John H. Batchelor

It has a grand title, but fundamentally this book is a sequence of different ships. Some are specific well-known vessels while others are generic types, each discussed in a couple of pages (or 4 for larger entries) with perhaps a couple of small illustrations, all in colour, and mostly with brief data (size, speed, complement etc) where available.

I can't really recommend this book! It is a smallish glossy 'coffee table' book and as such would be ideal for a general reader as a basic introduction to the subject were it not for too many faults: it isn't an "encyclopaedia" nor is it in any way "complete"; many important entries are superficial, while other less consequential entries are exaggerated; some of the choices seem rather bizarre (eg several America`s Cup racers); with one or two exceptions, it is almost entirely dedicated to 'western' vessels; it is littered with errors; virtually every page contains one or more irritating 'typos'; the opening 'history of sail' chapter is far too shallow.… (more)