'Admiral Byng. His Rise and Execution'
The staff and students of the GMI congratulate Chris Ware on the recent publication of his new book, Admiral Byng - His Rise and Execution.
About the book: Born the son of George Byng, a favourite of the king and himself an admiral and later First Lord of the Admiralty, John Byng seemed destined for a glittering career in the Navy. He saw his first fleet action at the age of 14 serving as a captain's servant at Cape Passaro. He qualified as a lieutenant at 19 years of age (although the minimum age was 21) and made post captain at 23. By the outbreak of the Seven Years' War he has risen to admiral of the blue. It all went wrong with the Battle of Minorca (20 May 1756) where his failure, or rather the nature of it, earned him accusations of cowardice and a court martial. His trial and execution were the hottest topic of the day . The media lampooned Byng mercilessly and his reputation has never recovered. In this long-overdue reappraisal, Chris Ware looks at the whole of Byng's long career and carefully untangles the politics surrounding his final days to see how far his poor reputation is justified.
About the Author: Chris Ware is a lecturer in maritime history for the Greenwich Maritime Institute and for the University of Kent and is a former curator for the National Maritime Museum. He is the author of The Bomb Vessel: Shore Bombardment in the Age of Sail and co-author of First Class Cruisers, amongst others. His is currently working on a study of submarine warfare in the First World War which will also be published by Pen & Sword.
