The Foundations of British Maritime Ascendancy

British power and global expansion between 1755 and 1815 have mainly been attributed to the fiscal-military state and the achievements of the Royal navy at sea. Roger Morriss here sheds new light on the broader range of developments in the infrastructure of the state needed to extend British power at sea and overseas. He demonstrates how developments in culture, experience and control in central government affected the supply of ships, manpower, food, transport and ordnance as well as the support of the army, permitting the maintenance of armed forces of unprecedented size and their projection to distant stations. He reveals how the British state, although dependent on the private sector, built a partnership with it based on trust, ethics and the law. This book argues that Britain's military bureaucracy, traditionally regarded as inferior to the fighting services, was in fact the keystone of the nation's maritime ascendancy.

• Provides a comprehensive overview of the components of British maritime power, appealing to those interested in imperial, military, naval, political and economic history
• Highlights the technological and administrative developments that distinguished the British economy and state from others, setting up a new framework for assessing imperial and military endeavour as a whole
• Tables bring to life the logistical details of supplying, supporting and defending Britain's overseas interests