From the opening pages, McCranie's Admiral Lord Keith and the War against Napoleon begins with the laudable goal of presenting a biography that is designed to introduce a naval officer whom the author contends was as important to the British Empire's survival during the Napoleonic years as Lord Nelson. In a move designed to forestall naval historians from blanching at his hypothesis, the author quickly states that his monograph adds to the collection of studies on individuals who held senior command positions during the Napoleonic wars but failed to distinguish themselves through battle. McCranie rightly argues that the British Empire's success against the French Navy required not only a commander who could successfully lead in battle, but the ingenuity of senior officers who understood logistics, procurement, and the dozens of other specialties throughout the navy.

As the title indicates, this monograph is a biography of George Keith Eliphinston (later Viscount Keith). Born in 1746, Lord Keith, son of a minor Scottish noble, found it necessary, as many other younger sons did at the time, to pursue a career in the military. Owing to his father's limited financial resources, Lord Keith enlisted in the Royal Navy where good patronage and hard work could overcompensate for the lack of financial resources that were so necessary for ambitious army officers. Utilizing these skills Keith would embark on a life where he would attain one of the highest ranks in the Royal Navy, become a Member of Parliament, amass great personal wealth, and attain English and Irish peerages.

This monograph is arranged chronologically, with a foreword, introduction, nine chapters, and a conclusion. Chapters 1 and 2 provide much-needed background into Keith's family position, his early understanding of the need to successfully cultivate powerful patrons, and early years in the Royal Navy. Chapters 3 and 4 examine Keith's first years as a captain and his early experiences successfully utilizing amphibious warfare during the American Revolutionary war. Chapters 5 through 9 examine in minute detail Keith's many roles during the Napoleonic wars beginning with his role as Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and his joint amphibious assault with the British Army in Egypt through his rise to the command of Commander in Chief of the Channel Fleet, the most prestigious command in the Royal Navy. One of the greatest strengths of this book is the meticulous attention to detail and expansive use of primary and secondary sources. Utilizing these sources McCranie is able to describe the rise of a naval officer from midshipman to admiral. However, what makes this monograph so engaging are the personal relationships developed over the course of Lord Keith's long life. Correspondence between relatives, officers, politicians, and even the royal family portray an individual with the usual characteristics of his time (stubborn, haughty, thin-skinned, and ambitious) with the personal problems associated with life in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. For example, Keith was able to make use of his friendship with the Prince of Wales during various stages in his career when he would find himself in trouble either offending more powerful colleagues or committing a political transgression when he sat in the House of Commons. The Prince's patronage afforded Keith protection as neither of the aforementioned follies prevented him from accumulating titles or promotions.

As a resource, this monograph provides an important contribution to our understanding of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic years. This is especially useful following the bicentennial of the Battle of Trafalgar and the recent publication of numerous monographs reinforcing the legend of Lord Nelson. Advanced undergraduates and postgraduates would find this monograph useful in understanding naval officers who had “supporting roles” during the Napoleonic wars and the interconnecting roles patronage had on politics and military service. As a biography McCranie's Admiral Lord Keith and the Naval War against Napoleon is a well-written book and will remain the authority on the life of Lord Keith for some time to come.