bobcat

Hello,
 
The review for today is:
THE SLOOP OF WAR 1650-1763
Ian McLaughlan
2014  Naval Academy Press, Seaforth Publishing, 288 pages  12”x10”.
 
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I received this book to review. This large book is an extremely well researched and documented tracing of the development of the sloop of war. Mr. McLaughlan has carefully opened the door to the research of this class that, by the end of the Napoleonic wars became the most numerous of all the classes of ships involved in that conflict.
 
McLaughlan starts his story by diving into the murky beginnings of sloops by looking at shallops and oared whaling craft and how they were adapted to the military needs of wartime in the 1650’s. That period led to the development of lots of sizes and rigs of small craft. This development grew along several needs until the 1704-17 period. During this time the advice or scout boat, brigantine, escort, bomb ketch and fire ship became consolidated into a basic sloop design.
 
By 1732 some degree of standardization was established with the snow rig most favored. Only a few ships of that time used the ketch rig. The 1740’s saw the development of the ship rig and the raised quarterdeck and by the end of this book’s coverage the raised deck, ship rigged sloop as characterized by the Swan class of ships had become a staple in the Royal Navy’s fleet.
 
There are some notable features in this book that need highlighting. The author starts with a detailed and well-illustrated chapter on rigs and rigging. This gives the reader a reference to all of the types of rigs to be encountered in the book. Also, two chapters are devoted to the concurrent developments in French design, leading to the classic corvette design used by the French navy and privateers.
 
This book is heavily illustrated with photos, drawings and plans from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Of particular interest to modelers is that all of the NMM plans are identified by their file numbers which will make ordering from them easier.
 
Two appendixes are also important to note for modelers. The first one gives mast and spar dimensions while the second serves as a primer on how to read the plans the plans of some of the ships in the book.
 
I have two wishes concerning this book. I hope that other researchers use this benchmark book as platform to add to, prove or disprove any of Mr. McLaughlon’s pioneering work. My second wish is that the author gives us volume two that will take us through 1815.He will need collaborators to help with American and French sloop building efforts and I hope that he will be able to find that help. Finally, I hope to see some modelers  build some examples from the wonderful collection of interesting subjects.
 
By now you can tell that I like this book. It is a must have for anyone interested in the smaller warships of the 17th and 18th centuries.
 
Bob Friedman

Hello,
 
The review for today is:
THE SLOOP OF WAR 1650-1763
Ian McLaughlan
2014  Naval Academy Press, Seaforth Publishing, 288 pages  12”x10”.
 
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I received this book to review. This large book is an extremely well researched and documented tracing of the development of the sloop of war. Mr. McLaughlan has carefully opened the door to the research of this class that, by the end of the Napoleonic wars became the most numerous of all the classes of ships involved in that conflict.
 
McLaughlan starts his story by diving into the murky beginnings of sloops by looking at shallops and oared whaling craft and how they were adapted to the military needs of wartime in the 1650’s. That period led to the development of lots of sizes and rigs of small craft. This development grew along several needs until the 1704-17 period. During this time the advice or scout boat, brigantine, escort, bomb ketch and fire ship became consolidated into a basic sloop design.
 
By 1732 some degree of standardization was established with the snow rig most favored. Only a few ships of that time used the ketch rig. The 1740’s saw the development of the ship rig and the raised quarterdeck and by the end of this book’s coverage the raised deck, ship rigged sloop as characterized by the Swan class of ships had become a staple in the Royal Navy’s fleet.
 
There are some notable features in this book that need highlighting. The author starts with a detailed and well-illustrated chapter on rigs and rigging. This gives the reader a reference to all of the types of rigs to be encountered in the book. Also, two chapters are devoted to the concurrent developments in French design, leading to the classic corvette design used by the French navy and privateers.
 
This book is heavily illustrated with photos, drawings and plans from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Of particular interest to modelers is that all of the NMM plans are identified by their file numbers which will make ordering from them easier.
 
Two appendixes are also important to note for modelers. The first one gives mast and spar dimensions while the second serves as a primer on how to read the plans the plans of some of the ships in the book.
 
I have two wishes concerning this book. I hope that other researchers use this benchmark book as platform to add to, prove or disprove any of Mr. McLaughlon’s pioneering work. My second wish is that the author gives us volume two that will take us through 1815.He will need collaborators to help with American and French sloop building efforts and I hope that he will be able to find that help. Finally, I hope to see some modelers  build some examples from the wonderful collection of interesting subjects.
 
By now you can tell that I like this book. It is a must have for anyone interested in the smaller warships of the 17th and 18th centuries.
 
