The Narrow Sea: Barrier, Bridge and Gateway to the World - The History of the English Channel

This is a masterwork.

After a forty year career as an English Diplomat, including the Ambassadorship of Hungary, Peter Unwin (born 1932), in his retirement, turned to writing history. This book is the fourth of half-a-dozen and in the author’s words “is basically a history of England seen through the filter of things happening on the Channel ... trying to answer the question, how far did the existence of the Channel shape British history… as a barrier and obstacle in one sense but also a bridge to the continent and an opening to the world.”

In meeting this objective the author succeeds, and creates a thrilling and totally engrossing work that covers his research of the Channel from Romans to "Chunnel”, detailing the political show more and human impact of each event as the Channel changes from “barrier” to its present function as a gateway.

My pleasure at reading – and owning – such a work was enhanced by the number of books and subjects I gleaned from both the narrative and Unwin’s bibliography. His book Baltic Approaches is on order but will not help stem my urgent need to know more of The Sea Beggars, the Dutch fleets and sailors that raided and burnt my hometowns in the River Medway … and so distressed Mr. Samuel Pepys! Further enjoyable reading then lies ahead thanks to this masterly book by Peter Unwin. show less