The
turn of the 16th century saw the start of a revolution in sea
warfare--one long in the making but, once begun, remarkably swift. The
driving force: gunpowder. The principal agents: galleys (long, low boats
propelled principally by oars) and galleons (heavy, square rigged
sailing ships). Suddenly, Europe, formerly on a technological par with
India and China, dominated the waters. They crossed the Atlantic,
reached America, and became world powers. A beautifully written account
of the age conveys exactly how a country like Portugal could establish
outposts from South America to the Pacific, how Christian fleets wrested
control of the Mediterranean from the Ottoman Empire, and why the
"invincible" Spanish armada met with disaster in its attempt to invade
England. A vivid page-turner.
