The Life of Captain James Cook. John C. Beaglehole. Stanford 1992. The largest and most comprehensive Cook biography; for shorter accounts see Alan Villiers, listed here below.

The Journals of Captain Cook, edited by J. C. Beaglehole, Penguin, 672 pages.

The Remarkable Journeys of Captain Cook. Rhoda Blumberg. Juvenile. Bradbury Publisher.

Quaterdeck and Bridge: Two Centuries of American Naval Leaders. James C. Bradford

Escape from the French: Captain Hewiston's Narrative 1803-1809. Antony Bret-James, editor, 1981.

James Durand An Able Seaman of 1812: His Adventures on Old Ironsides and as an Impressed Sailor in the British Navy. George S. Brooks editor. Yale University Press 1926. A journal.

Nelson Speaks: Admiral Lord Nelson in His Own Words. Joseph F. Callo. Naval Institute.

Master Mariner: Capt. James Cook and the Peoples of the Pacific. Daniel Conner.

Ned Myers: A Life Before the Mast. James Fenimore Cooper. Introduction by William S. Dudley. Naval Institute Press. 1989. 320 pages "This memoir of Myers's thirty-six years at sea provides an unparalleled view of American maritime activity in the age of sail."

The Nagle Journal: A Diary of the Life of Jacob Nagle, Sailor from the Year 1775 to 1841. John C. Dann (ed.). Weidenfeld and Nicolson, New York, 1988

Captain Blakeley and the "Wasp:" The Cruise of 1814. Stephen W. H. Duffy. Biography of Blakely. Naval Institute Press. 2000.

The Fatal Cruise of the Argus: Two Captains in the War of 1812. Ira Dye. Naval Institute Press. 1994. 388 pages. 22 illus. "This is history, vibrant and on a grand scale and rich in the details of seafaring life with a focus on an American and a British naval officer whose separate paths converge in 1813 during a fierce battle between the Argus and the Pelican."

Truxtun of the Constellation. Eugene S. Ferguson. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1982.

The Adventures of John Wetherell. C.S. Forester, ed. Michael Joseph Publisher, 1954 & 1994, 275 p. British seaman's diary of early 19th century. Historical value and "great good humor." Taken by French, meets Napoleon, battles, etc. "brings history to life more vividly than a score of textbooks."

Sailor of Fortune: The Life and Adventures of Commodore Barney USN. Hulbert Footner. 352 pp. "one of the finest biographies of one of America's most intersting naval heros." Revolutionary War to War of 1812.

Silas Talbot: Captain of Old Ironsides. W. M. Fowler, Jr. Mystic Seaport Museum, 1995.

Beaufort of the Admiralty The Life of Sir Francis Beaufort 1774-1857. Alfred Friendly, Random House, NY, 1977, 362 pp.

Cochrane: The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain. Robert Harvey, Carroll & Graf, 2000, 288 pp. Most recent account of the British naval captain who is the original for the fictional Horatio Hornblower by C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey. Quite a book and quite a story; no pale imitation of life lived under glass or through a computer terminal.

Captain James Cook. Richard Hough. W.W. Norton NY 1994. 398 pp.

Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian: The Men and the Mutiny. Richard Hough. Probably the best account of the Bounty and the mutiny. 1972, reprinted 2000. Naval Institute.

Old Oak: the Life of John Jervis. William James. Longmans Green, London, 1950

Nelson's Captains. Ludovic Henry Kennedy. New York: Norton, 1951. 386 p. illus.

Nelson and the Nile: The Naval War Against Bonaparte 1798. Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland, 1998. 318 p. illus. By one of the leading experts on ships and naval history of the period. "... he traces the consequences of the Battle of the Nile on the world since with a sure hand." "If one had to choose just one book on Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars, this would be it."

Lord Cochrane , Seaman, Radical, Liberator : A Life of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald. Christopher Lloyd. Longmans, London, 1947. 222 p. reprinted by Owl Books 1999. "brisk and engaging as the novels that Cochrane inspired" "this is among the most memorable volumes available" Compare to more recent book by Robert Harvey.

Nothing Too Daring: A Biography of Captain David Porter 1780-1843. David F. Long. United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1970

Sailor-Diplomat: A Biography of Commodore James Biddle, 1783-1848. David F. Long. Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1983.

John Paul Jones. Lincoln Lorenz. Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute, 1943.

Truxtun of the Constellation. Eugene S. Ferguson. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1982.

