Below the belt: Novelty, subterfuge, and surprise in naval warfare

by John Winton

The 'dirty tricks' department is not a recent invention. Unconventional warfare was developed into an art by the Greeks, who employed fire-ships some seventeen centuries before their use against the Spanish Armada. The Romans shattered Carthaginian sea power with a simple invention and novel tactics, while the Byzantine navy's supremacy depended on the first secret weapon in history, Greek Fire. Even the use of poisonous gas was proposed as early as the Napoleonic Wars.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

A former officer in the Royal Navy, John Pratt was the author of a variety of fiction and non-fiction works published under the pen name John Winton. Pratt also served for 14 years as an obituarist for The Daily Telegraph.

Reviews

[Todd Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on this aspect of warfare

This book tackles specific aspects of naval warfare not commonly known. Compilation of all this in one work must have been tough.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting history of naval warfare. Could have included more on surface warfare in the 19th and 20th centuries. Great discussions

[david f sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating read

Th book slowly gets going and then comes a master of subterfuge. Kudos to the author for his hard work and dedication.