An Encyclopedia of Naval History

Naval history is not a subject over‐provided with reference books, and the appearance of this one is to be welcomed. It might better have been entitled “An Encyclopedia of Modern Naval History”, as its coverage begins only in the late sixteenth century, when the use of guns became dominant in naval warfare: it extends to the Gulf War of 1991. Among its 1,000 articles can be found all the principal naval wars and battles of that period, along with many more obscure ones (who among us could give an account of the Russo‐Swedish War of 1788‐91?). Even Britain’s non‐violent “Cod...