England's Medieval Navy 1066-1509: Ships, Men and Warfare by ... - 9781848321373

England's Medieval Navy 1066-1509: Ships, Men and WarfareAuthor(s): Susan Rose\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Seaforth Publishing\nISBN-13: 9781848321373, 978-1848321373\nSynopsis\nWe are accustomed to think of England in terms of Shakespeare's 'precious stone set in a silver sea', safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders. To the English of an earlier period - from the 8th to the 11th centuries - such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. The sea, rather than being a defensive wall, was a highway by which successive waves of invaders arrived, bringing destruction and fear in their wake. Deploying a wide range of sources, this new book looks at how English kings after the Norman Conquest learnt to use the Navy of England, a term which at this time included all vessels whether Royal or private and no matter what their ostensible purpose - to increase and safety and prosperity of the kingdom..