England's Medieval Navy, 1066–1509

“Rose looks at every aspect of English naval power in the Medieval period . . . an excellent study of a somewhat neglected period of English naval history.” — History of War We are accustomed to think of England in terms of Shakespeare’s “precious stone set in a silver sea,” safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders. To the English of an earlier period from the 8th to the 11th centuries such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. The sea, rather than being a