John D Harbron Knihy

At the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars the Spanish Navy was the third largest in the world. Its ships were well designed and superbly built, and were officered by brave and dedicated professionals, who were nowhere near as ineffective in combat as has often been represented. This is the first English language book to look at the Spanish naval forces in the century before Trafalgar, and provides a reassessment of the aim and achievements of the service. Detailed chapters cover Spanish warship design and construction, and the much-maligned officer corps, concluding with sections on the Battle of Trafalgar itself and its significance to Spain.