annieb123's Review of Ships

by David Ross

From the dawn of civilization man has held a fascination with the sea, and over the centuries has built myriad ships and sailing craft for an equally diverse range of purposes. Ships: Visual Encyclopedia provides a fascinating at-a-glance guide to more than 1200 of the most important ships from the earliest times to the present day.
From the Viking longship through the 16th century galleon to the super carriers and nuclear submarines of the 21st century, Ships: Visual Encyclopedia includes every conceivable type of ship in which man has gone to sea. As well as warships from every century, this book also examines those vessels that have explored the globe, conducted trade, and afforded great adventure, luxury and entertainment. From the smallest coastal traders up to the vast oil tankers of today, from the graceful clippers of the 19th century to the modern passenger liners, Ships: Visual Encyclopedia is the comprehensive guide to all the world's ships, both military and civilian.
Each ship is illustrated with a profile illustration, accompanied by brief details and specifications, and vessels are arranged chronologically and by use to allow easy comparison. Timelines of design and development are also provided on many pages where appropriate, giving a sense of the history of each type of ship.
With 1000 outstanding colour illustrations, Ships: Visual Encyclopedia is an essential reference book for all maritime and ship enthusiasts.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Ships is an interesting and well illustrated chronological encyclopedia of the shipbuilding arts by David Ross. Originally released in 2010, this reformat and re-release from Amber Books is due out 14th June 2024. It's 448 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is a great reference, featuring over 1000 ships with their specs, class information, history, national origin and noteworthy military engagements. The illustrations are clear and in color, rendering it a very valuable resource to artists, media folks, military history enthusiasts, modelmakers etc.

The book also includes several information dense and useful appendices including a solid glossary of terms, index of ships by name in alphabetical order, and a general cross referenced index.

Five stars. It would make an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, artist/modelmaker's studio, wargamers, and general maritime military history fans.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

12 June, 2024: Started reading

12 June, 2024: Finished reading

12 June, 2024: Reviewed