Convoys : the British struggle against Napoleonic Europe and America /Roger Knight

"The first account of Britain's convoys during the Napoleonic Wars, revealing their vital role in victory. During the Napoleonic Wars thousands of merchant ships crisscrossed narrow seas and wide oceans, protected by Britain's warships. These were wars of attrition in which raw materials had to reach their shores continuously: timber and hemp from the Baltic, sulphur from Sicily, and saltpetre from Bengal. Britain's fate rested on the strength of its economy - and convoys played a decisive part in securing victory. Leading naval historian Roger Knight examines how convoys ensured the safeguarding of trade and transport of troops, allowing Britain to take the upper hand. Detailing the many hardships these ships faced, from the shortage of seaman to the vicissitudes of the weather, Knight sheds light on the innovation and seafaring skills that made convoys such an invaluable tool in Britain's arsenal. The convoy system laid the foundation for Britain's narrow victory over Napoleon and his allies in 1815 and, in doing so, established its naval and mercantile power at sea for a hundred years."--Provided by the publisher.