A Postscript to the Section on Iron Defenses: Contained in the Fifth Edition of 'Naval Gunnery' (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Howard Douglas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0666341508 ISBN 13: 9780666341501

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore a Victorian defender’s detailed critique of iron ships and naval defenses.

This postscript to a leading manual on naval gunnery provides the author’s perspective on debates that shaped 19th‑century sea power, from iron‑clad ships to timber ships plated with iron, and the experiments that tested their safety and usefulness. It frames why some ship designs were adopted, resisted, or abandoned, all while emphasizing safety, test data, and practical outcomes.

Presented as a historical argument and commentary, the text covers key moments in naval reform, including eyewitness accounts of experiments, reflections on famous wrecks, and debates over speed, stability, and cost. It contrasts iron‑built vessels with traditional timber hulls, and discusses how seaworthiness, ballast, and displacement influence what ships can carry and how they perform at sea. The author grounds his views in years of service, practical experience, and observed failures and successes.

• Face the core questions of iron versus timber ships and what real seaworthiness entails.
• Learn how 19th‑century experiments and wrecks influenced naval policy and ship design.
• Understand the limits of iron‑cased ships and why copper, ballast, and hull construction mattered.
• See how the debates connected gunnery, propulsion, and government decisions of the era.

Ideal for readers of naval history, military technology, and 19th‑century policy debates seeking firsthand perspective on early iron defenses and the turning points of maritime strategy.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0666341508
• ISBN 13: 9780666341501
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96