The Trafalgar Roll: The Ships and the Officers. Col. Robert Holden Mackenzie, F.S.A. Scot. Naval Institute Press. "This unique work details the careers of all 33 British ships and over 850 men of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines that participated in the Battle of Trafalgar. Unlike any other, this reference examines the careers of all ranks of men involved." 1989. 354 pages.

Extraordinary Seaman. J.P.W. Mallalieu, Macmillan, NY, 1958, 179 pp. Cochrane was one of the most colorful, daring and successful British frigate Captains; he was the model for action O'Brian's "Master and Commander".

The Captain from Connecticut: The Life and Naval Times of Isaac Hull. Linda M. Maloney. Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1986. 549 pp.

John Paul Jones A Sailor's Biography. Samuel Eliot Morison, Little Brown, Boston, 1959, 453 p. Reprinted 1989.

Nelson: an Illustrated History. Roger Morris, Brian Lavery and Stephen Deuchar; edited by Pieter van der Merwe. London: National Maritime Museum, 1995. 176 pp. illus.; maps.

Joshua Barney: Hero of the Revolution and 1812. Louis A. Norton. Naval Institute.

Return to Tahiti: Bligh's Second Breadfruit Voyage. Douglas Oliver. (Bligh's second voyage to Tahiti! lots more on Polynesian culture as first encountered by the English). Univ. Hawaii 1988. 306 pp.

Nelson. Carola Oman with a new introduction by Stephen Howarth Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1947. reprinted Naval Institute Press 1996. "The author had access not only to all of the 19th-century and early 20th-century accounts of Nelson's life and battles, but also to primary sources, including Nelson's letters... Awarded the London Times prize for literature in 1948. Carola Oman is well known for her historical novels and biographies. " 816 pages. 14 illustrations. 6 maps and plans.

The Man who Burned the White House Admiral Sir George Cockburn 1772-1853. James Pack, Naval Institute, 1987, 288pp.

Edward Pellew, Viscount Exmouth. C. Northcote Parkinson. 1934. One of the most famous British frigate captains. One of the top writers.

Commodore John Rodgers: Captain, Commodore and Senior Officer of the American Navy. Charles Oscar Paullin. United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1967. --Reprint of an older work. The subject deserves a modern treatment.

Real Hornblower: The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon. Bryan Perrett. US Naval Institute, 2000. 168 p. Fine overview of period and Royal Navy; debatable whether the only original for Hornblower.

Remember Nelson The Life of Captain Sir William Hoste 1780 - 1828. Thomas Pocock. 1978. 256 p. Another notable frigate captain.

Horatio Nelson. Thomas Pocock. Bodley Head London, 1987. 364 p.

The Young Nelson in the Americas. Thomas Pocock. Collins London 1980. 241 p.

At Twelve Mr. Byng was Shot. Dudley Pope. Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1962. 375 p. illus. Admiral John Byng had the misfortune to disobey standing orders about fleet manoevres while using his initiative in the course of a fleet battle with the French. For this he was court-martialed, convicted, and shot on his own quarterdeck at a range of 6 feet by a company of Marines. In France Voltaire was asked to explain this form of justice. He replied "Pour encouragez les autres." Pope's books have a high reputation.

Journal of a Cruise Made to the Pacific Ocean. Capt. David Porter. Oregg Press, Neew Jersey.

Preble's Boys: Commodore Prebel and the Birth of American Sea Power. Fletcher Pratt, Wm. Sloan, NY, 1950, 419. "A thumping good writer."

Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle. Alan Schom. biographies of the "principle actors in the great drama" Oxford. 1993. illus. 448 pp.

Paul Jones: His Exploits in English Seas During 1778-1780. contemporary accounts collected from English Newspapers Don C. Seitz, E.P. Dutton, NY, 1917, 327 p.

Byron of the "Wager". Peter Shankland. Coward McCann & Geoghegan, 1975, 288 p.

The Life of Nelson. Robert Southey. "This 1813 biography of Britain's most famous naval hero captures the spirit of the man as no other book has." several reprints available.

A True and Impartial Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas and Round the Globe. Pascoe Thomas. London, 1745; reprinted Bibliotheca Australiana, 1971, 404 pp. Factual original account of Anson's 1740-1744 voyage of the "Centurion" which is the setting for Patrick O'Brian's novel _The Golden Voyage_.

Cochrane, Britannia's Last Sea-King. Donald Thomas, Viking, NY, 1978, 383 pp.

