British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1603–1714
British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1603–1714

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2010-03-10

Total Pages: 589

ISBN-13: 1783469242

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The 1st volume in this comprehensive reference series details the design and employment of British warships in the 17th and early 18th centuries. During the seventeenth century, Britain transformed from a minor state into a global economic power with the largest navy in the world. The character of this navy was forged by a bloody civil war, three fiercely disputed conflicts with the Dutch, and the first of many wars with the French. In the process, British naval ships evolved from the galleons that had defeated the Spanish Armada to prestige vessels like HMS Sovereign of the Seas, and the lightly built frigates of the Commonwealth era. This detailed and authoritative reference volume outlines the history of every ship built, purchased or captured that saw naval service during this era. Like its companion volumes, the book is organized by Rate, classification and class. The technical and building data of each ship is followed by a concise summary of its career. With its unique depth of information, this is a work of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the navy of the sailing era.

French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1626–1786
French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1626–1786

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2017-10-30

Total Pages: 1128

ISBN-13: 1473893534

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“The first comprehensive listing of these ships in English. . . . Profusely illustrated [and] impressively informative.” —Midwest Book Review The origins of a permanent French sailing navy can be traced to the work of Cardinal Richelieu in the 1620s, but this naval force declined rapidly in the 1650s and a virtually new Marine Royale had to be re-created by Colbert from 1661. Thereafter, Louis XIV’s navy grew rapidly to become the largest and most powerful in the world, at the same time establishing a reputation for the quality of its ship design that lasted until the end of sail. The eighteenth century was to see defeat and decline, revival and victory, but by 1786 the French Navy had emerged from its most successful naval war having frequently outfought or outmaneuvred the British Navy in battle, and in the process making a major contribution to American independence. This book provides significant technical and building data as well as highlights of the careers of each ship in every class. For the first time, it is possible to form a clear picture of the overall development of French warships throughout the whole of the sailing era. “A handy and quick reference to a variety of vessels . . . [A] top notch reference book.” —British Tars, 1740-1790

Russian Warships in the Age of Sail, 1696-1860
Russian Warships in the Age of Sail, 1696-1860

Author: John M Tredrea

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2010-06-22

Total Pages: 456

ISBN-13: 1612519695

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Peter the Great created the Russian navy from nothing, but it soon surpassed Sweden as the Baltic naval power, while in the Black Sea it became an essential tool in driving back the Ottoman Turks from Europe. During the 18th century it was the third largest navy in the world yet its history, and especially its ships, are virtually unrecorded in the West. The first comprehensive study in English, it is illustrated with plans, paintings, and prints rarely seen outside Russia.

Dutch Warships in the Age of Sail, 1600–1714
Dutch Warships in the Age of Sail, 1600–1714

Author: James Bender

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2014-12-01

Total Pages: 711

ISBN-13: 1473852870

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This definitive study presents a complete account of the Dutch Republic’s naval fleet during its golden age as a world power. The Netherlands was by far the most important maritime power of the seventeenth century. It dominated seaborne trade with the largest merchant fleet in the world. Born out of an 80-year struggle against Spain for independence, the Dutch republic relied on naval power to protect its freedom, promote its trade and defend its overseas colonies. Yet the ships that made up its fleets are among the least studied of any in the age of sail. This is partly because a decentralized administration of five separate admiralties, often producing ships of the same name at the same time, as well as competing systems of measuring ships, all lead to confusion and error. In this comprehensive volume, James Bander delivers the first definitive listing of all Dutch fighting ships—whether purpose-built, purchased, hired or captured—from the heyday of the United Provinces. Each entry is complete with technical details and summaries of the ship’s career. It also provides administrative, economic and technical background, and outlines the many campaigns fought by one of the most successful navies in history.

British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2010-03-10

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 184832040X

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The seventeenth century saw the transformation of Britain from a minor state on the fringes of Europe into a global economic power, whose interests were protected and promoted by the largest navy in the world. The character of this navy was forged by a bloody civil war, three fiercely disputed conflicts with the Dutch, and the first of many wars with the French. In the process the ships themselves were transformed from the surviving galleons that had defeated the Spanish Armada, through huge prestige vessels like Prince Royal and Sovereign of the Seas and the lightly built frigates of the Commonwealth era into warships that were recognizably ships of the line. These radical developments in the design and employment of warships can be followed in detail for the first time in this comprehensive new reference book, which outlines the history of every ship built, purchased or captured that saw naval service during this era. Like its companion volumes on the 1714-1792 and 1793-1817 periods, the book is organized by Rate, classification and class, with outline technical and building data, but followed by a concise summary of the careers of each ship in every class. With its unique depth of information, this is a work of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the navy of the sailing era.

