Battle at Sea: 3000 Years of Naval Warfare

Synopsis

Before the nuclear bomb, no weapon evoked as much fear as the battleship. "Battle at Sea" looks at every aspect of the story of warfare on, above and under the sea. As well as classic naval engagements on the open sea, it includes daring raids carried out on ships in harbour. Also covered are landing operations such as D-Day, where control of the sea was essential to transport land forces to new battlefronts. Decisive naval encounters are covered in dramatic detail with specially created digital artworks illustrating exactly how the battles unfolded. "Battle at Sea" is organized into four chapters that are arranged in chronological order. Each chapter is broken down into smaller sections, containing a mixture of battle catalogues, tours of specific ships, catalogues of ship types, and panels and double-page features (biographies, crew profiles, life on board, milestones in technology). "Age of Galleys" covers the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the great naval battles between warring Chinese dynasties, as well as the fierce battles for the control of the Mediterranean; Gun, Sail, and "Empire" chronicles the great age of sail, when European powers set out on voyages of exploration and colonization; "Steam and Steel" sees the transition from sail to steam and the replacement of wooden ships by ones of iron and steel and ends with World War I; and, "Carriers, Submarines and Missiles" tracks the period in which traditional warships are effectively superseded by aircraft carriers and submarines, a position which remains today. Although few battles are now fought at sea, naval forces still have a vital part to play in the uncertainties of the modern world.