Before the Wind. Charles Tyng. Viking Press NY. Excellent persoanl narrative of a Boston ship captain in first third of 19th century. Many adventures from ship's boy to captain. Care to make your fortune on a cargo of parrots and monkeys? Anyone interested in American history or the sea would like this.

A Dictionary of British Ships and Seamen. Grant Uden and Richard Cooper, St. Martin's Press, NY, 1980, 591 pp.

Captain James Cook. Alan Villiers. Scribners, 1967. A fine biography of Cook, and one of the shortest, by a man who was both a famous writer and captain of large square-riggers who followed many of Cook's routes. Includes Appendix with excellent drawings of handling a square rigger. A fine place to start reading about the period.

The Nelson Companion. Colin White, editor. "This book offers for the first time a collective overview of Horatio Lord Nelson by the world's leading Nelson scholars. A treasure trove of information, it provides a ready reference on the man and the legend." More a compendium of related materials than a biography. Naval Institute Press, 1995. 256 pages. 100 illus.

1797: Nelson's Year of Destiny. Colin White. Sutton, 1999. 160 p. Well written, based on the latest intelligences and complete source documents. (To find out what happened after 1797, you are in the right place to find another book!)

See also Ships: Descriptions by Period, Class, or Individual Ship

Nelson's Favorite: HMS Agamemmon at War 1781-1809. Anthony Dean. Naval Institute 1996. 320 pages.

Classic Sailing Ships. Kenneth Giggal with paintings by Cornelis de Vries. W. W. Norton, 1988. Lovely and detailed paintings of ships from nine nations, from the 16th to the 20th century, with a basic history describing each one. The USS Constitution, Ranger, and Chesapeake, the HMS Victory, HMS Bounty, HMS Endeavour. A short history of sail, and glossary of techical terms.

Old Ironsides. Thomas C. Gillmer. McGraw-Hill 1997; 239 pages. illus. by William Gilkerson. The author is a top ship designer and naval historian, and Gilkerson is a superb marine artist atmospheric yet technically correct too. This book focuses on the ship's design rather than naval actions.

The Lost Ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. William Patrick Gosset. London; New York: Mansell Pub., 1986. 157 p.

The Trafalgar Roll: The Ships and the Officers. Col. Robert Holden Mackenzie, F.S.A. Scot. Naval Institute Press. "This unique work details the careers of all 33 British ships and over 850 men of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines that participated in the Battle of Trafalgar. Unlike any other, this reference examines the careers of all ranks of men involved." 1989. 354 pages.

Atlantic Seafaring: Ten Centuries of Exploration and Trade in the North Atlantic. Roger Morris. International Marine, 1992. Accurate and artistic paintings of historic ships in their natural settings, with several pages of history about each one, from Norsemen and Vikings through Columbus's voyages and the age of exploration to 19th century vessels. No naval ships. A truly excellent book that could not be improved for its purpose.

Guns off Cape Anne. Kenneth Poolman. 1961. An account of the famous frigate duel in 1814 between the "Shannon" and the "Chesapeake".

The "Shannon" and the "Chesapeake". H.F. Pullen. McCelland and Stewart, Toronto, 1970, 174 pp.

HMS Victory: Her Construction, Career, and Restoration. Alan McGowan, John McKay (Illustrator). Naval Institure, 2000. 256 pages. Big and lavish and very complete with 90 pages of drawings.

The U.S.S. Essex. Frances Diane Robotti and James Vescovi. 320 pages; 2000, Adams Media Corporation.

The Sailing Navy 1775-1854. Paul H. Silverstone. US ship data and history. Naval Institute. 101 pages.

Injured Honor: The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, June 22, 1807 . By Spencer C. Tucker and Frank T. Reuter Naval Institute Press. "A brief naval engagement between the U.S. frigate Chesapeake and the British two-decker Leopard ... had lasting repercussions on U.S. diplomatic relations with Great Britain." 1996. 288 pages.

HMS Beagle: The Story of Darwin's Ship. K.S. Thomson. Norton. 320 pp.

HMS Beagle: Survey Ship Extraordinary. Karl-Heinz Marquardt. Brasseys. 128 pages (April 1998).

The Life of Captain James Cook. John C. Beaglehole. Stanford 1992. The largest and most comprehensive Cook biography; for shorter accounts see Hough and Villiers, listed here below.

The Journals of Captain Cook, edited by J. C. Beaglehole, Penguin, 672 pages.

