• A Brief History of Fighting Ships

  • Brief Histories
  • By: David Davies
  • Narrated by: Cameron Stewart
  • Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (32 ratings)

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A Brief History of Fighting Ships  By  cover art

A Brief History of Fighting Ships

By: David Davies
Narrated by: Cameron Stewart
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Publisher's summary

This introduction to the years of the Napoleonic Wars (1793 to 1815) tells the story of one of the keys to that great conflict, the ship of the line - the deadly battleships that played such a vital role in the battles. The author describes the ships' construction and armaments, the daily life of the men who served, and the problems faced by commanders of the time in battles that include the Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar.

About the author: David Tudor Davies is a retired Chartered civil engineer who has had a lifetime's interest in ships and the sea. In retirement he developed a great interest in Military and Naval history, especially of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. He is a member of the Navy Records Society and Society for Nautical Research.

©2013 David Davies (P)2013 Audible Ltd
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"[This] is an excellent book... action packed with many of the great sea battles that form such an important part of the nation's history - especially of course Trafalgar... Above all it is clearly and simply written and most readers, whether technically minded or not should have little difficulty in following the story of the main battles" ( The Nautical Magazine)
"Possibly the most useful new book to introduce the reader to the concept of Napoleonic Naval history" ( First Empire)

What listeners say about A Brief History of Fighting Ships

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Incomplete and Shallow

The performance was fine, but the treatment of the subject was really disappointing. The only part not covered better by other books was the descriptions of the physical layout of a 'typical' Napoleonic-era ship of the line (sails, masts, etc).

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