The Lion and the Eagle is a trilogy dealing with Imperial Germany's decision to create a battle fleet to rival that of Great Britain, and the consequences of that policy. It argues that, not only did this decision force Britain into the arms of nations that had been their long-term mutual, natural, and traditional enemies, but ensured that Germany could not win the Great War. The existence of the High Seas Fleet not only failed as a deterrent to war between Britain and Germany, but was actually a major factor in precipitating hostilities between the two nations. The two later volumes describe the naval conflict that ensued as a result.