Both volumes of Alfred Thayer Mahan's superbly detailed commentary of French naval prowess during the years of the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars are united here, complete with the author's original battle maps. The rapidly changing technology of the era, including the emergence of early steamships, saw sea power shift to greater prominence in war. The advancement of ships was such that those with heavy firepower could mount insuperable blockades upon enemy ports and supply lines and conduct destructive bombardments from the sea - this reality made naval dominance a crucial component of winning a war. A naval historian of great renown, Alfred Thayer Mahan began his scholarly interests while still an officer in the U.S. Navy. He was formally taught, and informally studied multiple countries and eras of seagoing; going on to combine his first-hand naval skills with a superb historical scholarship.