Naval Warfare: Its Ruling Principles and Practice Historically Treated (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

P. H. Colomb

9780260204899: Naval Warfare: Its Ruling Principles and Practice Historically Treated (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0260204897 ISBN 13: 9780260204899

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2017

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Naval Warfare: Its Ruling Principles and Practice Historically Treated offers a concise, evidence‑based look at how ships, guns, and strategies have shaped naval conflict across eras.

This edition analyzes real-world campaigns and the enduring questions of how best to project force at sea.

Drawing on historical examples, the book traces how fleets balanced heavy ships for decisive battles with lighter craft for coast work and commerce protection. It explores why speed, coal supply, and fleet coordination often mattered more than sheer gunpower, and it examines the value and limits of specialized vessels and coastal defense ships. The discussion ties these lessons to modern questions about armor, firepower, and the role of fire as the decisive element in battle.

How fleets differentiate force into heavy and light components and why that matters for strategy.
The limits of coexisting armor and firepower versus the practical effects of incendiary shells and battles at sea.
Lessons drawn from specific campaigns, including how interruptions from enemy forces can change plans.
The contrast between command at sea and protection of commerce, and how blockades shape outcomes.

Ideal for readers of military history and naval strategy seeking grounded, no‑nonsense analysis of past wars to inform present understanding.

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From the Back Cover

For all its faults, and they are many, Colomb's Naval Warfare is a significant contribution to the study of war at sea and the objectives, efficacy, and limitations of sea power. First, it is important because it drew to the national attention of the British at a time of urgency and confusion the value of maintaining a fleet capable of fulfilling the necessary mandate of such a sea service.

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