The Command of the Ocean is a fascinating insight into a unique institution, tracking the Royal Navy from it's early beginnings under Cromwell (when, obviously, it wasn't Royal) through until the end of the Napoleonic wars, when over half the warships afloat in the world were flying the Union Jack.
It's an interesting story, and also one that showcases the importance of developing institutions; we can see how the institutional memory and logistical skills developed during the 18th century were vital to success in the Napoleonic wars - for instance how continual incremental improvements in technology and logistics meant that a fleet which in 1649 could barely remain at sea for two weeks continuously could, by 1801, maintain blockade fleets off the French coast for years at a time.
Rodger's does suffer from a few blind spots; he is, for example, convinced that Charles II was both in general and in the specific naval field a very successful monarch; against this, we do have to set that incident where the Dutch sailed up the Thames and stole the flagship of the fleet (the
Of course, the Restoration navy was pretty much run by Samuel Pepys - and some of the most entertaining parts of the book involve excerpts from his diary. I think my favourite passage in the book is an excerpt where Pepys discusses a conversation with a friend in the civil service, who "told us his horse was a bribe, and his boots a bribe, and told us he was made up of bribes ... and that he makes every sort of tradesman bribe him; and invited me home to his house to drink of his bribe-wine." Still, I remain unconvinced by Rodger's thesis that the Restoration navy was less corrupt than the republican one; for one thing, Pepys' criteria for advancement in the navy included the condition "do you have an attractive wife or daughter who is willing to let Samuel Pepys fondle her breasts?" (answers on a postcard...). It's hard to believe Oliver Cromwell letting anyone get away with that.
Other highlights are the section on the execution of Admiral Byng - particularly the hideously botched attempt to get George II to pardon him by appealing to the camaraderie of enormous cowards (that didn't go down well), and Rodger's observation that Voltaire was right - shooting one admiral did encourage the others. The discussion of the war of 1812 is also entertaining - mainly for demolishing the American myth that it was some kind of draw. The war of 1812 was essentially an attempt by the fledgling United States to steal Canada while Britain wasn't looking. The end result was the destruction of the American navy, and the British army burning Washington to the ground (although not before the soldiers had made off with the contents of the First Lady's underwear drawer). And Canada remained, well, Canadian (yay!). Hard to call that one a draw really.
I found this book fascinating - I think as much because it is a history of the evolution of the civil service in Britain as well as a piece of military history. I don't often read institutional histories like this, and so I will be seeking out some more in the future. I'll also be trying to track down the first book in the trilogy (this is the second, the third is as yet unpublished).
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