Recommended reading on nineteenth-century naval diplomacy

What is the best book on nineteenth-century naval diplomacy?

Among the books discussed, Andrew Lambert's chapters on Parker and Hornby in Admirals receive the strongest recommendation.

Andrew Lambert's treatment of Parker and Hornby stands out among the several books considered. The recommendation is narrower than naming one comprehensive survey of nineteenth-century naval diplomacy. Those biographical chapters show diplomacy through command careers, professional formation, and specific crises. They provide the historiographical foundation for the lecture's argument about station admirals.