Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail

Download or read book Warfare on the Mediterranean in the Age of Sail written by David S.T. Blackmore and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between the last battle fought entirely under oars in 1571 and the first fought entirely under steam in 1866, naval warfare in the Middle Seas and adjacent Atlantic waters was dominated by the sailing warship. This exploration of that distinct period in military history begins with an overview of the galley warfare that dominated the Mediterranean for millennia and a discussion of the technological developments, including the sail and the cannon, which led to the galley's demise. Subsequent chapters discuss the role of sailing ships in every major conflict on the Mediterranean from the 16th century Eighty Years War to the late 19th century Austro-Prussian-Italian War. In addition to the major battles, the book also highlights smaller encounters between single ships or light squadrons, important conflicts often overlooked in naval histories.