This book is an exploration and interpretation of three centuries of European rivalry and expansion in and around the North Atlantic. Professor Graham tells the story from the first conquest of the ocean by the armed sailing ship at the beginning of the sixteenth century to the end of the wooden ship of the line in the nineteenth. Gradually, in competition with Spain and then with Holland and finally with France, England achieved command of the seas, until, by the time of the Napoleonic Wars, despite her relative weakness in manpower, she was able to extend her Empire from its centre in the North Atlantic to the distant reaches of the Indian and Pacific oceans.

About the Author
Gerald S. Graham (1903-1993) was Rhodes Professor of History in King's College, University of London.

Reviews
"His work reflects a thorough mastery of the available source materials which are employed with scrupulous exactitude. He charts a clear course for those who may come after him. Not that the book is pedantic or dull; the author is well aware of the drama of his story and he tells it very well indeed. ... This book has undoubtedly placed Professor Graham in the front rank of contemporary naval historians." -- Canadian Journal of Economic and Political Science
"There is much in Mr. Graham's book for the layman and for the scholar alike-discussions of the bases of seapower; of the rise and decline of Spanish, French, and Dutch seapower; and of the relationship of seapower to colonies, commerce, and diplomacy. For the author to have done so much within the limits of this volume is a signal accomplishment." -- Annal of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
"Very successful; the maritime issues are more clearly dissected and related to war on land and to diplomacy than in any other single volume." -- William and Mary Quarterly
"There is a happy blend of narrative and interpretation, of research and synthesis from a wide range of specialized studies. The narrative is ample but never tedious; the author combines a clear sense of purpose with a notable freshness of approach. ... Its argument is in accord with current modes of thought. It is also very good history." -- Journal of Modern History



Book Information
ISBN 9781487599188
Author Gerald S. Graham
Format Paperback
Page Count 356
Imprint University of Toronto Press
Publisher University of Toronto Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 25mm