Rating: 
Summary: Great Story of the Period of Fighting Sail
Review: This book of four hundred pages by Nathan Miller is a great and riveting account of the age of 'Fighting Sail'. The book covers the period from 1775 to the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Having read a number of books on Nelson, Sir Sidney Smith and Lord Cochrane I found this book a treat. It covered this great period of sail with a majestic overview, covering all the famous actions and commanders. Many of the stories I had heard before but the author's style of writing made it all seem new to me. I still found many things that I had never heard before and the book was full of fascinating stories. The narrative was easy to read and just flowed along with accounts from the participants adding flavour to the story. Accounts such as the story about one French officer having himself placed in a tub of bran to slow the bleeding from his legs that had been blown away so he could continue to command. And another about how the water frothed from the feeding frenzy of the sharks after dead seamen had been dumped overboard during an engagement are just awesome when you sit back and think about the those images. The story was fast paced and the author provided a number of drawings of some of the classic engagements and commanders. I would have liked to see some maps outlining positions taken by the ships before and during the battles but that is only a small complaint. If you are looking for a good and easy to read single volume account of this period I could not recommend a better book. If you enjoyed this book I would also recommend Tom Pocock's 'A Thirst for Glory' which covers the life of Sir Sidney Smith and Donald Thomas's 'Cochrane: Britannia's Sea Wolf' which is a brilliant story of one of greatest Frigate commanders during the age of fighting sail.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Recounting of the Age of Fighting Sail
Review: This book provides a well-paced and comprehensive survey of the years when ships of the line were the most potent and deadly force in the world. For those who read the Hornblower novels and wanted to learn more about the era in which Horatio lived, this is an excellent choice. Miller focuses on the careers of the major captains in the Age of Fighting Sail. Major appearances are made by such luminaries as Nelson, Pellew, Cochrane, and St. Vincent - not to mention John Paul Jones and Stephen Decatur. In many cases, the actual historical exploits involving these and other captains are more exciting than fiction. Miller takes the time to recount the political and diplomatic events behind the major naval engagements of the wars between England, France, and the United States. In addition, he touches upon the inner workings of the Admiralty, the Ministry of Marine, and the Navy Department. One also gets the perspective of the common sailor in this book. `Broadsides' would make a fine textbook for a college-level course on naval history or the Napoleonic Era. The writing is solid, if not as imaginative as Keegan's `The Price of Admiralty,' and not laden with burdensome facts and figures. His descriptions of battles proceed clearly and tautly. The reader will marvel at the discipline of the Royal Navy, shake his head at France's many lost opportunities, and feel proud of the exploits of the infant U.S. Navy. One is sure to have a better understanding of the time when the only steel on board a man-of-war was the determination of its captain.
Rating:
Summary: Solid Recounting of the Age of Fighting Sail
Review: This book provides a well-paced and comprehensive survey of the years when ships of the line were the most potent and deadly force in the world. For those who read the Hornblower novels and wanted to learn more about the era in which Horatio lived, this is an excellent choice. Miller focuses on the careers of the major captains in the Age of Fighting Sail. Major appearances are made by such luminaries as Nelson, Pellew, Cochrane, and St. Vincent - not to mention John Paul Jones and Stephen Decatur. In many cases, the actual historical exploits involving these and other captains are more exciting than fiction. Miller takes the time to recount the political and diplomatic events behind the major naval engagements of the wars between England, France, and the United States. In addition, he touches upon the inner workings of the Admiralty, the Ministry of Marine, and the Navy Department. One also gets the perspective of the common sailor in this book. 'Broadsides' would make a fine textbook for a college-level course on naval history or the Napoleonic Era. The writing is solid, if not as imaginative as Keegan's 'The Price of Admiralty,' and not laden with burdensome facts and figures. His descriptions of battles proceed clearly and tautly. The reader will marvel at the discipline of the Royal Navy, shake his head at France's many lost opportunities, and feel proud of the exploits of the infant U.S. Navy. One is sure to have a better understanding of the time when the only steel on board a man-of-war was the determination of its captain.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating and scholarly account
Review: This is a great book! Instead of another recital of major battles, indistinguishable from one another, Nathan Miller has carefully selected a handful of examples to illustrate chosen themes in each chapter. Thus you learn a great deal about the lives of the men on board, of the officers who commanded them, and the admirals who ran the fleets, all set against a thoughtful background. The technological and social changes over this period are discussed intelligently, and will influence even the most knowledgeable reader. The book is a pleasure to read and highly informative.
Rating:
Summary: Non-fiction matches O'Brian's fiction
Review: Those who have liked Patrick O'Brian's great sea adventure novels are sure to welcome this factual narrative of the same period of war on the high seas. Miller not only gives the historical background of naval warfare in the age of sail, he tells how the ships and guns worked, how the sailors lived, how the admirals thought and fought. His subtitle on the age of sail might also have been "the age of Nelson," for he uses the life of the hero of Trafalgar to tie together the widespread action during the years from the American revolution to the War of 1812. One of the book's most memorable scenes is the day when Nelson first went on board a warship at the age of 12. As Miller tells of the rousing battles to follow, they are not just scattered outbursts of action around the world; each takes on strategic meaning in relation to the others. This book is much better written than the typical history. Miller was a World War II sailor and has written a series of other naval histories; he knows both the subject and the lingo. His fluent narrative is founded on solid research. I recommend it as a companion volume to the works of O'Brian and C.S. Forester. It fully deserves five stars.
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