British Napoleonic Ship-of-the-Line

TheFrenchRevolutionaryandNapoleonicWarsencompassedaperiodwhenrivalEuropeanfleetsviedfornavalsupremacy,andnavaltacticswereevolving.TheBritishRoyalNavyemergedtriumphantastheleadingworldseapower,andtheepitomeofBritannicnavalstrengthwastheShip-of-the-Line.These'woodenwalls'weremorethanmerelyfloatinggunbatteries:theycontainedacrewofupto800men,andoftenhadtoremainatseaforextendedperiods.Thisbookoffersdetailedcoverageofthecomplexvesselsthatwerethelargestman-madestructuresproducedinthepre-Industrialera.