Fleet Battle And Blockade: The French Revolutionary War 1793-1797

by Robert Gardiner (Editor)

Forgetting the set backs of the American Revolutionary War, in 1793 the Royal Navy embarked on an almost unprecedented era of victories at sea, producing a considerable appetite for pictures of every incident, great or small. A thriving trade in prints and engravings grew up, supplemented by watercolors and oils by celebrated artists. Besides these ‘public’ works, many officers--and indeed members of the lower deck--kept personal journals and sketchbooks, illustrated with surprisingly accomplished drawings and watercolors, often depicting the everyday aspects of wartime life at sea that were ignored in the more celebratory artistic media. These sources form a rich vein that have been barely touched in previous publications, but which this book uses to full effect. Despite numerous defeats, the French navy continued to dispute command of the sea in the period 1793-1797, and the early years of the war abound with fleet engagements, including dramatic victories against the Spanish at St. Vincent and the Dutch at Camperdown, between which the navy endured the shocking events of the Great Mutiny, potentially the most dangerous moment of the whole war.

Genres: History

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Ian Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for an understanding of how the British Navy kept its fleets at sea and blockaded its enemies. Based mainly on the vast resources of the National Maritime Museum.

[Pik · Rating 5 out of 5]

the first of a series of books starting in 1793 and ending in 1815 with England as the ruler of the high seas.Each book deals with a specific period ,with chapters on incidents within that period.There are also chapters on different types of ships and their function.With extensive access to archives from the national maritime museum there are countless contempory drawings by artists and seamen who actually served on the ships depicted.