Flag and Fleet: How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the Seas

The book surveys the development of sea-power from ancient oared craft through the age of sail to the era of steam and steel, tracing maritime warfare and naval institutions that secured command of the oceans. It recounts major naval contests from medieval and early-modern clashes, through the rise of a national navy and famous sea campaigns, to twentieth-century fleet actions and anti-submarine warfare, and concludes with the surrender that affirmed maritime control. Interwoven is an argument for the joint role of navy and merchant service in preserving seaways, presented in an accessible, chronological narrative intended to instruct young readers.