Cromwell's Navy: The Fleet and the English Revolution, 1648-1660
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Author Description
In this book Capp explores the nature and role of the navy during the English Revolution. After the king's execution in 1649, the navy's leadership was drastically remodelled, with republican and Puritan outsiders being brought into key positions. Capp examines the fleet's part in the political history of the period, both domestic and international, and its intervention in the critical months before the Restoration. He also surveys the navy's social life--the characteristics of the officers and seamen, volunteers and the press gang, as well as the mental world of the seventeenth-century mariner.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the transformation and political influence of the English navy during the turbulent period of the English Revolution between 1648 and 1660. Bernard Capp, a distinguished historian of early modern England, utilizes extensive archival research and primary source documentation to analyze how the fleet functioned as both a military instrument and a political actor. He argues that the navy was not merely a passive state apparatus but a central pillar of the Cromwellian regime, shaped by ideological shifts and the practical demands of maritime warfare.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the administrative and leadership restructuring of the navy following the 1649 execution of Charles I.
- Examination of the fleet's role in domestic political stability and international naval conflicts.
- Detailed social history of seventeenth-century mariners, including recruitment practices like the press gang and the professional characteristics of officers.
- Exploration of the ideological and religious motivations of the Puritan-led naval command.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians and scholars of the seventeenth century regard this text as a foundational study on the intersection of naval power and revolutionary politics. Readers frequently note the meticulous detail provided regarding the social conditions of the fleet, making it an essential resource for understanding the Cromwellian era.
Page Count:
432
Publication Date:
1989-10-12
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
019820115X
ISBN-13:
9780198201151
History
Naval history
British History
Great Britain
Military History
Political History
