Jan Glete is Lecturer in History at Stockholm University in Sweden, and his books include Navies and Nations: Warships, navies and state building in Europe and America, 1500-1860.

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• Preface, Maps, 1. Warfare at sea in European history, 2. Technology, tactics and strategy, 3. Seamen, soldiers and changing maritime societies, 4. States, organisations and maritime wars, 5. The Portuguese in maritime Asia, 1498–1600, 6. The Mediterranean: the failure of empires, 7. Maritime state formation and empire building in the Baltic, 8. War in Western Europe until 1560, 9. Atlantic warfare until 1603, 10. The first global war at sea, 1600–1650, 11. Conclusion, Appendix: major sailing navies and galley navies, 1500–1650, Notes, Select bibliography, Index