Table of Contents

Introduction
The Education of Young Gentlemen
Commissioned Officers' Careers
Warrant Officers' Careers
The Wardroom as a Social Space
Patronage and Promotion Prospects
Pay and Prize Money
Domestic and International Comparisons
Naval Officers' Social Status
Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography

Reviews

A valuable contribution to existing scholarship which deserves its place on the shelves of academics and amateurs.
*THE NELSON DESPATCH*

[Wilson] has presented a strong case for adjusting our idea of the background, the career path, prospects and social standing ofwarrant and commissioned officers between 1775 and 1815. This book will appeal to people studying the Royal Navy of the long eighteenth century, the development of naval officers, and the ideas of 'nobility' and 'gentleman'.
*NORTHERN MARINER/LE MARIN DU NORD*

Highly recommended, both as an excellent guide to the late eighteenth century naval officer corps, and as a model for conducting naval history in combination with social and cultural perspectives.
*INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARITIME HISTORY*

A valuable contribution to maritime scholarship.
*JULIAN STOCKWIN*