Fighting Ships: Ships of the Line 1793-1815

The period 1793-1815 was that of the Napoleonic wars with France - a period of upheaval which ranks with those of the world wars of the twentieth century. This book describes the activities of the Ships of the Line - the battleships that took part in those titanic struggles.
In terms a layman can understand, it describes the ships themselves and their armament and looks at the circumstances of the men who served in them. It discusses the problems which faced the commanders on both sides, it describes in some detail, the major battles and gives a broad picture of the naval events which took place in the periods between battles. Written from a British standpoint, it also looks sympathetically at the difficulties which faced the commanders and sailors of other nations involved - French, Spanish, Dutch - and gives credit where it is due.