Looking for 18th and 19th century war books
 

Hey guys, i've recently got a bit of an interest in more older wars. Can anyone tell me some good books to read on the American Revolution, War of 1812 and the Napoleonic wars? i also have a special interest for naval war, so can you guys recommend some books about naval warfare at around that same time, like battle of Trafalgar, and books about naval war in the Napoleonic era and the War of 1812? i'm fine with both old and new books.

Six Frigates by Ian W. Toll: LINK.

Does what it says on the tin - covers the birth of the US Navy after the War of Independence. It's a while since I read it, but from memory it details the Quasi War with France, that with the Barbary States and the War of 1812.

The Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of American Independence by Sam Willis: LINK.

I don't actually have this one, though it should have what your looking for.

There isn't very much in English on the French and Spanish Navies but I'd recommend the following books which I have in my collection:

The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies, 1650-1815 by Jonathan R. Dull: LINK. Gives a good overview of the two navies during the period covered.

Also by Dull: The French Navy and the Seven Years' War: LINK. That one is best read in conjunction with Louis XV's Navy, 1748-1762: A Study of Organization and Administration by James Pritchard: LINK. Both cover a period earlier than your looking for, but books in English on the French Navy of the period are really thin on the ground! They should also put what the French did during the War of Independence in context - what happened in the Seven Years War/French and Indian War had a direct bearing on what happened next.

Trafalger and the Spanish Navy by John D. Harbron: LINK. Pretty much the only current book in English on the Armada Espagnol. Covers the earlier conflicts during the 18th century as well as Trafalger and it's aftermath. It also shows just how important Cuba was to the Spanish Navy's building program - quite a few famous navio were Havana built.

Books on the Royal Navy are numerous. I can't really give a specific recommendation on a narrative history as pretty much all my RN books are technical histories but a search on Amazon should provide plenty of choice!

Hope that helps,

Mike.:)

Thank you for the reccommendations, ill look at them.

The Naval War of 1812, by Theodore Roosevelt.
The Twilight's Last Gleaming, by Kate Caffrey. Not so much about the naval war, but the whole thing, including what pundits on all sides had to say immediately afterwards.

Best is to google "books on the naval war of 1812". There are a lot of them out there. I can't tell you which is best, but they all come with reader reviews as well, so it should be easy to make a decision.

Fighting Ships 1750-1850 Sam Willis.
May not be exactly what your looking for but its a beautiful book nonetheless.

REQUIRED READING
 

meets

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitler "On land I am a hero. At sea I am a coward.

Absolutely the foundation of a true :subsim:r's library: https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1...18l/117031.jpg Improves everything from chess, paintball, Civil War reenacting to wargaming... much less threat-assessment in my employment! Ie: U-boot submarine warfare violates von C's rule 1: "In all things, be very strong" as it is 'offset warfare' against a stronger opponent....much less the torpedoes didn't work well!:o...a clear violation of rule 2: "whenever possible, increase firepower" meets rule 3: Never count on your enemy doing what your plan calls for him to do....such as put 10-centimeter radar on every escort and long-range bomber and break your enigma codes.:yep: The technology may change; the rules do not!