When this book was first published in 1979 it was immediately recognised as the standard work on the evolution of rigging, mast making & sail making. More than twenty years later it remains the most comprehensive & informative work on the subject. Author: James Lees 93 photographs & 540 line drawings 304 pages Hardback The author himself wrote of the genesis of this book: ' As the rigging of contemporary models deteriorated over the years & so few untouched models were still in existence, I felt that a book conveying the various changes in rigging was a necessity to prevent the historical data from disappearing. This book was therefore compiled over some ten years from information obtained from contemporary manuscripts, books, models, etc in the archives of the National Maritime Museum.' He went on to say of it: ' By use of this book it will now be possible for model craftsmen throughout the world, in the present & future, to restore or make models correctly according to the historical features of the various periods. It will assist restorers of marine paintings in the difficult task of replacing obliterated rigging, as well as providing a handbook of technical information for the maritime & war historian.' Publisher: Conway Maritime Press