Mary Rose, Constitution, Sovereign of the Seas, Cutty Sark, Monitor, Dreadnought, Lusitania, Bismarck, Nautilus, and Savannah: Each of these vessels played a pivotal role in human affairs. The History of the Ship is a comprehensive look at the ships of all ages, from dugout canoes to Nelson's ships-of-the-line, from great battleships and ocean liners to today's most sophisticated container ships, aircraft carriers, and supertankers.

Intertwined with the history of ships and the men who sailed them is the story of the technological, political, and economic developments that have shaped the evolution of nautical vessels, which Woodman succinctly places within their proper contexts, creating one of the most fascinating histories ever written of humans as inventors, traders, and warriors. Filled with hundreds of illustrations-everything from frescoes from the pharaohs' barges to 19th-century watercolors of great frigates and plans of submarines and ocean liners-this is an essential reference for the history buff, the ship modeler, and the nautical-book collector. (9 3/4 x 11 3/4, 352 pages, color and b&w illustrations)

Richard Woodman has been a professional seafarer for more than thirty years. A former navigating officer for the Blue Funnel and Glen Lines, he rose to the rank of commander in 1980. He is the author of the thirteen-volume Nathaniel Drinkwater nautical-adventure series (Warner Books) and has written numerous nonfiction titles, including The View from the Sea and Arctic Convoys. He lives in England.