Brilliant narrative of hugely important history not widely known

Liked everything and spoken with the elegant swish of a cutlass. Should be absorbed by all who profess to be knowledgeable about the shaping of the modern world.

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Good but not sensational

Fairly comprehensive history of navy. Story lacks continuity at times. But overall, worth a listen.

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2 people found this helpful

A nautical tale

This is British history told through tales of the sea. As glib as that may be as a description, there’s a reasonable case to be made for it since Britain is an island and its history, as such, is bound to be linked to the sea. Indeed, much of what I grew up with (as common parlance) has a nautical reference. The audio book is well read and is not a tub-thumping, Union Jack flying rendition of all that’s good about Britain. It’s definitely warts-and-all, showing slavery, exploitation, skullduggery, as well as adventure, imagination, daring-do and political cock-ups and offers a less than admirable impression of some of the seafaring heroes such as Nelson and Drake…however, all told in a still respectful way which doesn’t upset the boys-own adventure side of history. I liked it a lot, learned a lot and will listen again.

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1 person found this helpful

Amazingly interesting!

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it about the naval history of Britain.
Highly recommended!

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Variable sound levels

I found this book marred by variable sound levels...word volume tailing off. I listen in the car and had to have the volume up much higher than other audiobooks so that I could hear all the words.

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Epic

I thought this was going to be a military history but it was so much more. It proved to be a wonderful coherent wide ranging narrative of our naval history and what drove it. In many ways it better explained the history of the British Isles since Tudor times than almost any other book.

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A great listen

I was worried this was going to be jingoistic, but it's dedication to historical accuracy is inspiring... All in all a very entertaining and informative listen!

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Wonderful! A great listen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Audiobook. As a student of history and now Navy history it was packed full of interesting stories and facts and I gained a huge appreciation of the British Navy. I’m planning a trip to Portsmouth Historic dockyard to see some history! The narrators voice captivated and is extremely well read. Seek out the author ‘Arthur Herman’ on YouTube as he talks about the book when it was published.

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Expansive penetrating view into Britain's past

Highly recommended to those seeking adventure and fortune! Excellent, fascinating details, myths dispelled. There's a real understanding of the motives and personalities of pioneering historical monoliths.

Power, politics, adventure, suffering, European war-mungering, peace treaties, daring piratical forays into enemy strongholds, cunning strategies, evolution of tactics and technologies at sea, the creation and destruction of piracy, the early economics of war and piece, the precarious position of monarchs and the Ballance of power in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Americas and then the whole world.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent

Everything about this was excellent. The writing, the pacing, the narration. An must have and listen for anyone with an interest in Naval history, not just an interest in the history of the Royal Navy.

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