The story of the very first warships from Ancient Greece, through the rise of Carthage, to the mighty Roman Navy. Includes footage of the Viking long ships which carried their fierce warriors from Scandinavia to the British Isles and beyond.

The story of Naval power in the sixteenth century, including the story of Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose, recovered from the seabed after four hundred years, and the saga of the Spanish Armada. Features a full-scale replica of Drake's ship "The Golden Hinde".