By
1805 the 44-gun frigate was probably viewed as a failed experiment
whilst the 38-gun frigate was viewed as the vessel of the future. Ten
years later every navy was building 44-gun frigates and today it is
viewed as the symbol of the Napoleonic-era cruiser. This remarkable
transformation resulted from the performance of three ships - the
Constitution, United States, and President - 44-gun frigates built for
the United States Navy between 1794 and 1799. Their victories in the
naval War of 1812, as well as their performance against the Barbary
Pirates, caught the imagination of the world - and spurred all navies
into re-examining the class.
The
deeds and personalities of famous pirates have received significant
attention in recent years: however, no detailed depiction of their
vessels has ever been produced. This title redresses the imbalance,
conducting a detailed exploration of the wide variety of pirate vessels
that sailed the high seas during the 'golden age' of piracy (1690-
1730), from gun-bristling warships to smaller craft such as sloops,
brigantines and early schooners. It incorporates the latest
archaeological evidence to produce a fascinating account of these
vessels, detailing their origins, development and tactical engagement.
Packed with contemporary illustrations and superbly detailed colour
artwork, the ships of the 'golden age' are brought vividly to life.
Over the centuries, naval relations between Japan and Korea appear
to have alternated between peaceful trade and outright hostility.
However, this impression can be misleading, as much of what passed for
mercantile activity was in fact conducted by Japanese pirate fleets, who
pillaged the coasts of Korea and China in a long-lasting tradition that
culminated in the greatest pirate raid of all: Hideyoshi's invasion of
Korea in 1592. This was the conflict that involved Ming China and almost
dragged in Siam. It also led to Korea developing East Asia's most
famous warship: the legendary turtle ship, which is described for the
first time in full technical detail in this book.
Fighting Ships of the Far East (1) adds enormously to the hitherto
small corpus of knowledge about a fascinating and little known subject.
Using detailed descriptions, accurate cutaway plates and reliable
historical examples, this book covers the history of Chinese ship design
and naval warfare from the beginning of the Han dynasty to the first
few years of the Ming dynasty. The epic battle of Lake Poyang in in
1363, won by the man who was to become the first Ming Emperor, is also
detailed.
In his second volume on the Tudor navy, naval
expert Angus Konstam covers the extraordinary transformation of the
Tudor fleet during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. This period
witnessed the birth of a whole new breed of warships designed to
dominate the seas and expand the corners of the empire. Detailing
warfare during the age of Sea Dogs such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter
Raleigh, and the landmark event of the Spanish Armada, he explains the
technological innovations that allowed this small but efficient navy to
defeat the larger Spanish fleet. Packed with new research, in-depth
analysis, photographs, full-colour reconstructions and detailed cutaway
artwork, this book is a must for any lover of maritime history, and for
anyone who wants to understand how Britain came to rule the waves,
creating and retaining her supremacy across the seas throughout the age
of fighting sail.
In his second volume on the Tudor navy, naval
expert Angus Konstam covers the extraordinary transformation of the
Tudor fleet during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. This period
witnessed the birth of a whole new breed of warships designed to
dominate the seas and expand the corners of the empire. Detailing
warfare during the age of Sea Dogs such as Sir Francis Drake and Walter
Raleigh, and the landmark event of the Spanish Armada, he explains the
technological innovations that allowed this small but efficient navy to
defeat the larger Spanish fleet. Packed with new research, in-depth
analysis, photographs, full-colour reconstructions and detailed cutaway
artwork, this book is a must for any lover of maritime history, and for
anyone who wants to understand how Britain came to rule the waves,
creating and retaining her supremacy across the seas throughout the age
of fighting sail.
In this book, maritime expert Angus Konstam
explores the fledging Tudor Navy, tracing its history from its origins
as a merchant fleet under Henry VII through to its emergence as a
powerful force under Henry VIII. Examining the operational use of Henry
VIII's warships the author analyses the battle of the Solent in 1545,
in which Henry's fleet took on a French fleet of 200 ships - much
larger than the Spanish Armada decades later. Despite the
well-documented loss of his flagship, the Mary Rose, Henry's smaller
force succeeded in preventing a French victory. Although many people
will have heard of the mighty Mary Rose, this book will tell the story
of more than just the tragic sinking of Henry's flagship, describing
how one of history's most dynamic kings grew the navy from the five
warships that were his father's legacy to 53 deadly gunships at the
forefront of his empire-building strategy. Through contemporary
illustrations and intricate artwork, the author traces the changing
face of warship design during the Renaissance as Henry paved the way
for English dominance of the sea.
During
the middle decade of the 16th century a new type of sailing vessel
emerged, designed to carry the wealth of the Americas to Spain. This was
the galleon, and over the next century these vessels would serve Spain
well as treasure ships and warships, becoming a symbol of Spanish power
and wealth during the period. The development and construction of the
Spanish galleon are discussed in this book, and the ordnance and crewing
needed to produce and maintain these stately vessels is covered. The
author also examines the role of the galleon as a treasure ship, and
describes how these ships were manned and fought in action.
For most of the Renaissance period, naval
warfare in the Mediterranean was dominated by the war galley, a unique
naval vessel for a momentous age. During the struggle for supremacy
between Christian and Muslim powers, war galleys formed the backbone of
the rival battlefleets. Different regions of the Mediterranean produced
their own versions of the war galley, thereby producing a number of
variants on the basic design tailored to the needs and resources of
particular nations. This book examines the development of the war
galley from its classically inspired resurrection in the 15th century
until its demise in the early 17th century, providing the first ever
in-depth study of this remarkable war machine.
Viking longships evolved from one-man canoes of
the Scandinavian Stone Age, through wood-built-ships of c. 200 BC into
the recognisable longboats of the 4th century AD. From this point, the
Viking Longship developed into the pre-eminent raider and trader in the
North Sea and Baltic, venturing as far afield as the Mediterranean,
North Atlantic and modern-day Russia. Keith Durham uses
reconstructions, original sources, translations and archaeological
evidence to render a vivid picture of the vessels that dominated the
seaways of Scandinavia, founded colonies on Iceland, Greenland and the
New World and terrorised the coastlines of northern Europe. Also
covered are Norman vessels, including the invasion fleet of William the
Conqueror.
