The story of the Royal Navy begins at the end of the 9th-century with King Alfred and his battles with Danish raiding parties. To tackle the invaders, Alfred designed and built a force of 60-oar ships that became the forerunner of a national naval squadron. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (edited by J. R. Hill, Oxford University Press, £25, ISBN 0 19 211675 4) is a detailed and sober account of the Navy’s unique role in exploring and shaping the world since then.
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Health
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
News
Humans
Elite Maya people had teeth placed in a cave far from their tombs
News
Mind
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
Features
Space
SpaceX's secretive plans to deliver cargo to Earth from space
News
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
Unapproved gene therapy for boosting longevity is set to go on sale
3
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
4
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
5
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
6
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
7
New-to-science spider builds trap that flings ants into the air
8
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
9
We've found a mysterious substance on Titan and Pluto
10
SpaceX's secretive plans to deliver cargo to Earth from space
