Set sail for adventure on the high seas! These 13 incredible, naval engagements show how gunboats won the day. In the 19th century, when colonial powers established, ruled, and accessed their empires from the sea, gunboats secured trading conditions. Fast and maneuverable, able to navigate in shallow coastal waters, they defeated enemies large and small, including pirates, slavers, and rebels. Even in the 20th century, from Burma through two world wars and the escape down the Yangtze in 1949, these meticulously researched, dramatic sagas are mesmerizing. Set sail for adventure on the high seas! These 13 incredible, naval engagements show how gunboats won the day. In the 19th century, when colonial powers established, ruled, and accessed their empires from the sea, gunboats secured trading conditions. Fast and maneuverable, able to navigate in shallow coastal waters, they defeated enemies large and small, including pirates, slavers, and rebels. Even in the 20th century, from Burma through two world wars and the escape down the Yangtze in 1949, these meticulously researched, dramatic sagas are mesmerizing.