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Knight's Modern Seamanship, 18th Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Knight's is indeed the professional standard omnibus for seamanship. It is an excellent comprehensive text for any mariner. That said, it is desperately in need of updating. The electronic navigation section lists systems no longer in use (Omega, LORAN), and treats GPS as a "future" system (although the editors do prophetically write that GPS receivers will drop in price until they are affordable by the average mariner).
Additionally,there are a disconcerting number of typographical errors present. I can only hope the editors are progressing on a 19th Edition.

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Revised by John V. Noel, Jr., Captain, U.S. Navy [Ret.] Associate Editors: Commander Frank E. Bassett, U.S. Navy [Ret.] Dr. Carvel Blair and Prof. Dee Fitch Steer by this venerable guide to shiphandling and safety and you'll easily see why, since publication of the first edition 83 years ago, it has been the single-most trusted "beacon" for millions of pleasure boaters and professional seamen alike. Now in its eighteenth edition, Knight's Modern Seamanship continues the salty tradition of its predecessors. It supplies all the navigation techniques, safety laws and procedures, and maintenance practices you need to make each ocean-going trip safe and enjoyable. Typhoon up ahead? Knight's explains the effects of weather on ocean travel and spells out exactly what you have to do to avoid dangerous weather systems. What kind of communication equipment should you have on board? A new section on ship communications tells you how to select and operate modern communication devices. This eighteenth edition also provides you with new sections on channel marking, towing and salvage, and the maritime buoyage system. Updated guidance is given on:* the rules of the road--you get clear explanations of right of way, the use of radar to avoid collisions, and the law in fog; included is the complete text of the Inland Navigational Rules Act of 1980. Every vessel over 12 meters in length is required by law to have a copy of these rules on board.* shiphandling--you'll find expert discussions on docking, mooring, and anchoring; helicopter operations; and ice seamanship* ship and boat operation--you get concise explanations of ship structure and stability, propulsion and steering, ground tackle, and cargo handling and underway replenishmentYou'll even learn the art of knotting and splicing. Without a doubt, Knight's Modern Seamanship, Eighteenth Edition, is your foremost guide to mastering the lore of the sea. It is an indispensable reference source for pleasure boaters, merchant marine personnel, and anyone who needs expert seagoing advice.

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Naval shiphandling Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent source for information on Naval ship handling. It is a little dated, but the basic concepts remain the same. It covers everything from working alongside the pier through towing.

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Oars, Sails and Steam - A Picture Book of Ships Review

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(More customer reviews)In the last twenty years, a revolution has taken place in book publishing. Both the quanity and quality of images in books have exploded in the past few years. A great example of this is the book "Ship: the Epic Story of Maritime Adventure" by Brian Lavery and published by DK. There are literally hundreds of amazing drawings, paintings and wooden models of every ship type that you can imagine.
In contrast, when Edwin Tunis published this book in 1952, beautiful, high quality color illustrations were reserved for the most expensive books. Black and white line illustrations were the preferred and most economic method of illustrating picture books. These were the types of books, that I grew up reading and loving in the 1960's and 1970's.
To be a successful line illustrator required great imagination. The illustrations not only had to be top notch, the image had to be composed within an interesting context. Edwin Tunis was one of the great masters of this style of illustration. This book not only has great images of boats and ships but these vessels are doing interesting things. As an example, his image of a whale boat shows a dead whale riding next to the ship while the crew is harvesting the whale's oil. These were the types of details that enrichen illustations and help capture a reader's imagination.
Edwin Tunis was one of the great illustators of his day. Be sure to look at his other books. If you like Edwin Tunis, be sure to check out the works of Eric Sloane, another master illustrator.

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THE BLUEJACKETS' MANUAL Review

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(More customer reviews)I lost my copy of The Bluejackets Manual many years ago and wanted to replace it. I tried two book stores to no avail. Years went by and I finally tried the internet.(Something that I should have done long ago.) I am tickled pink with my used version of this book. It is in good shape and is the exact edition that I was looking for. I am very pleased with my used copy, the proper version of the manual that I was so desirous of getting

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Wooden World: An Anatomy of the Georgian Navy Review

