No pleasure cruise

This comprehensive history of the Royal Australian Navy covers the naval branch of the Australian armed forces from its inception in 1901 to the present day. The early days as the government created a national navy out of the remnants of old colonial fleets, the decades of using the British model, the transformation to a more American style of navy, and the gradual growth into one of the world's strongest and most respected forces on the seas are outlined in this historical retrospective.