The ship is one of the greatest accomplishments of the human race. That we have used it to travel to new & mysterious lands, vanquish our enemies & trade for exotic goods in distant ports make its history very rich indeed. The purpose of this book is to present the informed reader, who has an interest in ships, with a full account of both the technical & cultural development of this most fascinating & influential invention. The author, Richard Woodman, has drawn together the historical strands of each ship-type to produce a thoroughly compelling account culminating in a summary of contemporary developments & speculation about the future. Author: Richard Woodman Over 300 colour & b&w illustrations 352 pages Reprint
- March 1999295 x 248 mm Hardback Whether for good or evil, we have used the ship in our struggle to dominate the world around us, accomplishing spectacular feats of courage & exploration, exploiting & destruction. From the development of the dugout canoe to the very large container carrier we have created the largest mobile structures on the planet. The book starts with descriptions of primitive craft, leading to the early trading vessels & warships. From there the transition to the first full-rigged ship, the carrack, is discussed. The introduction of steam is clarified with details on how this gradual process, although finally allowing the steamship to usurp the sailing ship in many of her former roles, allowed sailing vessels to reach their final & prolonged heyday in the colourful tea clipper races. The upheavals of the twentieth century with the arrival of the big-gun battleship, aircraft carrier & the nuclear submarine are given comprehensive coverage. Throughout the book, the impact of technology on the evolution of the ship is dealt with logically to put developments in their economic & political contexts, & changes in the design of both warships & merchantmen are outlined. Entwined with this history are the stories of the characters who influenced ship design & the men who commanded them. The book in general follows the arguments propounded in Conway's highly praised History of the Ship series. These are underpinned with the author's many years of seagoing experience & numerous fiction & non-fiction writings on maritime topics. Whilst dealing with a hugely complex subject, the author presents his truly international thesis in a highly readable & enlightening manner. The book is complete with a full glossary & extensive bibliography. Publisher: Conway Maritime Press