Bob Friedman

Hello,
 
The review for today is:
THE SLOOP OF WAR 1650-1763
Ian McLaughlan
2014  Naval Academy Press, Seaforth Publishing, 288 pages  12”x10”.
 
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I received this book to review. This large book is an extremely well researched and documented tracing of the development of the sloop of war. Mr. McLaughlan has carefully opened the door to the research of this class that, by the end of the Napoleonic wars became the most numerous of all the classes of ships involved in that conflict.
 
McLaughlan starts his story by diving into the murky beginnings of sloops by looking at shallops and oared whaling craft and how they were adapted to the military needs of wartime in the 1650’s. That period led to the development of lots of sizes and rigs of small craft. This development grew along several needs until the 1704-17 period. During this time the advice or scout boat, brigantine, escort, bomb ketch and fire ship became consolidated into a basic sloop design.
 
By 1732 some degree of standardization was established with the snow rig most favored. Only a few ships of that time used the ketch rig. The 1740’s saw the development of the ship rig and the raised quarterdeck and by the end of this book’s coverage the raised deck, ship rigged sloop as characterized by the Swan class of ships had become a staple in the Royal Navy’s fleet.
 
There are some notable features in this book that need highlighting. The author starts with a detailed and well-illustrated chapter on rigs and rigging. This gives the reader a reference to all of the types of rigs to be encountered in the book. Also, two chapters are devoted to the concurrent developments in French design, leading to the classic corvette design used by the French navy and privateers.
 
This book is heavily illustrated with photos, drawings and plans from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Of particular interest to modelers is that all of the NMM plans are identified by their file numbers which will make ordering from them easier.
 
Two appendixes are also important to note for modelers. The first one gives mast and spar dimensions while the second serves as a primer on how to read the plans the plans of some of the ships in the book.
 
I have two wishes concerning this book. I hope that other researchers use this benchmark book as platform to add to, prove or disprove any of Mr. McLaughlon’s pioneering work. My second wish is that the author gives us volume two that will take us through 1815.He will need collaborators to help with American and French sloop building efforts and I hope that he will be able to find that help. Finally, I hope to see some modelers  build some examples from the wonderful collection of interesting subjects.
 
By now you can tell that I like this book. It is a must have for anyone interested in the smaller warships of the 17th and 18th centuries.
 
Bob Friedman

Hello,
 
The review for today is:
THE SLOOP OF WAR 1650-1763
Ian McLaughlan
2014  Naval Academy Press, Seaforth Publishing, 288 pages  12”x10”.
 
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I received this book to review. This large book is an extremely well researched and documented tracing of the development of the sloop of war. Mr. McLaughlan has carefully opened the door to the research of this class that, by the end of the Napoleonic wars became the most numerous of all the classes of ships involved in that conflict.
 
McLaughlan starts his story by diving into the murky beginnings of sloops by looking at shallops and oared whaling craft and how they were adapted to the military needs of wartime in the 1650’s. That period led to the development of lots of sizes and rigs of small craft. This development grew along several needs until the 1704-17 period. During this time the advice or scout boat, brigantine, escort, bomb ketch and fire ship became consolidated into a basic sloop design.
 
By 1732 some degree of standardization was established with the snow rig most favored. Only a few ships of that time used the ketch rig. The 1740’s saw the development of the ship rig and the raised quarterdeck and by the end of this book’s coverage the raised deck, ship rigged sloop as characterized by the Swan class of ships had become a staple in the Royal Navy’s fleet.
 
There are some notable features in this book that need highlighting. The author starts with a detailed and well-illustrated chapter on rigs and rigging. This gives the reader a reference to all of the types of rigs to be encountered in the book. Also, two chapters are devoted to the concurrent developments in French design, leading to the classic corvette design used by the French navy and privateers.
 
This book is heavily illustrated with photos, drawings and plans from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Of particular interest to modelers is that all of the NMM plans are identified by their file numbers which will make ordering from them easier.
 
Two appendixes are also important to note for modelers. The first one gives mast and spar dimensions while the second serves as a primer on how to read the plans the plans of some of the ships in the book.
 
I have two wishes concerning this book. I hope that other researchers use this benchmark book as platform to add to, prove or disprove any of Mr. McLaughlon’s pioneering work. My second wish is that the author gives us volume two that will take us through 1815.He will need collaborators to help with American and French sloop building efforts and I hope that he will be able to find that help. Finally, I hope to see some modelers  build some examples from the wonderful collection of interesting subjects.
 
By now you can tell that I like this book. It is a must have for anyone interested in the smaller warships of the 17th and 18th centuries.
 
Bob Friedman

HI, 
Ed Tosti has proven himself to be a master modeler. HIs research, plans and building are of the highest order and that is why I am so proud to be his publisher. Ed and I thought you might be interested in knowing all the steps it took to bring Ed's Young America to you in book form.
 
