The British Empire, the largest empire in history, was fundamentally a maritime one. Britain's imperial power was inextricably tied to the strength of the Royal Navy - the ability to protect and extend Britain's political and economic interests overseas, and to provide the vital bonds that connected the metropole with the colonies. This book examines the intrinsic relationship between the Royal Navy and the empire, by examining not only the navy's expansionist role on land and sea, but also the ideological and cultural influence it exerted for both the coloniser and colonised. The navy's...