The Men-of-War/The Seafarers
The Men-of-War is one of twenty-two volumes from the Time-Life book series The Seafarers. This series celebrates the spirit of maritime adventure, from ancient times to the twentieth century. This volume traces the development the man-of-war and its use in the First and Second Anglo-Dutch Naval Wars of the 1650s and 1660s.
After defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588 Britain sought to grow its empire, expand trade, and control the sea. Similarly, after the seven northern provinces of the Netherlands won their independence from Spain after forty-one years of warfare in 1609, the Dutch sought to do the same; as a result, the English and the Dutch fought two naval wars, one during 1652-1654 and another during 1665-1667. Most of the book portrays the hard-fought naval battles and courageous naval leaders of England and the Netherlands during these conflicts. The book also discusses the English Civil War, The Restoration, The Great Plague of 1665, and the Great Fire of London of 1666. Oliver Cromwell and Samuel Pepys are among the many significant people portrayed in the narrative. By the conclusion of the Anglo-Dutch Naval Wars both countries learned the science of naval warfare and developed the warship as a vessel vital to the security of trade. As with other books in this series, numerous illustrations enhance the narrative. In sum, The Men-of-War is a good balance of naval/military history, political history, and biography.
