Age of Sail Naval Non-Fiction Section
AOS Naval Non-Fiction - Ships & Design
Non-Fiction books which discuss the design of naval vessels during the Age of Sail.
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Sovereigns of the Sea: The Quest to Build the Perfect Renaissance Battleship
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- By Angus Konstam
The story of the first modern naval arms race, when European monarchs vied with each other to build the biggest and most prestigious warship afloat.
It is set at a time when the technologies of shipbuilding and gun-founding were being transformed - a revolutionary period in the way ships were designed and used. For the first time guns were being carried on board warships, and although it took time, the new weapon would completely transform the way sea battles were fought, and won.
Warships of the Anglo-Dutch Wars 1652-74
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- By Angus Konstam
During the 17th century England and Holland found themselves at war three times, in a clash for economic and naval supremacy, fought out in the cold waters of the North Sea and the English Channel. The First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-54) pitted the Dutch against Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Navy, which proved as successful at sea as his New Model Army had been on land. Following the Restoration of 1660 the two maritime powers clashed again, and in the Second Dutch War (1665-67) it was the Dutch who had the upper hand. They humiliated the English by burning their fleet in the Medway (1667), forcing Charles II to sue for peace. This peace proved temporary, and the Third Dutch War (1672-74) proved a well-balanced and bitterly-fought naval contest. The Royal Navy eventually emerged triumphant, establishing a tradition of naval dominance that would last for two centuries.
Union Monitor 1861-65
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- By Angus Konstam
The first seagoing ironclad was the USS Monitor, and its profile has made it one of the most easily recognised warships of all time. Following her inconclusive battle with the Confederate ironclad Virginia the production of Union monitors was accelerated. By the end of the year a powerful squadron of monitor vessels protected the blockading squadrons off the Southern coastline, and were able to challenge Confederate control of her ports and estuaries. Further technological advancements were included in subsequent monitor designs, and by the end of the war the US Navy possessed an powerful modern coastal fleet, carrying the most powerful artillery afloat. This book covers the design, development and operational history of the Union's Monitor fleet.
The 74-Gun Ship Bellona
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- By Brian Lavery
The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor : Or a Key to the Leading of Rigging and to Practical Seamanship
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- By Darcy Lever
Widely used among young 19th-century officers in the Royal Navy and East India Company, this now-rare volume offers clear definitions and copious illustrations of the principles of rigging and other aspects of seamanship–tacking, use of a compass, splicing ropes, making sails, and much more. A must for ship fanciers and naval historians.
A Brief History of Fighting Ships
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- By David Davies
Ships of the Line and Napoleonic sea battles 1793 - 1815
This introduction to the years of the Napoleonic wars (1793 to 1815) tells the story of one of the keys to that great conflict, the Ship of the Line - the deadly battleships that played such a vital role in the battles. The author describes the ships' construction and armaments, the daily life of the men who served and the problems faced by commanders of the time in battles that include the Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar.