To Rule the Waves

How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World

By: Arthur Herman

Narrated by: John Curless

Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

To Rule the Waves tells the extraordinary story of how the British Royal Navy allowed one nation to rise to a level of power unprecedented in history. From the navy's beginnings under Henry VIII to the age of computer warfare and special ops, historian Arthur Herman tells the spellbinding tale of great battles at sea, heroic sailors, violent conflict, and personal tragedy - of the way one mighty institution forged a nation, an empire, and a new world.

This P.S. edition features extra insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

©2004 Arthur Herman (P)2016 Recorded Books

Very entertaining though slightly biased

A little too much the view that the Royal navy had such à decisive role in history. Still, many little known details, and very complete. Very well read.

No More Dry Than The Sea

Totally absorbing, engaging mind and imagination with vivid details, exciting narratives, and all the facts.

Very interesting and enjoyable

While much of the history is generally known from various sources such as nonfiction and fiction works and even movies this masterwork provides a thorough and comprehensive description of the British navy and its role in shaping that same empire. The narration was fine. I’m amused by the criticisms that this work favors the British navy after all that is the subject of the narrative.

A good story.

Loved the book. A great story well read. A must read for all interested in the British navy.

A must for empire history buffs

Fascinating read. I knew British naval history was glorious, powerful and sometimes checkered but this book fleshes it all out in amazing detail.

Captivating

Everything is great about this book. The narrator is excellent but sometimes he trails off at the end of a sentence and you can't quite figure out what the last word is that he said.

Brings naval history to life

If you enjoy the Hornblower novels/movies or Master & Commander, this book is an excellent way to really dig into it and learn what life (and battle) were really like. The story starts out with the earliest efforts of British naval forces, before there was any formal organization of a navy, and ends with the Falklands War in 1982.

There are lots of historical tidbits along the way, such as how the expressions "let the cat out of the bag," "three square meals a day," and "strike." started.

One of the more interesting aspects of the history is that many of legendary heroes of the Royal Navy, like Nelson or Beatty, were guys who didn't follow orders to the letter, but instead took the initiative when the battle was developing in a way not contemplated by their commander's original orders. By comparison, the Duke of Mednia Sidonia, who commanded the Spanish Armada, followed the extremely detailed orders of Philip II to the letter. If he'd shown more independence and initiative, things might have been different.

The book has a great deal of detail to it, so if that's not quite your cup of tea and you're looking for more swashbuckling, you may want to try one of the fictional treatments of the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Wars, of which there are many excellent works.

But this is the real deal.

good listen..worth the time

I am a Navy history buff.it was very interesting to hear how the British Navy dominated the worlds oceans for so long and that they set the stage for everyone else to follow.. including the United States Navy which in many ways has followed the example established by the British. The British brought many invovations to the world..railroads..blue water sea power..the jet engine..radar..sonar.. insurance..what an amazing people..

Hours of Entertainment and Knowledge

I was skeptical but this is amazing and done in a way that it is never boring. If you are person interested in history, this is a home run. There are so many things I have learned from this and many of the things in this book had a huge impact on shaping the world we live in today. I'm not one to listen to many book more than once, but this is an exception. Highly recommend.

Excellent listen and fascinatingly well read

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to a fascinating subject that dovetailed with so much other history that I have read and listened to.