“Whether in peaceful trade or warlike attack, the sea unites more than it divides. Even if it were possible to treat England, or the British Isles, as a single, homogenous, united nation, it would still be impossible to write its naval history without reference to the histories of the other nations, near and far, with which the sea has connected it.” IfsWritingStillsNationsUnitedImpossibleSeaTreatsEnglandTradeConnectedBritishPeacefulDividesUnited NationsNavalIsleNear And Far Author:Nicholas Rodger
“'A Naval History of Britain' which begins in the 7th century has to explain what it means by Britain. My meaning is simply the British Isles as a whole, but not any particular nation or state or our own day... 'Britain' is not a perfect word for this purpose, but 'Britain and Ireland' would be both cumbersome and misleading, implying an equality of treatment which is not possible. Ireland and the Irish figure often in this book, but Irish naval history, in the sense of the history of Irish fleets, is largely a history of what might have been rather than what actually happened.” MeanHas BeensBookStatesWholeMightWould BePurposeNationsPerfectHappenedCenturyFiguresParticularBritishBritainTreatmentIrelandMight Have BeenMisleadNavalIsleIreland And The IrishImplying Author:Nicholas Rodger