Tide of Empires #1) - Decisive Naval Campaigns in the Rise of the West 1481-1654

Stripped of dogma, national bias and historical legend, this volume of naval history deals with the preiod from Ventian sea supremacy and the Portuguese campaigns of discovery to the Dutch conquest of a world-wide maritime empire, and finally the emergence of England as a serious rival to the Dutch. The author describes the ships, weapons, men and nations who developed ship design and naval strategy, but also examines the strengths and weaknesses of particular commanders. He sees the rise of the West as an economic battle for world markets during which brief intervals of ‘peace’ were determined solely by exhaustion. FOREWORD 2 INTRODUCTION 10 chapter 1 - THE CAMPAIGN OF DISCOVERY 10 chapter 1 - THE CAMPAIGN OF DISCOVERY 10 chapter 1 - THE CAMPAIGN OF DISCOVERY 10 chapter 2 - THE CONQUEST OF THE INDIAN OCEAN 10 chapter 2 - THE CONQUEST OF THE INDIAN OCEAN 10 chapter 2 - THE CONQUEST OF THE INDIAN OCEAN 10 chapter 3 - THE MEDITERRANEAN CENTRE 10 chapter 3 - THE MEDITERRANEAN CENTRE 10 chapter 3 - THE MEDITERRANEAN CENTRE 10 chapter 4 - ATLANTIC WEALTH 10 chapter 4 - ATLANTIC WEALTH 10 chapter 5 - THE DUTCH EMPIRE OF THE OCEANS 10 chapter 5 - THE DUTCH EMPIRE OF THE OCEANS 10 chapter 5 - THE DUTCH EMPIRE OF THE OCEANS 10 chapter 6 - THE RISE OF ENGLAND 10 chapter 6 - THE RISE OF ENGLAND 10 GLOSSARY 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 10