Savor the story of the ultimate warship in Sovereigns of the Sea: The Quest to Build the Perfect Renaissance Battleship, which chronicles the history of Sovereign of the Seas, an immensely powerful floating fortress. You will enjoy this gripping tale of an arms race that created and ruined empires, changed the map of the world, and led Europe out of the Renaissance and into the Modern age. Understand how the Sovereign of the Seas became the model for a whole new generation of warships that would dominate naval warfare until the advent of steam power.

Konstam, Angus

John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated

Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons

Spectrum Publications

Halsted Press

United States, United States of America

Hoboken, N.J, New Jersey, 2008

Hoboken, N.J, c2008

1, PS, 2008

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-328) and index.

The Ultimate Warship<p>Her keel measured 126 feet, and she stretched to 160 feet overall. Her 46.5-foot beam sacrificed speed for the sake of stability, and the 19 feet of water she drew denied her access to smaller ports. Some saw her enormous size and ungainly proportions as serious drawbacks, but the 102 heavy bronze cannon that bristled from her flanks guaranteed that this black-hulled, ornately decorated monster would live up to her name: Sovereign of the Seas. The Dutch sailors who faced her in battle called her by another name, The Golden Devil.</p><p>This immensely powerful floating fortress was the culmination of more than two hundred years of competition among the kingdoms of Europe to create the perfect marriage between guns and ships. Their relentless quest for maritime supremacy had produced a seemingly endless succession of grandiose flagships, from Henry V's Grace à Dieu to Sweden's ill-fated Vasa. Emerging nation-states had invested vast portions of their treasuries, kings had vied as much for prestige as for power, and thousands of hapless seamen had perished in pursuit of this goal.</p><p>Sovereigns of the Sea is a gripping tale of an arms race that created and ruined empires, changed the map of the world, and led Europe out of the Renaissance and into the modern age.</p>

The Ultimate Warship Her keel measured 126 feet, and she stretched to 160 feet overall. Her 46.5-foot beam sacrificed speed for the sake of stability, and the 19 feet of water she drew denied her access to smaller ports. Some saw her enormous size and ungainly proportions as serious drawbacks, but the 102 heavy bronze cannon that bristled from her flanks guaranteed that this black-hulled, ornately decorated monster would live up to her Sovereign of the Seas. The Dutch sailors who faced her inbattle called her by another name, The Golden Devil. This immensely powerful floating fortress was the culmination of more than two hundred years of competition among the kingdoms of Europe to create the perfect marriage between guns and ships. Their relentless quest for maritime supremacy had produced a seemingly endless succession of grandiose flagships, from Henry Vs Grace Dieu to Swedens ill-fated Vasa. Emerging nation-states had invested vast portions of their treasuries, kings had vied as much for prestige as for power, and thousands of hapless seamen had perished in pursuit of this goal. Sovereigns of the Sea is a gripping tale of an arms race that created and ruined empires, changed the map of the world, and led Europe out of the Renaissance and into the modern age.

Værket, der er grundigt forsket tager skibsbygningen i renæssancen op til perspektivering, og der er især tale om et engelsk perspektiv. Der anlægges således et teknisk perspektiv, der behandler perioden fra ca. 1500 til slutningen af 1600- tallet, der blandt andet medførte en tydelig konstruktionsmæssig udvikling af orlogsskibene, integrering af søartilleriet og ændring af normaltaktikken og kampmåden. Forfatteren ser tillige på de strategiske operative opgaver omkring de britiske øer, mod Spanien og på Baltikums sømagter og den engelske flådes ageren i forhold til søherredømmet her. Forfatteren kommer tillige ind på chefers, officerers og mandskabets vilkår og hvorledes de kompenserede for manglende uddannelse. Forfatteren afslutter perioden med at se datidens ultimative krigsskib, nævnt som titel, og hvad denne periode alt i alt betød for nationernes kapløb om rigdomme, magt og ære

xiv, 338 p. : 25 cm
Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-328) and index

2023-06-28