War for All the Oceans
"As France emerged from revolution, a young general by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt, hoping next to march overland to India. It would not happen. Nelson destroyed his fleet at the Battle of the Nile, and then Sir Sidney Smith successfully defended the city of Acre, stopping Napoleon in his tracks. These first two defeats of Napoleon, by officers of the British Navy, destroyed his dream of an eastern empire, causing him to turn his attentions to western Europe. The result was fifteen years of fighting so bitter that, until the First World War usurped the title, they were known as 'The Great War'." "It was a war won at sea. Blockages of ports curtailed the actions of the French navy, and plans to invade England were smashed at the Battle of Trafalgar. Relentlessly the colonies of France were captured, their revenues diverted and French influence reduced. As France starved, Britain grew rich. Even a brief and unnecessary war with America could not distract the navy from its purpose, and by the time of Waterloo Britain controlled the world's sea-lanes and possessed the foundations of her empire." "Brought to life by the words and stories of people caught up in the conflict, this is a sweeping history of the years of naval warfare that set the balance of power in Europe for the following century. Encompassing duels between single ships, battles between fleets, coastal raids, amphibious assaults on naval bases and the subtleties of espionage and naval intelligence, this global conflict truly was The War for All the Oceans."--BOOK JACKET.