France declared war upon the British in 1793. The burden to conduct a long conflict proved heavy for that island nation. Poverty increased. Liberties and freedoms were sometimes taken away. Thousands of men had to leave their families, and disease, desertion and death meant that many never returned. At first the Royal Navy barely had enough warships to cope, but eight years later she had more than enough. By that time a threat of invasion towards Ireland prompted Parliament to enact a new nation, christened The United Kingdom of Great Britain. As such, 1800 became the final year of the old Kingdom of Great Britain. As she passed away, many of her men and women might have wondered as to what had made her navy a true Neptune. What had assisted the slow birth of a naval 'superpower'? This book seeks to answer that very question.

By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Britain was the undisputed master of the seas, owing to the power and strength of the Royal Navy. Its fleets, comprising ships of the line, frigates, and gunboats, had doubled in size since the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, totalling almost a thousand capital vessels. This book examines the commanders, men, and ships of the Royal Navy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, and discusses the Navy's command structure (from the Admiralty down to ship level) and its organization at sea. The tactics employed in action by a fleet, squadron, and individual ship, respectively are also discussed, as are the medical services providing a fascinating insight into the navy that ruled the waves.

Naval Engagements explores the role of the Royal Navy in eighteenth-century political culture. This was the legendary age of sail, in which heroic commanders such as Admiral Nelson won great victories for Britain. Timothy Jenks reveals the ways in which these battles and the heroes who fought them were deployed in British politics.

How did the British navy maintain authority among its potentially disorderly crews? And what order exactly did it wish to establish?

“Takes us into areas that aren’t always covered . . . stand[s] out from the crowd of Napoleonic Naval studies.” —History of War In 1801, the newly forged United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland commenced its existence 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 United States of America. 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. Napoléon Bonaparte was no ordinary opponent, and the United States 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 defense 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. But the Royal Navy would remain what it had been: A naval superpower. Britain’s oldest continual military force. The senior service.