The Fleets Behind the Fleet / The Work of the Merchant Seamen and Fishermen in the War

A study of Britain's merchant seamen and fishermen and their contribution during wartime, arguing that naval power depends on merchant marine, ports, shipyards, and a maritime population; it combines historical overview with chapters on new sea warfare, mines and mine-sweepers, coastal fishing and merchant shipping, and the logistical and human challenges faced by isolated merchant ships; it praises their steady courage while emphasizing their essential, often unrecorded role in sustaining trade, protecting sea routes, and underpinning naval operations, arguing that the supporting merchant and fishing fleets form the vital background to a nation's sea power.