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(More customer reviews)The writer of this book is an academic historian of some importance and he appears to be in the midst of writing a three volume history of the British navy. This book is a little more specalised and tells what it was like to serve on a British ship in the 18th Century.
The main theme of the book is to rebut academic theories which suggest that the British Navy of the period was run like a concentration camp. The author in some detail goes through the relations on ships and shows how the navy took a lot of care to preserve one of its key assets the sailors who manned the ships. Food was plentiful and of high quality or the time, British sailors worked out the cause of scurvey before medical science did. Care was taken to ensure that ships were clean and that sailors washed. The most interesting discussion is however on discipline. It would seem clear that in trials carried out to deterime the guilt of individual sailors, senior officers were very careful to establish the truth of charges and they were willing to aquit or to accept the sailors point of view. The book establishes that with a number of mutinies the Admirality removed incompetant officers from command and took no action against the men who mutinied, accpeting that the actions of the sailors was justified.
The author goes a long way to establishing that the reality of sea born life was one more or partnership rather than that of an oppresive regime.
The book however does more than this and describes in detail the tremendous organisational feat that was the Royal navy. It looks at all aspects of the navy from recruiting sailors, to feeding them and the reality of training and manning ships.
One finishes the book and relises what an achievment it was for England to be able to run such an effecient arm as the navy and how the way it was run led to the success it had in battle.

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From the award-winning naval scholar N. A. M. Rodger comes the most revealing account yet of the mighty Georgian navy and British naval society of the eighteenth century.
Meticulouslyresearched, Rodger's portrait draws the readerinto this fascinatingly complex world withvivid, entertaining characters and full detailsof life below the decks. The Wooden Worldprovides the most complete history of a navy atany age, and is sure to be an indispensablevolume for all fans of Patrick O'Brian, English history, and naval history.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy Review

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(More customer reviews)Few eras of American history are more misunderstood than the naval history of early America after the Revolutionary War. Former financial analyst and political aide Ian Toll sheds new light on this era in his richly detailed and comprehensive first book, Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. The saga of the original six frigates, the Constitution, Constellation, Congress, President, United States, and the Chesapeake, is one of naval necessity, partisan politics, and the ungainly steps of a young country attempting to defend and assert itself in a dangerous world.
A common misconception in American history is that the original six frigates were begun during the Revolution. As Toll describes in excellent detail, it was in fact under the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams that the decision to form a standing navy was made. With America's merchant fleet under predation from North African pirates, French privateers, and British warships, ships to protect and fly the flag were necessary. An already contentious and partisan Congress argued endlessly over the formation of a American navy to deal with the problem, and finally the Naval Act of 1794 approved funding for the construction of six ships: four 44-gun and two 36-gun frigates. Designed by Joshua Humphreys, the ships were to be the strongest and most effective frigates afloat, a tough job in a world where the Royal Navy dominated. The frigates would play key roles in the quasi-war with France, the Barbary wars, and the War of 1812, and Toll chronicles the personalities, the politics, and the world situation that shaped both the ships and the campaigns in which they took part.
What these ships are best known for, and what is most familiar with the laymen are the battles. Toll describes every major ship-to-ship engagement fought by the original six with a vividness rarely seen in naval histories, rich enough to hear the thunder of the guns and smell the cordite from the gunpowder. The major actions described are: Constellation v. L'Insurgente, Constellation v. La Vengeance, United States v. Macedonian, Constitution v. Guerriere, Constitution v. Java, Shannon v. Chesapeake, and President v. Endymion. Also well addressed are the actions against the Barbary states, including a well-written chapter on the loss of the subscription frigate Philadelphia, and the daring exploits of Stephen Decatur to destroy the captured frigate. The major naval figures of the era like Truxton, Bainbridge, Hull, Decatur, Rodgers, and Barron are all examined by Toll with an observer's eye that fleshes out the caricatures as most histories portray them into real life men.
The end of the War of 1812 saw the launch of the first American ships-of-the-line, but it was the frigate navy that paved the way. Toll's book is an important addition that clears the mythology away from the early US Navy and incorporates all the naval, economic, political, and social elements that contributed to its founding and formation. Toll occasionally strays out of his lane, and the postscript loses a bit of focus delving into the post Civil War navy, but as a whole, this is an excellent book that will satisfy naval buffs and students of history alike. Toll's elegant and rich writing and exhaustive research marks him as an author to watch, and I eagerly await his next work. The original six frigates played a large part in the prestige of early America. Their successes, and their failures, demonstrated that the young United States was a blossoming world power worthy of respect and regard. Highly Recommended. A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

