Herman tracks the amazing rise of English seamen as they faced - and defeated - the seemingly invincible Spanish Armada in 1588. He documents how the navy was a crucial component in determining the outcome of the English Civil War. And as the reach of the Empire expanded around the world, it was the navy that safeguarded its lifeblood: namely, trade. As Herman notes, even today some 95% of all goods are transported by ship. The creation of stable shipping lanes and trade routes, together with protection of merchant ships from passing predators, largely fueled the expansion of the Empire. The bottom line was that the navy, more than any other aspect of the Empire, allowed for the development of England's trading prominence, permitted it to establish and sustain colonies, and became the symbol of the British Empire.

To Rule the Waves is an entertaining and engrossing exploration of the age of sail, of the development of the greatest navy in the history of the world, and of the Empire it built and sustained. It provides an interesting factual counterpoint to the fictional adventures of such characters as Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey (of Master and Commander fame). If Herman whitewashes some of the less savory aspects of the royal navy, including cruel disciplinary issues and the oppressive practice of permitting sea captains to "press" any British subject into service, the book nonetheless remains a colorful inspection of British naval history from Elizabethan times to the Falklands war.