategically significant naval battle in all of British, French, and American history. Simultaneous naval campaigns were fought in the English Channel, the North and Mid-Atlantic, the Mediterranean, off South Africa, in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the North Sea and, of course, off the eastern seaboard of America. Not until the Second World War would any nation actively fight in so many different theaters. In The Struggle for Sea Power, Sam Willis traces every key military event in the path to American independence from a naval perspective, and he also brings this important viewpoint to bear on economic, political, and social developments that were fundamental to the success of the Revolution. In doing so Willis offers valuable new insights into American, British, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Russian history. This unique account of the American Revolution gives us a new understanding of the influence of sea power upon history, of the American path to independence, and of the rise and fall of the British Empire.

A classic work covering over 2,000 years of naval history, from Greek and Roman galley warfare to Vietnam.

The Historian Who Changed the Way Naval Battles Were Fought In 1859 Alfred Thayer Mahan graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy. Unfortunately, he hated the smoky, steam-driven, ships of his time, and longed for the days of square-rigged sailing vessels. Making matters worse, when he eventually got command, he was terrible at it. HIs ships had this unnerving tendency to... well... run into things-other ships, piers, and so forth. In 1885 he was appointed to the Naval War College to teach naval history and tactics, and his true calling emerged. He might have been a terrible ship commander, but he was an absolute genius as a naval historian and theoretician. HIs books were avidly read by naval officers the world over. They shaped the way modern navies would be organized-and, more importantly, revolutionized the way ships would fight. Now, for the first time, Mahan's principal works-along with his autobiography-are brought together in a single collection. The Mahan Nautical History Series FROM SAIL TO STEAM: Recollections of a Naval Life SEA POWER AND WORLD HISTORY: 1660-1783 SEA POWER AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: 1775-1783 SEA POWER AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: 1793-1812 SEA POWER AND THE WAR OF 1812 - Volumes I and II

Naval history of the American Revolution, which recognizes the war for independence as a maritime conflict and explores the struggle for command of the sea.

This book is a study of the factors and circumstances that lead to the establishment and development of an American Navy, and of the role of sea power in the founding, growth, and independence of the thirteen colonies and the protection and promotion of the national interest at home and abroad in the early years of the Republic. The very existence and prosperity of the colonies, which were created during an era of discovery and international rivalry for the spoils of new worlds, depended on the Royal navy and the merchant vessels of the mother country, a lesson learned by the colonial leaders as they sought a 'redress of wrongs' and then assumed leadership of a sovereign nation in the midst of a hostile and volatile world. The author of this book stresses the political, economic, and ideological considerations that motivated the colonial and national leaders as they conceived and implemented a concept of sea power.

Historian M. B. Synge narrates how naval power grew in importance from the 1700s onward, playing a decisive role in the victories of several nations and their Empires. The advancing technology of shipping made their use in warfare evermore plausible. Ships could maneuver faster, were better armed with decks devoted to cannon, while signals between vessels allowed an admiral or commander to better coordinate his fleet. In narrating the histories of several countries, Synge demonstrates how ships became both emblematic and instrumental of power - the Boston tea party, whereby ships were emptied of their cargo in protests against British taxation, was a pivotal event leading to the establishment of the USA. Prior to the late 1700s, ships were mainly viewed in the context of exploration, harassment or conquest of coastal settlements, or piracies, with large-scale successes for militaries at sea only rarely seen. Yet the stunning victories of Admiral Nelson of England placed naval power at the forefront, while the establishment of prospering colonies in places as far-flung as Australia made the economic importance of navies obvious. In describing a series of battles and events, M. B. Synge builds his common theme: that navies would drive change in the world like never before.