Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815 [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

In the late 18th century, it was widely thought that to be a sailor was little better than to be a slave. "No man will be a sailor," wrote Samuel Johnson, "who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail. A man in jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."

If that were true, historian Nathan Miller suggests, then the record of sailing in the age of tall ships would likely be distinguished by few heroes and fewer grand narratives. He counters that in the regular navies of England, the fledgling United States, and most other nations, brutal captains and thuggish crewmen were rare, and professionalism was the order of the day. It was their high standard of service that made those naval forces such powerful, even indispensable arms of the land-based military. Miller's great hero throughout this fine history is Horatio Nelson, whose valor was exemplary throughout countless battles around the world. But he writes with equal admiration of lesser-known figures, such as Lambert Wickes, Pierre de Villeneuve, Juan de Cordova, and "Foul Weather Jack" Byron, who served their nations and fellow sailors well, and often heroically.

Broadsides is an entertaining, illuminating history sure to please fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. --Gregory McNamee -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

Until now, there has been no general history of the classic age of naval warfare--the 40 or so years between the American Revolution and the fall of Napoleon. Miller (Star-Spangled Men, 1997, etc.) has finally done the job and done it superbly. In his thorough, often gripping tale, the author combines fast-paced narrative with clear analysis to portray the exploits of American and British fighting men at sea. (The French, Dutch, and other navies of the day, while unequal to the other two, unfortunately get less attention.) Assuming that many readers will know little of naval life, Miller carefully describes warship construction, the harsh life of the sea, and the awful realities of battle. Although he seems more admiring of the average sailors than distressed by the shipboard carnage he depicts, he goes farther than most to emphasize the courage of seaborn fighting men. American sailors get their due, but since this was the greatest age of British naval might, the book's central figures are the sailors of the North Sea. Not surprisingly, the hero of Miller's tale who knits the narrative together is Horatio Nelson, the victorious (and fatally wounded) British admiral-in-chief at Trafalgar in 1805. While Miller makes nothing of it, Nelson's rise to top command, knighthood, and undying fame reveals the porousness of Britain's rigid class society when genius showed its hand. On the American side, the absence of a long-established navy cost the nation dearly. Yet the young US force enjoyed its share of men who in their rough abilities and dogged pride were often a match for their more experienced enemies. At this distance, we can take off our hats to both sides and cheer the author of this fine work as well.A lively history in its own right, offering an authoritative context for those hooked on the novels of Forester, O'Brian, and Kent. (4 maps, 20 illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

Naval historians Miller (Theodore Roosevelt: A Life) and Ireland (History of Ships) have each compiled a work on the history of the sailing navy between 1756 and 1815, the great age of the fighting sail. Writing for the general reader, both authors provide a wealth of details on the wooden ships of that era. They describe the construction and operation of the vessels and the life of the crews who manned them, the careers of the officers, and how the ships were sailed and fought. Both authors invoke such names as Lord Nelson, John Paul Jones, Old Ironsides, and the Battle of Trafalgar, among othersDenough to make every old, new, and wannabe sailor's heart quicken. The Seven Years' War, the naval side of the American Revolution, the 22-year struggle between Napoleon and Britain, America's undeclared war with France, the Barbary pirates, and the War of 1812 are all covered. Although these books both cover essentially the same period of time, they are quite different. Miller describes the battles in great detail and concentrates more on tactics and strategy, while Ireland is concerned with descriptions of the ships and methods of sailing them. His work contains many illustrations by famed naval artist Tony Gibbons, who presents every type of sailing warship of the era. Libraries that want a comprehensive treatment of the era should order both books as they are complementary and worth having for naval history collections. Recommended for public and academic libraries.DStanley L. Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

An history of the golden age of naval warfare between 1775 to 1815 covering major operations of the European powers and the United States.

A one-volume history of the age of fighting sail, 1775-1815. The book covers all the major campaigns' battles as well as political and social background to the naval operations.

