The War at Sea

ROYAL NAVY MEDITERRANEAN FLEET 1793-1805 : the war at sea against napoleon.

 CASEY BAKER

Random House, 2026

ISBN: 9781472871046

The American Experience of British Prize Law, 1776-1804 Suzanne Amy Foxley Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boydell Press

Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 19, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 282 pages

ISBN: ‎ 9781837652570

A detailed examination of one of the key issues for British-American relations, for international trade and for international law.

The taking of prizes, that is the capture of enemy vessels either by the Royal Navy or by private individuals licensed as privateers, was a crucial component of British naval strategy in the eighteenth century. The legality of prize-taking depended on the determination of the nationality or neutrality of both vessel and cargo - a major point of contention between Britain and other powers, including the United States. This book examines the American experience of British prize law from 1776 to 1804, with additional insights up until the 1820s, examining how this branch of international law changed and perpetuated in the wake…

Speller, Ian (2009) The war at sea in the age of Napoleon and the development of maritime strategy. In: A Guerra No Tempo De Napoleáo: antecedentes, campanhas militares e impactos de longa duracáo. Acta / International Commission of Military History (35). DPI Cromotipo, Lisbon, pp. 387-398. ISBN 9789899594647

https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/3844/

The American Ship John Jay, the Napoleonic Wars, and Risk in the Atlantic World Catherine DeCesare Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Academic

Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 2, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

ISBN: ‎ 9781666967944

Catherine DeCesare traces a micro-history of the John Jay using legal records to illustrate political and legal challenges faced by US maritime business in the Atlantic during the Napoleonic Wars.

This book provides a close look at the John Jay's fifth voyage when it was chased and captured by the British Royal Navy. DeCesare analyzes the legal battle that ensued and how the actions of the British Navy underscored US weaknesses. The history of the John Jay reflects both the personal and national uncertainties and struggles of the US foreign policy, domestic policy, and business in the Atlantic, a realm controlled by British law and naval operations at the time.