Explorations of Captain James Cook in the Pacific As Told by Selections of His Own Journals, 1768-1779. James Cook, A. Grenfell Price (Editor). Dover, 1971. 292 pages

The Voyage of the Endeavour : Captain Cook and the Discovery of the Pacific. Alan Frost. Allen & Unwin, 1998. HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1864481889/qid=970675659/sr=1-1/fighsailthehisto">)

Captain James Cook. Richard Hough. W.W. Norton NY 1994. 398 pp.

Science and Exploration in the Pacific: European Voyages to the Southern Oceans in the Eighteenth Century. Margarette Lincoln (editor). Boydell & Brewer, 1999. 192 pages.

Histoire Generale des Voyages. A. F. Prevost d'Exiles (Abbe Prevost), which was published in Paris 1746-89. Some 20 or 30 volumes in French. A source used by Patrick O'Brian. The compilation was continued after Prevost's death (1763) up to the French Revolution in 1789. The only copy I know of the US is in, appropriately, Hawaii. There surely are others.

Captain Cook's World: Maps of the Life and Voyages of James Cook, RN. James Robson. Univ. Washington Press. Seattle, 2000. Besides detailed maps of the voyages, the Cook enthusiast will find here a list of other recent writings about Cook.

Voyages of Discovery. Lynne Withey. William Morrow. 1987; Univ California 1989. Cook's voyages and related discoveries. "exceptional narrative skill" Excellent bibliography. A good starting point for James Cook voyages.

Captain James Cook. Alan Villiers. One of the best biographies of Cook, one of the shortest, and by a man who was both an excellent writer and captain of large square-riggers before WWII who followed many of Cook's routes. Scribners. 1967. Includes Appendix with excellent drawings of handling a square rigger. A fine place to start reading about ships and seamen of the period.

The Great South Sea: English Voyages and Encounters 1570 - 1750. Glyndwr Williams. Yale, 1998, 288 pp.

The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy. Nicholas Blake, Richard Lawrence, Richard Lawernce. Stackpole, 208 pp., 2000. 50 color photos; 450 b/w illustrations.

The History of the American Sailing Navy: The Ships and Their Development, by Howard I. Chapelle, Bonanza Books reprinting of W.W. Norton, 1949. technical details of the US Navy sailing ships up to Civil War.

Ships and Seamen of the American Revolution - vessels, crews, weapons, gear, naval tactics, and actions of the War for Independence. Jack Coggins. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg Pennsylvania, 1969. A very good introduction to the world of 18th century naval warfare. Has much wider applicability than the American Revolution. Lots of detailed drawings and diagrams from throwing the lead to crossing the line.

The Pivateersmen. Clifford Alderman. Philadelphia: Chilton Books 1965. (may be a minor work)

The Commodores: U.S. Navy in the Age of Sail, by Leonard F. Guttridge and Jay D. Smith, Harper and Row, NY, Evanston and London, 1969.

Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy. John D. Harbron. Naval Institute Press. "This dramatic re-evaluation of the Spanish navy and its defeat by the British at Trafalgar in 1805 disproves many long-held beliefs about the competence of the Spanish fleet. It includes specifics of Spanish warship design and construction and is illustrated with beautiful contemporary plans, engravings, and photographs of ship models, some in full color." 1988. 208 pags. 125 photos and drawings.

The History of the French Navy. E. H. Jenkins. 1973.

History of Warfare: War at Sea in the Age of Sail. Andrew Lambert. Cassell Academic. 224 pages (August 2000). By an expert; good overview; british-centered, beautifuuul produced.

The Navy of Britain. Michael Lewis. 1948. A leading scholar.

The Age of Nelson: the Royal Navy 1793 - 1815. G. J. Marcus. Viking New York 1971. another sound work.

Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men, and Organisation, 1793-1815. Brian Lavery. foreword by Patrick O'Brian. London : Conway Maritime, 1989. 352 p. 412 illustrations. One of the best one-volume guides to the naval setting of the period.

American Ships of the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods. John F. Millar, W.W. Norton, NY, 1978. 356 pp.

The American Navies of the Revolutionary War. Nowland Van Powell paintings, Richard Morris editor, Putnam, NY, 1974, 128 p.