Few eras hold greater fascination for us than the Age of Fighting Sail, the forty-year period from 1775 to 1815. And few writers are as well qualified to bring this adventure-packed period to life as the critically acclaimed naval historian and biographer Nathan Miller. Now, in the first modern chronicle of the epic of wooden ships and pigtailed sailors, Miller provides essential reading for devotees of the popular nautical novels of Patrick O?Brian, C. S. Forester, Alexander Kent, and others. Broadsides covers the naval side of the American Revolution, the twenty-two year struggle between Britain?s hard-pressed Royal Navy and France that began in 1793, the foundation of the U.S. Navy and America?s forgotten undeclared naval war with France along with their struggle against the Barbary pirates, and closes with the War of 1812. One man, the legendary Horatio Nelson, epitomizes this era, and his personal story is the keel of this book, although the tale continues for another decade following Nelson?s tragic death at Trafalgar at the height of victory. Written with a bold sense of adventure and teeming with detail, Broadsides not only clearly reconstructs the naval battles of the era, but integrates them with the political and social forces that shaped our world. In addition to Nelson, its pages are graced by such fighting sailors as John Paul Jones, George Rodney, John Jervis, Thomas Truxtun, Edward Preble, Stephen Decatur, Edward Pellew (mentor of the fictional Horatio Hornblower), and the fiery Lord Cochrane (whose adventures provided a model for those of a young Jack Aubrey). Nor are the administrators slighted: Receiving their due are Benjamin Stoddert, the first U.S. Secretary of the Navy; Lord Barham, who directed the fleets that hemmed in Napoleon; and William Pitt, the architect of Britain?s victory over the French emperor. Broadsides also provides a richly textured look at the lives of the men and ??in an astonishing number of cases??the women who served in the swift-sailing frigates and mighty ships of the line. We learn how they were recruited, how they lived at sea, what they ate, and what they wore. For the first time in such a work, there is a discussion of homosexuality at sea and the savage punishments meted out for it. Here, too, is a clearly written account of how wooden fighting ships were built and sailed and how their guns were fired in battle. Miller also offers his readers the unique opportunity to learn the naval terms, tactics, and techniques integral to the period. Based on exhaustive research drawn from log books, official reports, letters, and memoirs, Miller presents an irresistible, brilliant exploration of the Age of Fighting Sail. The result is a gripping adventure in which the steadfastness of those serving at sea in that long-ago era have much to teach us in the modern age. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

Praise for BROADSIDES

"Pace the pitching black deck with a sleepless Admiral Nelson the night before battle bestows eternal rest and peerless immortality upon him; envision with Mahan the storm-tossed and ever-watchful ships-of-the-line that kept England secure from invasion; wonder in awe at Collingwood’s dedication in working himself to death after Trafalgar elevated him to primary responsibility for England’s imperial safety in the Mediterranean. All of this and more awaits the reader who will sail through these pages, every one of which is etched with the indelible expertise and boundless enthusiasm of Nathan Miller, master of naval history."––Kenneth J. Hagan, Professor of History and Museum Director Emeritus, U.S. Naval Academy, Professor of Strategy, U.S. Naval War College

"This is not just inspired naval history––the personal lives of the seafarers themselves, from cabin boy to admiral, are given generous treatment."––The Times (London)

"A wealth of detail...Descriptions of dreadful living conditions aboard cramped wooden vessels give way to bloody decks after close combat....A solid introduction to a turbulent era at sea."––Publishers Weekly

"[As] a companion to the popular nautical novels of C. S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian––it succeeds brilliantly."––Daily Telegraph (London)

"The descriptions of the great sea commanders and their battles display all the craft of the gifted writer....Read Broadsides for enjoyment as a well-informed, action-packed naval narrative."––The Christ Church Press

NATHAN MILLER is the author of thirteen books, including the critically acclaimed Theodore Roosevelt: A Life and War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II. He has been named five times forthe Pulitzer Prize in history and biography, and his books have been assigned reading at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U. S. Naval War College, and the Naval Post-Graduate School. He lives in Washington, D.C. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .