Sailing warships in the latter half of the seventeenth century had manning establishments that required around one man to three tonnes displacement while eighteenth century warships normally had around one man to four tonnes. An avid miniatures wargamer, Jane first published All the World's Fighting Ships (known as Jane's Fighting Ships after 1905) in 1898, which catalogued all the warships operated by each country, their armaments, and other details, as a supplement to a wargame he designed.

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The other two Atlantic powers, Portugal and the Dutch Republic, preferred neutrality during most of the eighteenth century. Between 1940 and 1942 the British colony of Malta in the central Mediterranean faced relentless aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe and Italian Air Force. Britain's place in the ‘Viking World’ was rendered most definitive through the person of Cnut (1016–35). More distant trades made big ships economic: in 1400–25, 68 per cent of crown-hired ships were of less than 100 tons burthen, but by 1451 that percentage had dropped to 52.

These are examples of the fascinating details contained in The Civil War Naval Encyclopedia that provide readers with a complete understanding of the naval aspects of the American Civil War.The other main type comprised the lighter and faster cruisers, of which the largest was the frigate, a vessel with one or two decks of guns of lesser calibre than those of the main fighting ships. It is a glimpse into a bygone world, captured shortly before the beginning of the Dreadnought naval arms race that foreshadowed the calamity of the First World War.

The Roman Republic and Empire had to maintain a fleet not only to neutralize the threat arising from rival sea powers but also to deal with the piracy prevalent in the Mediterranean and with the consequent safeguarding of trade routes. It became obvious that fewer large ships with heavier guns had an advantage over more numerous smaller ships.What has to be understood about his 18,000-tons displacement Dreadnought, with her 21-knot speed (launched February 1906), is that such a ship was waiting to be built: turbine and not reciprocated engine driven, and with a provision of uniformly heavy guns ensuring straddling salvoes of the highest possible accuracy. This widely inclusive work should prove invaluable for a wide audience ranging from advanced scholars to Civil War buffs requiring a quick reference. At long last, and following Trafalgar, the book was closed on one of the most abiding and distracting of Britain's strategic preoccupations: the security of the West Indies possessions had exercised the minds of all thinking naval officers, as well as commercial lobbies, since the age of William III. The Mediterranean powers preferred galleys, which at least up to the mid-sixteenth century proved viable as a weapons system in competition with sailing warships, which were still in their infancy. Content you previously purchased on Oxford Biblical Studies Online or Oxford Islamic Studies Online has now moved to Oxford Reference, Oxford Handbooks Online, Oxford Scholarship Online, or What Everyone Needs to Know®.

The English, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, and Swedish navies were reinforced by considerable numbers of armed merchantmen during major wars, and Venice fought the war with the Ottomans from 1644 to 1669 with hired English and Dutch merchantmen.

The articles in this thorough and comprehensive encyclopedia of the maritime history of the American Civil War offer reflections on the overall strategy of both sides in the conflict, the role of diplomacy, the most important naval officers and other personalities, naval battles and individual engagements, famous ships and significant ship types, naval artillery and weapon systems, or novel technical developments such as mines or submersibles.