Commodore Squib

Download or read book Commodore Squib written by James Earle and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-12-14 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sir William Congreve, political propagandist, lawyer, inventor, and Chief Equerry to King George IV, was one of the foremost military salesmen of the early nineteenth century. When England faced the overwhelming might of Napoleonic France, Sir William championed the potential of secret weapons, notably gunpowder rockets, mass-produced by the latest advances in manufacturing science. His was a world of fireships, bomb brigs, invasion fleets, experimental warfare, espionage, and the intense hostility of rival “projectors”. By turns acclaimed, derided, libelled and sued, Congreve belonged to a colourful breed whose influence on history is frequently overlooked. Yet for those who care to notice, his name and works are widely commemorated from the dark side of the moon to the most resounding phrases of the American National Anthem.