Men-Of-War. Patrick O'Brian. 1974. Reprinted 1995 W. W. Norton. 93p. A short account of the Royal Navy during the French and Napoleonic Wars. Brief, but an excellent introduction and overview. Many excellent illustrations of the period perfectly reproduced. A good choice for those starting to read naval fiction or history of the period. And it has O'Brian's distinctive clarity, flair, and style. Attend to his definition of the ship, a technical issue apt to veer to the pendantic in other hands: "...although a vessel means anything that floats or is meant to float, for a sailor a ship is something quite distinct: it is a vessel, of course, but it is a square-rigged vessel with three masts (fore, main, and mizen) and a bowsprit; what is more these three masts must be made up of a lower-mast, topmast, and topgallant, and anything with only two masts (such as a brig) or with all three in one piece (such as a polacre) that presumed to call itself a ship would have been laughed to scorn, hooted down, given no countenance whatsoever."

The Prize Game: Lawful Looting on the High Seas in the Days of Fighting Sail. Donald A. Petrie. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1999. Well done - both scholary and good reading. Detailed annotation.

Navies of the Napoleonic Era. Otto von Pivka, Hippocrene, NY, 1980. 272 pp.

Navies of the American Revolution. Anthony Preston, David Lyon and John Batchelor, Prentice Hall, 1975. 158 pp.

Hornblower's Navy: Life at Sea in the Age of Nelson. Steve Pope. Welcome Rain, 1998, 111 pages.

History of Naval Tactics. S. S. Robinson. Annaplis, MD.: U.S. Naval Institute, 1942.

The Wooden World: An Anatomy of the Georgian Navy. N. A. M. Rodgers. Naval Institute Press 1986. 445 pp. "The most authoritative and enjoyable text on the subject that can be imagined." - Patrick O'Brian. British naval society.

American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-Present. Sweetman, Jack. 2nd Edition. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1991.

The Naval Chronicle: The Contemporary Record of the Royal Navy at War. Nicholas Tracy, ed. 5 vols. Stackpole 1999.
vol 1. 1793-1798. vol 2. 1799-1804.
vol 3. 1805-1806. vol 4. 1807-1809.
vol 5. 1810-1815.
Extracts from the famous contemporary periodical detailing the actions and personnel of the British naval war against all enemies. Extracts from 40 original volumes.

Pirates and Patriots of the Revolution: An Illustraed Encyclopaedia of Colonial Seamanship. C. Keith Wilbur. The Globe Pequout Press, 1984. 100 p.

Note that on ship a cannon is called a gun, and gunnery is the skill of firing guns. Small arms are weapons light enough to moved without a carriage, either guns or edged.

The history of English sea ordnance, 1523-1875. Adrian B. Caruana

A Universal Dictionary of the Marine: or, a copious explanation of the technical terms and phrases employed in the construction, equipment, furniture, machinery, movements, and military operations of a ship.
William Falconer (1732-1769). London : Printed for T. Cadell, 1769, ..., 1815, and reprinted several times in the 20th century, but still rare. Includes gun drill in detail: "out tompions", etc. Also known as "Falconer's Marine Dictionary." No or few illustrations.

A Sketch of the History of British Artillery to 1815. Ralph Flenley. Woolwich. "The Journal of the Royal Artillery," Vol. 47, 1921. pp. 75.

Boarders Away, Volume I: with Steel. William Gilkerson. Andrew Mowbray Pub., 1991. Edged weapons, paintings, log extracts.

Boarders Away, Volume II: Firearms of the Age of Fighting Sail. William Gilkerson. Andrew Mowbray Pub, 1993. Muskets, pistols, small cannon, etc. Gilkerson a top marine artist as well.

An Introduction to British Artillery in North America. James Gooding. Ottawa, Ontario: Museum Restoration Service, 1965. 54 pages. Excellent illustrations and diagrams of British cannon and mortars used in North America. Some of these were also issued to Royal Navy ships.

British Smooth-bore Artillery: The Muzzle-loading Artillery of the 18th and 19th Centuries. B.P. Hughes. Arms and Armour Press, London; Stackpole Harrisburg PA, 1969. 144 p. Illustrations and diagrams on almost every page. Guns, projectiles, wheels, carriages, specialized forms of artillery. Distinguishing marks.

Naval Gun. Ian Hogg and John Batchelor. Blandford Press, Poole, 1978. 144 pp.

Artillery: its Origins, Heyday, and Decline. O.F.G. Hogg. C. Hurst, London, 1970. 330 pp.

Guns An Illustrated History of Artillery. Joseph Jobe ed., Crescent Books. 1971. 217 pp.

The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815. Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press. 319 pp. 1989. Reference book with line drawings, period engravings, and photos of models. Some of same material is in "Nelson's Navy." Mainly 18th century.

