Britannia Rules is a history of the British navy from 1793 to 1815, during the war against first the French Republic and then Napoleon. It is a straightforward and readable popular account, which covers institutional and administrative history as well the major fleet engagements, the Great Mutiny, and the role of sea power in the overall course of the war. Only two hundred pages long and lacking references, Britannia Rules is not a replacement for a definitive formal history — something which, as Parkinson points out, remains to be written. There are surprisingly few works which cover this material (though there are plenty of biographies of Nelson) and, given the number of Forester and O'Brian fans, there is definitely an opportunity for someone here.

January 1997

External links:

- buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

Related reviews:

- C. Northcote Parkinson - The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower; Devil to Pay
- books about Britain + British history
- more naval history + fiction
- books about war + military history