The History of Ships

by Peter Kemp

The ships of any age express the needs and ambitions of the people who build them. They also reflect the state of technology at the time. But the history of ships is not just a reflection of the history of man; it is a complete and fascinating story in itself. It began 5,000 years ago, on the banks of the Nile, with the funeral ship of a distant pharaoh. At first, ship propulsion was largely a matter of sweated labour, but gradually the oared ship gave way to the sailing ship. With progress in ship design, voyages became longer and more adventurous. The result was the discovery of new lands and an upsurge in maritime trade, calling for new types of ship to carry and protect it. Then, in the 1880s, seafaring was transformed by the twin revolutions of steam power and iron construction. Today, little more than half a century since the demise of the last great sail trading vessels, we are in the age of the hovercraft, container ship and nuclear submarine. The scope of this book includes merchantmen and men-of-war, ceremonial, pleasure and working craft of all civilizations and all ages, as well as the people who built and sailed them.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[James Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fascinated with this history of boats and ships. Sometimes even I had to look up nautical term he did not explain. The illustrations alone are worth the price of the book. Also lots of historic pictures. Obviously a lot of research and thought went into the writing. The book is written chronologically from the first seafaring people to the most modern at the time it was written. Oddly I don't see the copyright anywhere in the book. Amazon had the date listed as 2002. One little aspect I loved was the transition from sail to steam and the evolution of the ships steam engines. At about the same time the transition from wood to steel and the problems and solutions steel brought to the design and construction of ships.
I grew up in a seafaring town and had been curious about the history of ships in the area, and sure enough he covered that geographic area very nicely.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive book on ships