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Great Harry's Navy

By Geoffrey Moorhouse

Great Harry's Navy Social Sciences

Great Harry's Navy

- Default Title
Description
Ground-breaking history of how King Henry VIII created England's navy It was Henry VIII who began the process of making England a first-rate sea-power. He inherited no more than seven warships from Henry VII, yet at his own death the King's Navy had 53 seaworthy ships afloat (much the same size as the Royal Navy today) manned by almost 8,000 sailors. Henry VIII originally needed a navy to hold the English Channel and blockade the enemy while he invaded France. Later when invasion from the continent grew serious Henry's navy fought in many actions. Moorhouse doesn't only deal with seagoing exploits. Thanks to Henry VIII dockyards were built (Greenwich and Deptford), timber had to be felled in quantities previously unknown (from land seized during the dissolution of the monasteries), and hemp (for rope) was harvested; new skills were developed, not least the gun-founders and the master shipwrights. Some of the ships were celebrated - 'Henry Grace a Dieu' (aka 'Great Harry') was the biggest ship in the world - 1,000 tons, 122 guns, crew of 700 and the 'Mary Rose' (500 tons, 80 guns, 40 crew) became one of the most famous after she heeled over too far, took water and sank with the loss of almost all hands off Portsmouth.
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Edition:
illustrated
Number of Pages:
400
Release Date:
2009-04-02
Publication Date:
2006-11-01
Publisher:
Orion Publishing Group
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0753820994
ISBN13:
9780753820995
Weight:
497 g
Height:
134 cm
Width:
214 cm
Thickness:
32 cm
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