Clear & informative about a pretty roguish galere. Chinese Gordon especially seems a nasty ill mannered religious nutcase. Good particularly in the conclusion about the tightrope Br. Generals have to walk between demands of the enemy and the field and political masters, themselves dancing between monarch, parliament and electorate, more recently the media as well. Gives perspective on how Britain developed not only industry but freedoms, in part from its island position: " there is no such thing as a naval dictatorship" said Orwell ( well except perhaps Argentina ). Urban explains why. ( )