War at Sea in the Age of Sail 1650-1850 (History of Warfare)

One of the world's leading maritime experts traces the path that led to European supremacy on the high seas, with detailed accounts of each of the key naval conflicts from the highest strategic level right down to the experience of the ordinary sailor. At the end of the 17th and throughout the 18th century, oceangoing forces developed into instruments of worldwide control. At first, Spain, France, Holland, and Britain headed the pack, but eventually the struggle for domination at sea culminated in Britain's triumph during the Napoleonic Wars and the elevation of the Royal Navy to global domination.