A History Of The Royal Navy : The Seven Years War Hardcover

Martin Robson

The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was the first global conflict and became the key factor in creating the British Empire. This book looks at Britain's maritime strategic, operational and tactical success (and failures), through a wide-ranging history of the Royal Navy's role in the war. By the end of the war in 1763 Britain was by no means a hegemonic power, but it was the only state capable of sustained global power projection on a global scale. Key to Britain's success was political and strategic direction from London, through the war planning of Pitt the Elder and the successful implementation of his policies by a stellar cast of naval and military leaders at an operational and tactical level. Martin Robson highlights the work of some of the key protagonists in the Royal Navy, such as Admiral Hawke whose appreciation of the wider strategic context at Quiberon Bay in 1759 decided the fate of North America, but he also provides insights into the experience of life in the lower decks at this time. Robson ultimately shows that the creation, containment and expansion of the British Empire was made possible by the exercise of maritime power through the Royal Navy.

1780765452

9781780765457

English

I.b. Tauris & Co. Ltd.

18-Apr-16

256

Martin Robson is a Permanent Visiting Fellow at the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter. He is the author of A History of the Royal Navy: The Napoleonic Wars (I.B.Tauris).

An excellent, accessible and highly lucid account of the vital role played by the Royal Navy in British success during the Seven Years War. It situates naval and maritime power firmly at the centre of British grand strategy in this the first truly global conflict.' - Jeremy Black, Professor of History, University of Exeter; 'The Seven Years War proved a major turning point in the Royal Navy's rise to the dominant position it secured in the age of Nelson. The naval achievements in this long war are often overlooked because there was no single decisive battle at sea. Martin Robson fills this gap for the general reader by providing a clear picture of the scale and sweep of naval operations and the impact of naval power during the conflict. Drawing on recent work in this field and on his own incisive insights, Robson offers a highly readable and vigorous interpretation of the Royal Navy's extraordinarily wide-ranging contribution to the war. The hazards of war, the challenges of command, and the effort required to stage joint operations are graphically described. He is very effective in linking naval activity of many different kinds to the larger question of what strategic objectives naval power served. Robson stresses the vital role played by the navy in enabling Britain to defeat the French in North America and India and establish itself as a truly global imperial power. By blending together the overall political purposes of deploying naval forces with vivid accounts of naval actions, Robson succeeds in introducing the reader to a dynamic, successful and probably decisive period of British naval history.' - Bruce Collins, Professor of Modern History, Sheffield Hallam University