The Boats of Men-of-War

London: Caxton Editions, 2003. New edition, first printing thus. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Format is approximately 7.5 inches by 9.875 inches. 128 pages. Notes. Index. This new edition preserves the late Commander May's original text and notes in their entirety, only obvious errors being corrected. The new materials, assembly by Simon Stephens of the National Maritime Museum, comprises all the tabular data, the illustrations, and their captions. This new edition, based on a work originally published in 1974, has been revised, expanded, and more thoroughly illustrated. With the largest collection of original naval boat draughts ever published, this new edition will be welcomed by ship modellers and historians of the world's navies as well as by small-craft enthusiasts. In the age of sail, the boats carried by the men-of-war were an essential part of the ship's outfitting. They were necessary to move stores, act as the "engine" in confined waters, serve as amphibious raiders, and even to cruise independently as tenders to the mother ship. Over the centuries there have been many sizes, hull forms, and rigs employed, so the exact details proved a problem for model makers, marine artists, and builders of replicas. Still the only complete study of this neglected topic, the book has now been revised and expanded to include more illustrations. It covers the sizes and types of boats formally allocated, the methods of hoisting and stowing them aboard ship, and the design and construction of the boats themselves, as well as their fittings, rigs, and armament, including guns, howitzers, and Congreve rockets. Although primarily devoted to the age of sail, the book also covers the steamboats of the late nineteenth century. Ship modelers, historians of the sailing navy, and small-craft enthusiasts will welcome this new edition.