Once Ed had competed his manuscript and produced it using IN Design it went to one of the free lance editors that I use. From there it traveled to a designer who polished Ed's layouts and produced "print ready" PDFs for the printer. While this was going on, permission was obtained from the Gardner estate in The UK to use Erik Gardner's great painting for the jacket.
 
Our primary printer then produced proofs of all materials, made any last minute corections and went to press with the body of the book. A second printer, using digital equipment, was hired to produce the long, 48" multiple color plans. We had to resort to a nation wide search for the plans printer because of many comlications.
While all of this was going on, the body of the book was sent to a bindery where the printed book was sown and placed in its case. Yet another company prduced the die cut folder for the plans and still another company replicated the CD that is in the book.
 
The final trick was to bring all of the components back to the primary printer where the jacket was put on the book, the CD sleve glued to the back of the book, the plans holder glued and plans inserted, Finally each package was shrink wraped and sent to the distibution center.
 
When all is said and done, Ed and I wish you the inspiration to study and build. That's why we do it.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

Hi,
 
To my mind, one of the most significant books for ship historians and model builders in 2013, and perhaps the last 10 years is AMERICAN-BUILT PACKETS AND FREIGHTERS OF THE 1850'S,  An Illustrated Study of their Characteristics and Construction by William Crothers.
 
This book is a fitting end to a long career devoted to ships. Mr. Crothers was a draftsman in the design division of the Philadelphia Navy Yard until his retirement in 1972. He then devoted the rest of his life to the study of 19th century ships, their flags and signals.. He began drafting and selling plans of 18th and 19th century ships under the imprint of Sea Gull Plans and published a 500 page book on American Clipper Ships. A large collection of his research work can be found in the Mystic Seaport library.
 
His current book is a work of genius and dedication. I first saw the manuscript for this book in a carton of typewritten pages and a pile of hand drawn illustrations and charts. It proved to be too big a project for me to deal with and the project wound up at McFarland Publishers. They did an amazing job of organizing, editing and digitally formatting this huge pile of papers into a printable file.
 
Rather than reinvent the wheel I want to quote from the publishers description of the contents of this book. "This comprehensive volume appraises in minute detail the construction of these ships, outlining basic design criteria and enumerating and examining every plank and piece of timber involved in the process, including the keel, frames, hull and deck planking, stations, knees, deck houses, bulworks, railing and interior structures and arrangements. More than 150 illustrations illuminate the size, shape, location and pertinent specifics of each item. Complete with a glossary of contemporary industry terms, this work represents the definitive study of the mid-nineteenth century's great American-built square rigged vessels." There are also chapters on ship colors, flags and rigging.
 
There are two drawbacks to this book. The 8 1/2"x11" volume is bound as a paperback. I wish it was bound as a properly sewn hard cover. It is also very expensive at $95. Both of these factors might be due to the great deal of time, effort and expense in putting this book into a print ready digital file. It could not be helped. If the cost is too much for your budget then go pester your library to obtain a copy. In conclusion, if you are a student or modeler of 19th century vessels this book is a vital tool.
 
AMERICAN-BUILT PACKETS AND FREIGHTERS of the 1850's, An Illustrated Study of Their Characteristics and Construction
William Crothers, McFarland &Co., Publishers, Jefferson NC, 2013
8 1/2"x11", perfect bound, paper cover, 408 pages, b/w illustrations.
ISBN 978-0-7864-7006-8
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

Soon, patience, soon. Book two will be on third rates.
 
Bob Friedman

I appreciate the voices of support for SeaWatchBooks. As a lot of you know I am a one man band; sort of leader of the band. I have processed thousands of your orders over the years along with managing authors, editors, designers, computer graphics experts, fulfillment service people and my print management crew. Somewhere in this semi controlled confusion something goes wrong. We try and fix it with various degrees of success. 
But as long as there is a good supply of duct tape and a hank of bailing wire I think we will be able to keep most of you happy.
Thanks for your patience
 
Bob Friedman

Hello,
 
Just a quick note to tell you that David Antscherl's new book The Royal Navy Fireship COMET 1783 is now on the SeaWatchBooks web site. David has produced a beautiful model. Look for it at seawatchbooks.com.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman

To clear up some confusion, SeaWatchBooks has only retired from publishing new titles. The web site remains open for orders from our existing titles. A new brochure will be included with your upcoming NRJ.
For all of you who are waiting for deliveries please note that our postal service is nearing FUBAR and so service is going to be slow. Please have patience with us as we are doing the best we can under the current conditions.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Friedman