Beginning with the long and eventful career of Charles Howard, the Earl of Nottingham (1536-1624), this 1907 volume surveys twelve of England’s most distinguished men of the sea—men who may most fittingly be considered builders of the Empire.

Laughton discusses Sir Francis Drake, Edward Boscawen, Viscount Hood, and concludes with Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). Each portrait is written by a naval historian and traces the sailor’s career, work, and methods.