A History of the Royal Navy: The Seven Years War by Martin Robson


A History of the Royal Navy: The Seven Years War
Title : A History of the Royal Navy: The Seven Years War
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1780765452
ISBN-10 : 9781780765457
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 256
Publication : First published September 30, 2015

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.

A History of the Royal Navy: The Seven Years War Reviews

  • Jerome Otte

    An informative, balanced history of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years’ War.

    The book is well-organized, mostly by chronology and geography. Robson does a great job describing British strategy during the war, and switches smoothly between these discussions and the naval battles. The narrative is pretty concise, but he clearly explains exactly how the navy contributed to the war’s British victories.

    Robson describes how the global nature of the war made a global navy vital, and how the war set a foundation for Britain’s future naval dominance. The battles weren’t necessarily that decisive, and many commanders are mostly forgotten today, but Robson convincingly argues that war laid a foundation for Britain’s later maritime dominance. Most of the admirals are depicted as competent and aggressive (maybe due to Byng’s example)

    A solid history.