▁father , ▁James ▁Hann ay , ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy , ▁but ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁journalist ▁and ▁novel ist . ▁David ▁Hann ay ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁West min ster ▁School , ▁and ▁then ▁joined ▁his ▁father , ▁who ▁was ▁British ▁cons ul ▁in ▁Barcelona , ▁as ▁vice - cons ul . ▁ ▁Over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁years ▁he ▁wrote ▁on ▁naval ▁topics ▁in ▁many ▁journ als ▁and ▁mag az ines . ▁His ▁first ▁book ▁was ▁a ▁mon ograph ▁on ▁Admir al ▁Robert ▁Bla ke , ▁and ▁he ▁contributed ▁several ▁other ▁works ▁to ▁various ▁series ▁of ▁naval ▁bi ograph ies . ▁In ▁addition , ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁Spain ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁its ▁literature ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁recognized ▁authority ▁on ▁Spanish ▁affairs . ▁ ▁Hann ay ▁was ▁an ▁original ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁Records ▁Society ▁on ▁its ▁formation ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁and ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁research ▁efforts , ▁and ▁his ▁lect ures ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Naval ▁College , ▁Green wich , ▁he ▁became ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁leading ▁scholar ▁and ▁historian ▁on ▁naval ▁affairs . ▁He ▁contributed ▁many ▁articles ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁Encyclop ædia ▁Britannica ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁to ▁the ▁Dictionary ▁of ▁National ▁Biography . ▁Through ▁his ▁influence ▁as ▁a ▁journalist ▁he ▁helped ▁form ▁public ▁and ▁naval ▁opinion ▁on ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁ade qu ate ▁naval ▁fleet ▁prior ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁He ▁contributed ▁articles ▁to ▁the ▁P all ▁Mall ▁Gazette , ▁the ▁Saturday ▁Review ▁of ▁Polit ics , ▁Liter ature