Rome Rules the Waves by James J. Bloom - 9781781590249

The commonly-held view of Rome's naval history is that it essentially ended with the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra's fleet at Actium in 31 BC, which left Rome with no rivals at sea just as the Republican period gave to the Empire. There were no more big naval battles so, this view would have it, Rome's navy was scarcely needed and its role was of little significance to the strategy of the Empire. James J Bloom rams this point of view below the waterline in his reappraisal of the crucial role of the Roman imperial navy. The author (following the line of preeminent naval theoreticians, Alfred Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett) takes the view that sea power is not merely about naval engagements. In its deeper sense, sea power is the steadfast exertion of command of the sea lanes to project trade, suppress piracy, transport troops and supplies and protect land-based military garrisons and expeditions. In effect, this book is a grand-strategical survey of Roman naval power as an instrument to.