Publisher's Synopsis
An insight into the design, construction and use at sea of many famous ships of antiquity spanning 3000 years from the Bronze Age to the present day. The author discusses the shape and original purpose of these great ships, explains why they were designed and built this way, what construction methods and materials were used, how they performed in a variety of conditions and whether they were successful vessels in their time.
Walkthroughs of the hull provide insights into the ships' layout and working conditions, and for more technically minded readers there are details of the vessels' construction , rigging, manpower, ballasting, weight distribution, rolling characteristics and performance at sea."
