Fighting Sail: THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF WARFARE AT SEA.

UK,Qrto HB+dw/dj,1st edn.NFINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn, but price-clipped dw/dj.Bright,crisp,glossy laminated colour pictorial illustrated dw/dj [burning of the English Fleet at Chatham,painted by Peter vanden Velde - Rijksmuseum,Amsterdam.]; with negligible shelf-wear and minimal creasing to edges - no nicks or tears present.Top edge lightly dust-soiled and minimally spotted/foxed,fore-edge cleaner but minisculely spotted/foxed; contents bright,tight and near pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips.Publisher's bright,clean,original blue cloth boards with bright,blocked gilt letters to spine/ backstrip and clean blue+white various ship outlines/ silhouettes illustrated endpapers.UK,Qrto HB+dw/dj,1st edn,vii-xivpp+1-192pp [paginated] includes half-title,b/w illus double-page title page,a b/w illus frntis,a foreword by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma; a contents list,author preface,12 chapters,100+ contemporary b/w illus - scenic,portraits, maps+diagrams (excluding frntis+title-page); 4 colour sections of contemporary scenic+portrait illustrations of 4pp each section,between pp34/5,pp66/7,pp98/9 and pp154/55 respectively,a bibliography,an index and 2pp blanks to rear.
The span of this splendid book extends from the ousting of oared vessels by sail at the end of the 15thC until the complete revolution brought about by the coming of steam early in the 19thC.
During this romantic but bloody era the tactics of sea warfare changed continually as ship design improved,more efficient rigging gave greater speed and manoeuvrability, nautical instruments became more accurate and armament more deadly,copper-sheathed hulls made longer voyages possible,and,at last,that age-old scourge of the seafaring man,scurvy,was finally conquered.Here is the stirring story,told with vigour and authority,of those fearful encounters when great warships fought at close quarters in the blood and smoke of desperate battles which changed the course of history.Many less well-known actions,besides the most renowned,are recalled,and the influence of naval engagements is analysed not only in the sphere of northern Europe but also in America,Canada,the West Indies,the Mediterranean,India,and the Russo-Swedish War.It is a magnificent saga of victories won by courage and enterprise,often at the cost of shattering losses of brilliant commanders,skilled seamen,and great fighting ships - each one needing a small forest to replace. Against this background of maritime history daily life in the Navy is portrayed in all its glory and squalor.16pp of spectacular colour,and a 100+ b/w illustrations in the text,include many scenes of life below decks, with all the grumbling,stalwart loyalty and bawdy humour of the ordinary sailor of the day,besides great battle paintings made beautiful by the innate grace of the sailing ship. Some of these pictures come from normally inaccessible sources and several have never been published before.
Highly decorative line drawings depict the disposition of opposing fleets in major confrontations,and endpaper drawings show the evolution of hull design and sail plan through nearly four centuries.
Oliver Warner,in this,his last book,is at the crest of his powers,and utterly in his element as the eminently readable naval historian he was.It is a labour of love and a fitting conclusion to the career of this very distinguished author.
Please contact seller,because of the weight of this item - 1.1 Kg unpackaged,for correct, insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the
order page!
N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **