The History of the Ship : The Comprehensive Story of Seafaring from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

Chronicles the evolution of nautical vessels, explores influential technological, political, and economic developments, and relates the stories of the men who conquered the seas

Coracle, curragh, and carrack, tramp and dreadnought, opium clipper and Scotch boilerships all, and all lovingly detailed in this shrewd encyclopedic history of seafaring (complete with a dash of danger and romance) from Woodman (author of the Captain Drinkwater novels: A Private Revenge, 1990, etc.), who spent his working life under the red ensign. Like all good surveys, this one starts at the beginning, when that earliest water-borne craft pushed beyond the horizon: perhaps, Woodman suggests, Pharaoh Sahure's marauding squadron. That first salty expression of malicious royal puissance was a harbinger of things to come, as ships came to symbolize military and political mightexploring, battling, trading, supplying the great war hoststhat has yet to be fully eclipsed. Woodman hits upon all aspects of nautical historythe search for longitude, developments in hydrography, ship design and argot, seagoing mavericks and forgotten heroesand has saturated his book with gorgeous maps and cross-sections, color and vintage photographs, and ship portraits. (History Book Club alternate selection) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Woodman, a mariner, novelist, former navigating officer and commander in the Blue Funnel and Glen Lines, and historian (Arctic Convoys 1941-1945, Trafalgar, 1996), has compiled a history of ships that will appeal to all sailors, would-be sailors, and anyone who has enjoyed a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry. The history of ships from tree-trunk canoes to clipper ships, battleships, aircraft carriers, and supertankers is intertwined with a discussion illustrating the prevailing technical, social, and economic conditions related to the development of ships. Profusely illustrated with more than 250 watercolors, frescoes, and ship's plans, this scholarly work will delight both specialists and amateurs. Essential for all public and school libraries.?Stanley L. Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

All ships, no matter how grand or imposing, are transient upon the oceans, but our fascination with them is permanent. This lavishly illustrated, browsable album reflects that enduring interest and tries to be comprehensive in covering the subject from the galleys of the ancient Mediterranean empires to the container vessels that constitute the conveyer belt of today's world economy. Woodman emphasizes the evolving technology embodied in specific ships, always giving their statistical details. Here are the stories and pictures of most of the famous ships whose names come trippingly off the tongues of maritime enthusiasts: Victory, Great Eastern, Cutty Sark, Dreadnought, the Queen Elizabeths (the battleship and the liners), and so on. Those names indicate the British emphasis of this beautiful volume, but Woodman corrects the list with chapters on bygone eras dominated by the Viking longship, the Chinese junk, and the American aircraft carrier and submarine. The volume might be pricey for some libraries, but the 200-plus images ensure a payoff for interested patrons. Gilbert Taylor