British Warships in the Age of Sail

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British Warships in the Age of Sail
Front cover of British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817
AuthorRif Winfield
LanguageEnglish
SubjectSailing warships of the Royal Navy
GenreMaritime History
PublisherChatham Publishing (orig.)
Seaforth Publishing
Publication date
2005-2014

British Warships in the Age of Sail is a series of books by maritime historian Rif Winfield comprising a historical reference work providing details of all recorded ships that served or were intended to serve in the Royal Navy from 1603 to 1863.

Scope

The books draw data from Admiralty official records to give details on the location of construction, dates of construction (ordering, keel laying, launch, commissioning and completion of fitting-out), principal dimensions and tonnage, complement of men and armament, machinery (for steam vessels) and fate of every ship of the Royal Navy over the period. Designed dimensions and tonnage are given for every class of vessel planned and built for the Navy, but in addition the actual dimensions measured for each individual vessel completed to those designs are separately given; this treatment has also been applied to the many vessels purchased or captured by British naval forces, and added to the service. The costs of building and fitting out each vessel are given (where known), as well as the costs and dates of major refits during each ship's life. Also included are details of their commanders with dates when each served, areas and periods of service, and significant actions in which the ships took part.

Each volume contains details of over two thousand separate vessels, and is illustrated by approximately two hundred black-and-white renditions of the design draughts, contemporary portrayals and other depictions of most classes of vessel covered.

Series

The series comprises four volumes; the fourth volume in this series, covering the period 1817–1863, includes coverage of all steam-powered warships of this era (paddle-driven as well as screw-driven) as well as purely sailing vessels. The first of the series to be produced, the 1793–1817 volume, was first published in 2005 by Chatham Publishing. The remaining titles, and an updated edition of the 1793–1817 volume, have been published by Seaforth Publishing:

  • British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603–1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2009) ISBN 978-1-84832-040-6.
  • British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2007) ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
  • British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2005. Second edition in 2008) ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4.
  • British Warships in the Age of Sail 1817–1863: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2014) ISBN 978-1-84832-169-4.

Pending availability of the fourth volume in the series, sailing warships after 1817 were covered (in somewhat less detail) by The Sail and Steam Navy List, 1815–1889, by David Lyon and Rif Winfield.

A similar volume on Russian Warships in the Age of Sail (by John Tredrea and Eduard Sozaev) in the same series has followed, and three others are in preparation as at mid 2014 - on Dutch Warships in the Age of Sail 1600–1714 (by Jim Bender), on French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1862 (by Rif Winfield and Stephen Roberts) and on Ottoman Warships in the Age of Sail; other volumes dealing with the Spanish Navy (from 1715 on) and Venetian Navy are in prospect.

Reception

Reviewing the 1793–1817 work, the Journal for Maritime Research wrote that 'It is well-researched, well-presented, easy to navigate and exhaustive in its coverage. It is a reference work that will be used by students and scholars of the sailing Navy for years to come.'[1] When reviewing the 1714–1792 volume, the second work to be published, the South West Maritime History Society described it as 'frankly quite superb', and 'the most complete analysis of the ships of the Royal Navy ever prepared.'[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Journal for Maritime Research book review". Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  2. ^ Clement, David B. "South West Maritime History Society Book Review". Retrieved 2010-08-23.
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