Wales has a long coastline, and nowhere is more than about 40 miles from the sea or a navigable river. From the earliest times, Welshmen have used the sea and the sea has shaped the history of the country. Seapower was arguably one of the most decisive factors in ending the nation's independence. The Welsh contribution to piracy has long been recognized, and Britannia's Dragon presents new and sometimes surprising evidence, such as the fact that relative to the populations of the retrospective countries, proportionately more Welshmen fought at Trafalgar than Scots, Irishmen or even Englishmen. The book also examines the invaluable contribution made by Welsh industry--especially coal and copper--to naval history, and considers such themes as shipbuilding and shipwrecks.
