Visual Encyclopedia 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. 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, 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, 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 1200 outstanding color illustrations, Visual Encyclopedia is an essential reference book for maritime and ship enthusiasts.

Genres: Reference, History, Nautical, Maritime

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

David Ross specializes in maritime and railway history and has written and contributed to numerous books on these subjects. His most recent books are Ships Visual Encyclopedia, The Essential Naval Identification Guide: Submarines 1914–Present, Great Warships, and The World’s Greatest Battleships.

Reviews

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better reference books I've read in a while. Very readable, well structured, the illustrations (there are no photography used, all drawings/paintings), and the snippets are all outstanding. While it does cover civilian ships as the name would suggest, be forewarned the majority is focusing on military craft. If you're looking for a priority on the civilian side than I'm afraid this probably isn't for you but if you're just a general fan of ships or slightly focused on naval craft but don't mind some civilian craft than you can get a lot out of this book.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great illustrated look at the history of ships. The artwork is well-done, and the short bios of the featured ships are easy to understand and informative. A great nautical book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Yves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This awesome reference book 📖 was my bathroom book for a month and this complete & detailed reference book on ships feeds anyone’s love of ships and the sea 🌊.

1200 ships 😜 in alphabetical order. Wonderful!

[dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

nice pics, but nothing from Eastern civilizations? and no mention of Calypso or Alvin? while still full of plenty of illustrations & data i still couldn't recommend it, unless purchased with a steep discount or gifted >.<