"Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail: The Evolution..." Topic

… of Fighting Tactic 1650-1815.

"This title traces the evolution of fleet tactics from the Dutch wars of the 17th century to the defeat of the French Empire. It emphasizes the importance of signals and fighting instructions as a key to the way the fleets were actually employed and provides insights into well-known battles…"
See here
link

Anyone have read this book?
If the answer is yes, comments please?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

Armand,
I have that one. It is a good work, but it's not a generalist type of title. It is about signalling and fighting instructions of the various navies during that time, with an emphasis on the British and French flag signalling systems.
BWW

Thanks for the data my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

As always, you're welcome.
BWW

It is broader than just a study of signalling systems, it discusses how these systems affected the battles in which they were used (with diagrams of the fleet layouts at the major engagements).

It is certainly not a generalist read, but if you want to understand the limitations facing the admirals in our period there is not much to challenge it.

Tunstall made a lifetime study of the subject, and the book was edited down for publocation by Nicolas Tracy who is a noted historian of the period in his own right. Tracy's book Nelson's Battles – The Art of Victory in the Age of Sail can be seen as a 'boiled down' version of the bigger book and is aimed more generally.

The Tunstall/Tracy larger volume is one of the most researched and important books on our subject published in modern times. Anyone with a serious interest in our period should read it.

Mark Barker
The Inshore Squadron

Many thanks Mark!.

Amicalement
Armand

….. Affectionately known among AoS aficionados simply as "Tunstall". It belong on the bookshelf of any AoS student and is surprisingly inexpensive on the used book market.

B

Absolutely agree with the comments above. It is a serious piece of work, no doubt, but it is the most helpful book I have read as yet on really getting to understand how fleets fought in the period. Yes, it is very focussed on signal systems, but signalling (and the limitations therefrom) very much dictated the tactical options available to Fleet commanders at the time.

The book is also excellent in that it does not focus just on British systems, but includes the French, Spanish and Dutch (although admittedly the French get more coverage than the others – but probably rightly so).

Highly recommended.

Thanks.

Amicalement
Armand