The Construction and Fitting of the Sailing Man of War, 1650-1850

Book excerpt: Contrary to popular belief, wooden shipbuilding did not remain static during its last two centuries, but developed in many quite fundamental respects. For the modelmaker and technical historian who have long sought the precise details of these changes, this book will answer most, if not all, of their questions. Every aspect of the building process is covered, with considerable space devoted to the exact sizes of timber scantlings and fastenings, and is illustrated in depth with the author's own engineering-standard drawings, and photographs of models and surviving full-size vessels.