A History of the Royal Navy by Daniel Owen Spence

A History of the Royal Navy by Daniel Owen Spence

The British Empire, the largest empire in history, was fundamentally a maritime one. Britain s imperial power was inextricably tied to the strength of the Royal Navy the ability to protect and extend Britain s political and economic interests overseas, and to provide the vital bonds that connected the metropole with the colonies. This book will examine the intrinsic relationship between the Royal Navy and the empire, by examining not only the navy s expansionist role on land and sea, but also the ideological and cultural influence it exerted for both the coloniser and colonised. The navy s voyages of discovery created new scientific knowledge and inspired art, literature and film. Using the model of the Royal Navy, colonies began to develop their own navies, many of which supported the Royal Navy in the major conflicts of the twentieth century. Daniel Owen Spence here provides a history of the navy s role in empire from the earliest days of colonisation to the present-day Commonwealth. In doing so, he shows how the relationship between the navy and the empire played a part in shaping the globalised society we inhabit today."

'The fortunes of the British Empire and the Royal Navy were inextricably linked, the one entirely dependent on the otherBut the Navy was much more than just a fighting force, designed to defeat rivals and subdue subordinate peoples, for it performed many other functions. Its personnel were key in the pursuit of diplomatic ends, in the conveyance of leading political, administrative and royal travellers, in the protection of trade, in the development of both exploration and scientific research, in developing such policies as the export of convicts, in surveying and hydrographic work, in the development of marine, navigational and armaments technologies, and in simply flying the flag. As this concise yet wide-ranging and comprehensive book demonstrates, the Navy also performed a vital psychological role, often on a global scale. It was celebrated in all sorts of visual, literary and cultural forms. In the twentieth century, its significance in both warfare and in relationships with indigenous peoples changed dramatically, and the decline of empire and of naval strength occurred in parallel. Few authors have described these connections more successfully than Daniel Spence.' - John M. MacKenzie, Emeritus Professor of History, Lancaster University

Daniel Owen Spence is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He holds a PhD in History from Sheffield Hallam University. He is the author of Colonial Naval Culture and British Imperialism, 1931-1967.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781780765433
ISBN 10	1780765436
Title	A History of the Royal Navy
Author	Daniel Owen Spence
Series	A History Of The Royal Navy
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2015-10-30
Number of pages	262
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable