A gripping portrayal of a little-known aspect of our history, told mainly by people who made that history.The book has a strong "period" feel and a powerful immediacy.., packed with dramatic incidents and colourfut personalities, leaving the reader breathless with its accounts of battles at all corners of the globe.

This compelling book tells the story of the war at sea at a time when France had emerged from revolution. The great nations of Europe and the fledgling United States became locked in an epic struggle that would determine the balance of global power for the next century. By the time of Waterloo, the Royal Navy controlled the world's sea-lanes and had laid the foundations of the vast British Empire.

Brought to life by eyewitness accounts, this fast-paced narrative encompasses gallant duels, bloody battles, combined army and navy operations, and the subtleties of espionage.The experiences of the men and women caught up in the war are vividly recounted, including those of press-ganged seamen, sailors' prostitutes and prisoners-of-war.This worldwide conflict truly was The WarforAll the Oceans.

Maps and Plans

Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Preface

Prologue:With Cannon and Cutlass

Gateway to India

Battle of the Nile

Siege of Acre

From Naples to Copenhagen

War and Peace

Hot Press

Invasion Fleet

Turning Point

In Every Sea

Conflict and Commerce

The Sea Wolf

By Land and Sea

The Grand Expedition

Disaster

Prisoners and Privateers

The Hand of Providence

Triumph and Tragedy

The Great Mistake

Up the Chesapeake

Star-Spangled Banner

Swansong

The Turn of Fortune's Wheel

Notes

Selected Reading

Bibliography

Index