Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail
A History, 1571–1866
$49.95
In stock
About the Book
Between the last battle fought entirely under oars in 1571 and the first fought entirely under steam in 1866, naval warfare in the Middle Seas and adjacent Atlantic waters was dominated by the sailing warship. This exploration of that distinct period in military history begins with an overview of the galley warfare that dominated the Mediterranean for millennia and a discussion of the technological developments, including the sail and the cannon, which led to the galley’s demise. Subsequent chapters discuss the role of sailing ships in every major conflict on the Mediterranean from the 16th century Eighty Years War to the late 19th century Austro-Prussian-Italian War. In addition to the major battles, the book also highlights smaller encounters between single ships or light squadrons, important conflicts often overlooked in naval histories.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
David S.T. Blackmore
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 402
Bibliographic Info: 22 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4799-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5784-7
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Foreword by Vice Admiral J.A. Baldwin, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) 1
Preface 3
Introduction 5
Part One: Muscle Power Slowly Yields to Sail
1. Naval Developments in the 13th to 15th Centuries 41
3. Naval Developments in the 15th to 17th Centuries 50
4. Swan Song of the Galley (1571–72) 55
Part Two: The Early Days of Sailing Warfare
5. Naval Developments in the Age of Sail 63
6. From Lepanto to 1645 77
7. Wars and Rumors of War (1646–1674) 86
8. European Power Struggles (1675–1699) 97
9. The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) 106
10. Struggles for Maritime Supremacy (1716–1744) 118
11. The Seven Years’ War (1755–1783) 125
12. Gibraltar Under Siege (1779–1783) 135
13. Russians and Neapolitans (1783–1791) 142
Part Three: The Golden Age of Fighting Sail Begins
14. Upheaval in France (1793–1794) 151
15. French Revolutionary War (1795–1796) 161
16. Nelson and Napoléon (1796–1798) 172
17. Nelson and Brueys Play Hide-and-Seek (1798) 182
18. After the Nile (1798–1799) 191
19. Nelson’s Fallibility (1799) 200
20. Sequel to the Nile (1800) 209
Part Four: Sailing Battles Great and Small
21. 1801 to the Peace of Amiens in 1802 217
22. The Corsairs of North Africa (1800–1803) 228
23. The Trafalgar Campaign (1805) 238
24. Russians and Ottomans (1806–1809) 252
25. Small Ship and Littoral Operations (1807–1810) 262
26. Small Ship and Littoral Operations (1810–1813) 271
27. The Demise of Napoleon’s Empire (1812–1815) 281
28. The Corsairs of North Africa (1812–1827) 289
Part Five: Transition from Sail to Power
29. Naval Developments in the Early 19th Century 295
30. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1850) 299
31. Crimean and Late 19th Century Wars (1853–1878) 315
32. Technology Ends the Age of Sail 330
Appendix A. Masts, Sails and Rigging 337
Appendix B. Levels of a Ship of the Line 338
Appendix C. Royal Navy Victualing Regulations 339
Appendix D. Letter: Queen Caroline to Lady Hamilton 340
Appendix E. Letter: Nelson to Tsar Paul I 341
Appendix F. Preble’s Orders to Decatur 342
Appendix G. Nelson’s Last Letters and Wishes 343
Appendix H. Collingwood’s Report on the Gale 345
Appendix I. French Report on Trafalgar 346
Appendix J. Excerpts from 1827 Treaty of London 348
Chapter Notes 351
Bibliography 369
Index 373
Book Reviews & Awards
“lively study…an enjoyable and readable account”—The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord; “a useful reference guide for students of naval warfare and the Mediterranean region”—The NYMAS Review; “a comprehensive yet authoritative study…The narrative is extremely well laid out – the first section is itself worth its weight in gold..Anyone reading will surely gain new insights…highly recommended”—International Journal of Maritime History.