French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1786–1861
French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1786–1861

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2015-09-16

Total Pages: 1113

ISBN-13: 1848323530

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In 1786 the French Navy had just emerged from its most successful war of the eighteenth century, having frequently outfought or outmanoeuvred the Royal Navy in battle, and made a major contribution to American independence. The reputation of its ship design and fighting skills never stood higher, yet within a few years the effects of the French Revolution had devastated its efficiency, leading to defeat after defeat. Fine ships continued to be built, but even under Napoleon's dynamic influence the navy never recovered sufficiently to alter the balance of sea power. It was only after 1815 that the navy revived, espousing technical innovation and invention, to produce some of the most advanced ships of the age.This book is the first comprehensive listing of these ships in English, and follows the pattern set by the companion series on British warships in the age of sail in providing an impressive depth of information. It is organised by Rate, classification and class, with significant technical and building data, followed by a concise summary of the careers of each ship in every class. Thus for the first time it is possible to form a clear picture of the overall development of French warships in the latter half of the sailing era.

The Sloop of War
The Sloop of War

Author: Ian Mclaughlan

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2014-02-28

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1848321872

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This is the first study in depth of the Royal Navy's vital, but largely ignored small craft. In the age of sail they were built in huge numbers and in far greater variety than the more regulated major warships, so they present a particular challenge to any historian attempting a coherent design history. However, for the first time this book charts the development of the ancillary types, variously described in the 17th century as sloops, ketches, brigantines, advice boats and even yachts, as they coalesce into the single 18th-century category of Sloop of War. In this era they were generally two-masted, although they set a bewildering variety of sail plans from them. The author traces their origins to open boats, like those carried by Basque whalers, shows how developments in Europe influenced English craft, and homes in on the relationship between rigs, hull-form and the duties they were designed to undertake. ??Visual documentation is scanty, but this book draws together a unique collection of rare and unseen images, coupled with the author's own reconstructions in line drawings and watercolour sketches to provide the most convincing depictions of the appearance of these vessels. By tackling some of the most obscure questions about the early history of small-boat rigs, the book adds a dimension that will be of interest to historians of coastal sail and practical yachtsman, as well as warship enthusiasts.

The 50-Gun Ship
The 50-Gun Ship

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher:

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 9781845600099

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Based on the latest research in original sources, this is an in-depth text covering the complete history of the 50-gun ship. Numerous tables of technical data covering dimensions, construction, armament and details are included.

First Rate
First Rate

Author: Rif Winfield

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2010-10-01

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 161251961X

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In the sailing era, the warships called First Rates were the largest, most powerful, and most costly ships to construct, maintain, and operate. Built to the highest standards, they were lavishly decorated and given carefully considered names that reflected the pride and prestige of their country. They were the very embodiment of national power, and as such drew the attention of artists, engravers, and printmakers. In this first history of the major ships in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, virtually every British First Rate from the Prince Royal of 1610 to the end of sail is represented by an array of paintings, drawings, models, or plans. This spectacular collection of illustrations, many in full color, is a celebration of these magnificent ships, combining an authoritative history of their development with reproductions of many of the best images of the ships, chosen for their accuracy, detail, and sheer visual power in an extra-large format that does full justice to the images themselves. It also includes comparative data on similar vessels in other navies, so it is a book that all with an interest in wooden warships will find both enlightening and a pleasure to peruse.

On Their Own Terms
On Their Own Terms

Author: Benjamin A. Elman

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2009-07-01

Total Pages: 606

ISBN-13: 0674036476

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In On Their Own Terms, Benjamin A. Elman offers a much-needed synthesis of early Chinese science during the Jesuit period (1600-1800) and the modern sciences as they evolved in China under Protestant influence (1840s-1900). By 1600 Europe was ahead of Asia in producing basic machines, such as clocks, levers, and pulleys, that would be necessary for the mechanization of agriculture and industry. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Elman shows, Europeans still sought from the Chinese their secrets of producing silk, fine textiles, and porcelain, as well as large-scale tea cultivation. Chinese literati borrowed in turn new algebraic notations of Hindu-Arabic origin, Tychonic cosmology, Euclidian geometry, and various computational advances. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, imperial reformers, early Republicans, Guomindang party cadres, and Chinese Communists have all prioritized science and technology. In this book, Elman gives a nuanced account of the ways in which native Chinese science evolved over four centuries, under the influence of both Jesuit and Protestant missionaries. In the end, he argues, the Chinese produced modern science on their own terms.