The art of the admiral has always been one of the major influences that shape the course of naval history. In The Great Admirals has set the careers of twenty-one of the great commanders of maritime history within their historical contexts. His book spans five centuries of constantly changing warfare, from the Christian-Muslim struggles of the Middle Ages to the Pacific battles of World War II.
It is not possible to write of the great admirals without reference to the ships they commanded and the armamnets with which they fought. The author keeps the reader constantly informed about developments in weaponry and warship design, from the bloody hand-to-hand skirmishes on 16th century Galleasses to 16-inch gunns with a range of over 20 miles, from 3-ton bombards to 30,000-ton aircraft carriers.