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Oliver Hazard Perry: Honor, Courage, and Patriotism in the Early U.s. Navy (Library of Naval Biography) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first modern biography of the "Hero of Lake Erie" is ably written by Great Lakes historian Skaggs. It is a deeply researched and balanced story of leadership in battle, heroism and contentious egos during our Early National Period.
Perry, a Scotsman descended from Scotland's national hero, William Wallace, was born in Rhode Island in 1785 to naval Captain Christopher and his wife Sarah Wallace Alexander. Oliver was the older brother to Matthew Calbraith Perry, another career naval officer destined to open Japan to Western trade. So a naval career was pretty much a foregone conclusion and the older sibling was appointed a midshipman in April, 1799. assigned to his father's frigate, he saw his first action off the coast of Haiti, which was in a state of rebellion. The first Barbary War found him serving on the USS Adams and later, in command of the USS Nautilus, he was present at the capture of Derna.
At thew start of the War of 1812, Perry requested and was given command of the United States naval forces on Lake Erie. He supervised the construction of a small fleet at Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, and on September 10, 1813, defeated the attacking British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie, gaining everlasting fame in naval history. His battle report to General William Henry Harrison was brief and to the point: "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." The victory opened up Canada to invasion, while at the same time protected the entire Ohio Valley from British occupation.
The controversy began before the smoke had cleared Detroit. Perry's second in command, Jesse Duncan Elliott, was a conniving, self-serving manipulator who immediately claimed more of the victorious action than he deserved. The feud continued well into the next decade and didn't cease with Perry's premature death in 1819 from yellow fever while on station in Venezuela.
Filled with antagonism, courage and controversy, this book is the standard to be consulted by scholar and general reader alike.

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Hailed for his decisive victory over a Royal Navy squadron on Lake Erie in September 1813 and best known for his after-action report proclamationWe have met the enemy and they are ours,Oliver Hazard Perry was one the early U.S. Navy s most famous heroes. In this modern, scholarly reassessment of the man and his career, Professor David Skaggs emphasizes Perry s place in naval history as an embodiment of the code of honor, an exemplar of combat courage, and a symbol of patriotism to his fellow officers and the American public. It is the first biography of Perry to be published in more than a quarter of a century and the first to offer an even-handed analysis of his career.After completing a thorough examination of primary sources, Skaggs traces Perry s development from a midshipman to commodore where he personified the best in seamanship, calmness in times of stress, and diplomatic skills. But this work is not a hagiographic treatment, for it offers a candid analysis of Perry s character flaws, particularly his short temper and his sometimes ineffective command and control procedures during the battle of Lake Erie. Skaggs also explains how Perry s short but dramatic naval career epitomized the emerging naval professionalism of the young republic, and he demonstrates how the Hero of Lake Erie fits into the most recent scholarship concerning the role of post-revolutionary generation in the development of American national identity. Finally, Skaggs explores in greater detail than anyone before the controversy over the conduct of his Lake Erie second, Jesse Duncan Elliott, that raged on for over a quarter century after Perry s death in 1819.
Co-winner of the North American Society for Oceanic History's 2007 John Lyman Book Award for Biography and Autobiography

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George Washington's Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea Review

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(More customer reviews)I had just finished Patriot Pirates and was completely disappointed in it so it was with a bit of trepidation that I began this book. The title smacked of bad marketing but to my pleasant surprise the content was fantastic.
The story of the Siege of Boston has been told many times but never from the naval perspective. The author makes an interesting read and a compelling case out of Gen. Washington's slow embrace of sea power as a lever against the British. The existence of both Washington's small fleet of essentially privateers and Congress's eventual authorization of an actual navy was a surprise to me. Though I have read a few naval histories I had never come across this fact. He consistently refers back to his thesis of the fleet's impact on the siege by giving a fair assesment of the actual vs. psychological impact of the naval action. He pays mind to the benefits to the Continental Army and the detriment to the British of the seized material. The author blends the large scale operation of ousting the British from Boston with the small scale dramas of fitting out ships and several of there engagements. Good attention is paid to the characters other than the name brands guys (Washington, Knox, Greene, etc) whom you can read about else(every)where.
I think both enjoyable to the novice reader as well as someone with a good level of knowledge of the era or naval history. I would recommend that if you are not familiar with ships of the age you have a handy guide to naval terminology as it is used quite freely without a glossary. Probably will not distract from your enjoyment but you may not get as much from the reading.
I am looking forward to his prior book Benedict Arnold's Navy. Now if someone could just write a history of the occupation of Boston, and not just the highlights and the siege, I'd be really happy.

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