Naval Swords and Firearms. Cdr. W. E. May & A.M. Kennard. National Maritime MuseumLondon, 1962. 22p., 16 pls. 8 figs. Edged Weapons, swords, daggers, bayonets, knives

British smooth-bore Artillery: a technological study to support identification, acquisition, restoration, reproduction, and interpretation of artillery at national historic parks in Canada. David McConnell

A Treatise of Artillery Containing General Constructions of Brafs and Iron Guns ufed by Sea & Land. John Muller. London. 1780. reprinted by the Museum Restoration Service, Bloomfield Ontario, 1965, 1977. Until the 19th century British naval guns were supplied by the Army foundry, so this work describes guns used by both services. Does not have dimensions of gun designs after 1780 of course, but the information is detailed and correct. If you want to cast a reproduction gun, this will give you exact dimensions.

Arming the Fleet: U.S. Navy Ordnance in the Muzzle-loading Era. Spencer Tucker. Naval Institute Press. 130 illus. 308 pages.

Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail: the evolution of fighting tactics 1650-1815. Brian Tunstall. edited by Nicholas Tracy. 1990. 278 p. London: Conway Maritime Press; Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press.

British Artillery on Land and Sea 1790-1820. Robert Wilkinson-Latham. David and Charles, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1973, 112 p. "This book gives... a complete picture of the state of military and naval artillery, its equipment, uniforms, side arms, badges and buttons... details of various types of armaments, manufacturing techniques, and appendices in tabular form on ... weapons produced in this period."

British Naval Administration in the Age of Walpole Daniel Baugh, Princeton Univ., 1965, 557 p. ("a fascinating background")

The United States Navy: 200 years. Edward L. Beach. Henry Holt, 1986.

The History of the American Sailing Navy. Howard I. Chapelle. Norton 1949 (Reprinted by Bonanza Books in recent years.) Lots of detailed ship drawings; by an authority on traditional vessels. Chapelle the emminent American authority on wooden ship design and construction.

British Forces in the West Indies: 1793-1815. Chartrand, Rene. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996. Men at Arms series; 48 pages. Excellent, if brief.

Napoleon's Overseas Army. Chartrand, Rene. London: Osprey Publishing, 1989.

Napoleon's Sea Soldiers. Chartrand, Rene. London: Osprey Publishing, 1990. 48 pages.

George Washington's Navy. William Clark. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1960.

Histoire de la Marine Francaise. Claude Ferrere. Paris: E. Flammarion, 1934.

War of 1812 Eyewitness Accounts: compiled by John C. Fredericksen, Greenwood Press, Westport, CN & London, 1997. 328 pages.

The Barbary Pirates. C. S. Forester. Random House, 1953. 187 p.

The Age of Fighting Sail: The Story of the Naval War of 1812. C.S. Forester. Doubleday and Company 1956.

Rebels Under Sail: The American Navy during the Revolution. William Fowler. Scribners. 1976. 356 p.

Dreams of Empire: Napoleon and the First World War, 1792-1815. Paul Fregosi. London Hutchinson, 1989. 317 pages.

Campaign of Trafalgar 1803-1805 (Chatham Pictories Histories). Robert Gardiner (Editor), Roger Morriss (Editor), & National Maritime museum. United States Naval Inst. 192 pages, 330 illus. Events leading up to Trafalgar, with 300 pictures from the times.

Fleet Battle and Blockade: The French Revolutionary War, 1793-1797. edited by Robert Gardiner. Naval Institute Press, in collaboration with The National Maritime Museum and Chatham Publishing. 1996. Chatham Pictorial Histories series; many original illustrations reproduced in black and white; with essays.

The Naval War of 1812. Robert Gardiner. Chatham Pictorial Histories series.

Navies and the American Revolution 1775 - 1783. Robert Gardiner, ed. 192 pages, 300 illus. Naval Institute Press, in collaboration with The National Maritime Museum and Chatham Publishing. Chatham Pictorial Histories series; many original illustrations reproduced in black and white; with essays.

Great Battles of the Royal Navy. Eric Grove ed. Naval Institute.

The Seafarers: The Frigates. (mostly British history of Trafalgar period) Henry E. Gruppe, Time-Life, 1979, 176 pp.

George Washington's Schooners: The First American Navy. Chester G. Hearn. Naval Institute Press. 304 pp. 3 maps. 6 drawings. 1995 "In telling the story of Washington's schooners, the author brings to life the early days of America's war for independence with tales of perseverance, courage, and sacrifice. The fledgling navy's successes and failures make an exciting tale of adventure and authentic, little-known history."

