ROYAL NAVY IN EUORPEAN WATERS DURING THE AWI, THE

1-52110

An account of the battles, blockades, great fleet cruises and above all the impact of the this all had on the AWI, b/w illust, biblio, index.

Noting the complex reasons for British failure in European waters, Syrett lays primary blame at the feet of Britain's political leadership. He describes how Lord North, the first lord of the Treasury and head of government, abdicated control of Britain's military to individual members of the cabinet. Syrett suggests that constant vacillations in policy and strategy, which resulted from power shifts among the cabinet ministers, prevented North's government from formulating a comprehensive wartime strategy or providing the Royal Navy with the strategic guidance to launch a successful campaign.