This attractively bound volume of. British naval correspondence is a valuable addition to the published documents concerning the independence period. The naval commanders commented on many matters and many individuals, and their remarks will provide additional bits of information for filling in the complicated story of the various movements for independence. The excellent index is of considerable assistance, and a real time-saver.
The documents included are selections of the letters of five British naval commanders and their subordinates, and these make the five chapters of the book. The commanders were: Rear-Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, 1807-1809; Vice-Admiral Michael de Courcy, 1809-1812; Rear-Admiral Manley Dixon, 1812-1815; Commodore William Bowles, 1816-1819; and Commodore Sir Thomas Hardy, 1819-1823.
