Jessop, Mark The Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Age. Senior Service 1800-1815

In 1801 the newly forged United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland commenced life at war with France and her allies and remained so until 1815. After 1812 she had to shoulder the extra burden of a war against the USA. With conflict on multiple fronts, hardships continued to be inflicted at home. Trade was made precarious. People became bone-weary of hostilities and the threat of invasion ran high. Napoleon Bonaparte was no ordinary opponent, and the U.S. Navy showed the world the worth of her ships, but what stood in their way was the Royal Navy. Despite notable losses, after the victory of Trafalgar in 1805 she dominated the seas. Although not the only means, her warships were the nation's first line of defence that helped keep British shores safe. As the era ended it was obvious the navy had to change. Steam began to alter perspectives with new opportunities. From the vantage point of later decades it could be seen what the Royal Navy had once been and still was. A naval superpower. Britain's oldest continual military force. The senior service.

A thoroughly researched account of the major maritime events and naval battles fought by the British against France during the Napoleonic Wars and in the struggle with the USA during the War of 1812. A look at the military action on the world's oceans from the perspective of British naval personnel and civilians. Each chapter begins with a fictional scene that places the reader in the midst of a fierce naval battle, a cannibalisation or a raid; it then goes into detail of the real events, characters, their hopes and fears and the reasons why the Royal Navy was so successful. Mark Jessop uses 19th century sources to provide an overview of the language and opinions of early 19th century politicians, naval officers and ordinary people about the British fleet.