The Search for Speed Under Sail, 1700-1855

by Howard Irving Chapelle

A Smithsonian scholar details innovations in naval architecture.

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[Mr. Reader Eric Mesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be a bit niche for some readers, but to me it nonetheless represents a wonderful history on the evolution of sailing theory in the early years of the United States. This is significantly more technical than Chapelle's other books because he focuses on a quantitative assessment of a hull's speed. If you want to read this, I highly recommend studying a little about sailboat hull design, including all coefficients that are associated with the designs. But even if the technical aspect is lost on you, the reader will still have a formidable and fascinating history about sailing ships and the pursuit of speed over the water.

[James Violand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book details how American trade dictated the development of speed at any expense. Chappelle should have a glossary of terms attached because the reader spends much of his effort looking up nautical vocabulary.