The British Navy : 9781782820369 : 09 Dec 2012 : The exploits of the world's greatest sea power from its beginnings to its triumphs This book, originally entitled, 'Fifty-Two Stories of the British Navy from Damme to Trafalgar,' is an excellent 'reader' for all those interested in the history of British conflict at sea, from the earliest times to possibly the greatest naval battle of the age of sail-Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar in 1805. The volume is organised chronologically and each account links to form a chain which demonstrates how the Royal Navy really did come to 'rule the waves' to the point that after Trafalgar it did not fight another major battle at sea until Jutland during the First World War. Among the many great naval officers whose exploits are detailed here are Howard, Barton, Hawkins, Drake, Blake, Rooke, Benbow, Rodney and many others. Some 600 years of warfare at sea is discussed including the many wars against the Dutch a