Building the Wooden Fighting Ship by James Dodds & James Moore soon to be presented for sale on the inspired BookLovers of Bath web site!
Published: London: Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd, 1984, Hardback in dust wrapper.
Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Chronological Tables; Black & White Drawings; Diagrams; Maps; Tables; Plans;
From the cover: By the middle of the eighteenth century the timber-built ship had reached the peak of its development in design and construction. In particular the fighting ship of that period was a beautiful object as well as a highly functional one. In an age before industrialisation it was possibly the most complicated thing that was built, symbolising not only the most powerful aspirations but also the most advanced technology of its time.
Naval vessels of that period were so highly valued, particularly by the British, and so expensive to construct, that the most meticulous records were kept of everything concerning them, from the initial purchase of their timbers to the last detail of their furnishings and armament, including even the names of the individual craftsmen who built them.
From intensive study of these records, James Moore and James Dodds have been able to describe in extraordinary detail the building of HMS Thunderer, a two-decked, 74-gun ship-of-the-line, representing one of the most successful types of warship of the late eighteenth century, when British shipbuilders were recognized as the best in the world. In words and drawings they illustrate every stage of building, from the purchase and cutting of the timber to her launch in 1760, as well as describing the dockyard in which she was built and the variety of trades and skills that went into her construction and armament.
Building the Wooden Fighting Ship is not only a fascinating account of the construction of a noble and historic ship but also a vivid and often surprising picture of life and labour in the eighteenth century.
Very Good+ in Very Good+ Dust Wrapper.
Cream boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 128 pages. Bibliography. 10″ x 10″.
Of course, if you don’t like this one, may I fascinate you with a carefully selected medley hither or maybe further, hand picked, books in my Modelling catalogue?
BookLovers of Bath 