Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922) was a pioneer in the analysis of naval affairs and in examining naval strategy within the wider context of national policy. His great asset was the historical rigour that he brought to the study of his subject and his ability to draw out the larger patterns and ideas that informed the past. This five-volume set covers the period from 1550 to 1715, bringing together the first three of Corbett’s five major studies of England’s naval history.

In Drake and the Tudor Navy and Successors of Drake, Corbett presents one of the first truly modern naval histories, shifting the focus away from chronicles of battles to the interplay of national strategy, policy and operations. In England in the Mediterranean, Corbett demonstrates how a relatively small naval presence exerted an influence far greater than mere numbers or battles would suggest. It establishes the key theme of Corbett’s later thinking: the wider diplomatic importance of naval activity and the relative unimportance of fleet battle.

This set includes an extensive new introduction by leading naval historian, Andrew Lambert, which considers Corbett’s life and work within the geostrategical context of his own times.