The History of Ships

by Peter Kemp

More than two hundred fifty illustrations in color and the accompanying text span five thousand years of man's endeavor to travel over the world's seas in ships, from the oared vessels of ancient Egypt to the container ships and nuclear submarines of today

288 pages, Hardcover

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.

[Jack T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

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

Comprehensive book on ships