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy. J. R. Hill, editor. Oxford, 480 pp.

The War of 1812 A Forgotten Conflict. Donald R. Hickey. University of Illinois, 1989. 474 p. Academics delight. More about politics and opinions than "what happened." 100 pages of sources?

Trafalar: The Nelson Touch. David Howarth, Antheneum, NY, 1969, 254 pages.

The Royal Navy and the Slave Trade. Raymond Howell. London: Croom Helm. 1987. 246 p.

The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company. John Keay. Macmillan. 1994. 496 p. One of that year's three best books by the Financial Times (London), but "fact-choked."

The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare. John Keegan. Viking 1988. Includes Trafalgar as an example.

The Royal Navy: A history from the Earliest Times to 1900. William Laird Clowes. Naval Institute, 7 volumes. 1990.
Vol. 3. "The 18th century from 1715 to the French Revolution in 1793."
Vol. 4. "From the American Revolution to 1802." 640 pages.
Vol. 5. "From 1803 to 1815." 648 pages.
Vol. 6. "From the war with the United States of 1812 to 1856." 624 pages .
"most impressive account of the 18th century Royal Navy I have read. Althought it was written at the end of the 19th century it is written in a modern style " For one volume editon

Every Man will do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts from the Age of Nelson. Dean King editor, and J. B. Hattendorf. Holt. 425 p. From officers and seamen both.

Nelson and the Nile: The Naval War Against Bonaparte 1798. Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland, 1998. 318 p. illus. By one of the leading experts on ships and naval history of the period. "... he traces the consequences of the Battle of the Nile on the world since with a sure hand." "If one had to choose just one book on Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars, this would be it."

Millions for Defense: The Subscription warships of 1798. Frederick C. Leiner. US in qausi-war with France. Naval Institute.

St. Vincent and Camperdown. Christopher Lloyd. Macmillan, NY, 1963, 184 p.

Cruisers, corsairs & slavers: an account of the suppression of the picaroon, pirate & slaver by the Royal Navy during the 19th century. Basil Lubbock

Sea Battles in Close-up: The Age of Nelson. David Lyon. Naval Institute Press, 1996. 224 pages. 190 illus. "Covering the most significant naval actions of the second half of the 18th century, this volume presents a fascinating account of the nature of naval warfare in the era of sail. The author looks at the organization and tactics of fighting at sea and then examines in detail a number of major engagements in this handsomely illustrated book."

Nelson Against Napoleon: From the Nile to Copenhagen 1798 - 1801. Robert Gardiner (Editor), David Lyon, Roger Moriss (Chatham Pictorial Histories Series) 192 pages. some 800 original illustrations reproduced in black and white. Naval Institute. 1997.

The Sailing Navy List: all the ships of the Royal Navy built, purchased and captured, 1688-1860 David Lyon. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1993.

Lords of the Lake: The Naval War on Lake Ontario, 1812-1814. Robert Malcomson. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1998. 432 pages. "impeccable scholarship" "brilliant and highly readable work" heavily illustrated.

Warships of the Great Lakes 1754-1834. Robert Malcomson. Naval Institute.

A History of American Privateers. Edgar McClay. New York: Appleton, 1894. reprinted 1977.

The Major Operations of the Navies in the War of American Independence. Alfred Thayer Mahan. reprint April 1968, Greenwood Publishing.

The Influence of Sea Power upon History 1660 - 1805. Alfred Thayer Mahan. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1980. 356 p. Now over a century old, Mahan's work is still a valid and classic analysis of the role of sea power. This book had real influence on modern naval policies. Also includes chapters on The Battle of the Saints, First of June, Cape St. Vincent, Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. This particular edition is lavishly illustrated with paintings and diagrams of the period.

The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793-1812. Alfred Thayer Mahan

The Age of Nelson: the Royal Navy 1793 - 1815. G. J. Marcus. Viking New York 1971.

A Naval History of England. G. J. Marcus. 2 vols. 1961 - .

Sea of Glory: A Naval History of the American Revolution. Nathan Miller. "This illuminating and readable book recognizes the war for independence as a maritime conflict and fully explores the struggle for sea power." Naval Institute Press, 1992. 558 pages. 28 photos. Probably the best book on the subject. Full bibliography. Combine this with Navies and the American Revolution 1775 - 1783. by Robert Gardiner for a complete picture.

