Which book do you consider indispensable?
Short answerAndrew Lambert's Admirals is near the top, alongside the unexpectedly useful British Historical Statistics.
NotesAndrew Lambert's Admirals provides a strong interpretive starting point for British naval leadership and repeatedly opens paths into more focused questions. British Historical Statistics supplies quantitative context that can test familiar claims, including narratives that Britain was simply bankrupt in a given period. Andrew Cunningham's A Sailor's Odyssey and Philip Vian's memoir are also valuable leadership accounts. Together the recommendations show why naval research benefits from combining interpretation, statistics, and first-person professional experience.