Anson's Navy: Building a Fleet for Empire 1744-1763

The Royal Navy of the early eighteenth century was becoming over-confident and outdated, with more than its share of disasters and miscarriages. However, through reforms and the determined focus of a number of personalities, it was transformed in the middle years of the century, acquiring uniforms, a rank structure, new ship types, and a more efficient method of recruiting seamen. This transformation was due to the forceful personality of George, Lord Anson, who changed the navy so that it was fit for purpose and in readiness for Nelson just decades later. The consequential effect on the world's history would be huge.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 288 pages
\n Publication date: 16 November 2021
\n Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
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The Royal Navy of the early eighteenth century, despite a supreme belief in itself, was becoming overconfident and outdated. It had more than its share of disasters and miscarriages, including the devastating sickness in Admiral Hosier's fleet in 1727, failure at Cartagena, and an embarrassing action off Toulon in 1744. Anson's great circumnavigation, though presented as a triumph, was achieved at a huge cost in ships and lives. In 1756, Admiral Byng was shot after failure off Minorca.

In this new book, the bestselling author Brian Lavery shows how the navy was transformed in the middle years of the eighteenth century. The tide had already begun to turn with victories off Cape Finisterre in 1747, and in 1759, the navy played a vital part in the year of victories with triumphs at Lagos and Quiberon Bay. It conducted amphibious operations as far afield as Cuba and the Philippines and took Quebec.

The author explains how the navy was fundamentally transformed from the amateurish, corrupt, and complacent force of the previous decades. It acquired uniforms and a definite rank structure for officers, developed new ship types such as the 74 and the frigate, instigated a more efficient (if equally brutal) method of recruiting seamen, boosted morale and motivation, and adopted a far more aggressive style of fighting. The coppering of ships' hulls and the solving of the problems associated with longitude and scurvy were also hugely significant steps.

Much of this transformation was due to the forceful but enigmatic personality of George, Lord Anson. In a largely static society, he changed the navy so that it was fit for purpose and in readiness for Nelson just decades later. Using a mass of evidence, Lavery paints a vivid picture of the navy's transformation and its impact on British naval history. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Royal Navy.

\n Weight: 1466g\n
Dimension: 253 x 296 x 23 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781399002882\n \n