Book excerpt: William M. James's Naval History is one of the most valuable works in the English language on the operation of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. James corresponded widely with the survivors of the events he describes. By carefully evaluating and balancing conflicting reports and testimonies, he achieved an accuracy often lacking in later studies. The original five volumes were published in 1822 to 1824, with a six-volume edition appearing in 1826. This new hard-cover edition, with an introduction by the noted naval historian Andrew Lambert as well as an index for each volume, provides both scholars and maritime enthusiasts an accessible and affordable edition of this important work. Volume V features the 1808-1811 operations of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Baltic seas, as well as its involvement in the Peninsular War. In Volume VI, the United States enters the war at sea, and the 1811-1827 battles feature vessels such as the USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere, Chesapeake and Shannon, United States and Macedonian.