Commanders at sea struggle not only with the unpredictability of natural elements, but also with a shroud of uncertainty often referred to as the "fog of war". Over the centuries, most admirals yielded to the natural temptation to find in new technologies a means to assert centralized control over their forces. But other commanders have recognised the fog for what it is: a constant level of uncertainty resistant to mere technological solution. In this grand history of naval warfare, Michael Palmer observes five centuries of dramatic encounters under sail and steam.