From an era when oar-driven ships clashed in messy, bloody conflict to the golden age of sail and the incredible innovations that led to ironclads, dreadnoughts, and the aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines of today, Great Naval Battles steers a course through some of history's most epic engagements on the high seas.

This intriguing book charts the key role of naval warfare throughout history and explores how technology, tactics, leadership, luck, and even the weather, have all played their part in defining the world we live in today.