The U.S. Navy: A History. Nathan Miller. Third ed. Naval Institute. 321 pages. Used as the standard text at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Britannia Rules: the Classic Age of Naval History 1793-1815. C. Northcote Parkinson. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1977; Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1987. 199 pp.

War in the Eastern Seas 1793 - 1815. C. Northcote Parkinson. Allen and Unwin London 1954. 477 p. Indian Ocean, Mauritius etc.

Decision at Trafalgar. Dudley Pope. Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1960. 381 p. illus. reprinted Owl Books 1999. "This is the best written and best researched treatment of the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson's death that I have ever read -- and I read a LOT of naval history!" (Joe Buff)

The Great Gamble: Nelson at Copenhagen. Dudley Pope. Simon and Schuster, 1972, 579 p. Judging by Pope's other works, this is probably worth your time.

The American Navies of the Revolutionary War. Nowland Van Powell, 1974.

Navies in History. Clark G. Reynolds. 2000 BC to 2000 AD. Naval Institute.

The War of the Second Coalition. A. B. Rodgers. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1964 ("makes sense of the French expedition to Egypt")

The Naval War of 1812. Theodore Roosevelt. Introduction by Edward K. Eckert. Naval Institute Press. 1987. Modern Library 1999. 480 pages. This was published when TR was twenty-three.. The fact it is still in print indicates it's importance as history, both in his day and now.

Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle. Alan Schom. Oxford. 1993. illus. 448 pp. biographies of the "principle actors in the great drama" "in depth exploring the minds of 18th Century Britons ... British politics, military development, and how these interact with affairs on the continent "

A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign 1812-1813. David Curtis Skaggs & Gerard T. Altoff. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1997.

King's Cutters: The Revenue Service and the War against Smuggling. Graham Smith, Conway, 1983, 190p.

Great American Naval Battles. Jack Sweetman. Naval Institute.

The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy. Craig Symonds; cartography by William Clipson. from 1775 to 1991. 264 p. 94 color maps. 64 photos. Naval Institute. "Maps illustrate movements of opposing forces, showing such details as placement and names of individual vessels."

The British Navy and the American Revolution. John A. Tilley. Univ. South Carolina., 1987. 332 pp. A scholarly book on the British Navy in the American Revolution (but not a single mention of Paul Jones!). A detailed factual history.

Nelson's Battles: The Art of Victory in the Age of Sail. Nicholas Tracy. 224 p. 100 illus. Naval Institute. Battles decribed, as weel as the ships, guns, and the men. Includes "technical aspects of combat and communications." Nelson's fleet battles Cape St Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar.

The Naval Chronicle: The Contemporary Record of the Royal Navy at War. Nicholas Tracy, ed. 5 vols. Stackpole 1999.
vol 1. 1793-1798. vol 2. 1799-1804.
vol 3. 1805-1806. vol 4. 1807-1809. vol 5. 1810-1815.
Extracts from the famous contemporary periodical detailing the actions and personnel of the British naval war against all enemies. From 40 original volumes.

Dawn Like Thunder: The Barbary Wars and the Birth of the U.S. Navy. Glenn Tucker. Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1963

Injured Honor: The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, June 22, 1807 Spencer C. Tucker and Frank T. Reuter Naval Institute Press. "A brief naval engagement between the U.S. frigate Chesapeake and the British two-decker Leopard over British deserters had lasting repercussions on U.S. diplomatic relations with Great Britain. " 1996. 288 pages. Glossary.

The First Salute. Barbara Tuchman. Included here only as a warning. Despite Tuchman's mastery of other subjects (the 14th century, for example) this is misleading, inaccurate, and should be avoided. Some flashes of brilliant writing embedded in confusion and misunderstanding. Calls New York Harbor "small," for example, after anchoring 100 British ships in it, and hasn't the foggiest notion of rigging or gunnery.

The True Glory: the Story of the Royal Navy over a Thousand Years. Warren Tute, Harper & Row, 1983. 288p.

The Royal Navy and the Slavers. W.E.F. Ward. Pantheon, New York, 1969

The Glorious First of June. Oliver Warner, Macmillan, 1961.

The Battle of the Nile. Oliver Warner, Macmillan, 1960.

1797: Nelson's Year of Destiny. Colin White. Sutton, 1999. 160 p. Well written, based on the latest intelligences and complete source documents. To find out what happened after 1797, you are in the right place to choose another book!

The Prize of All the Oceans : The Dramatic True Story of Commodore Anson's Voyage Round the World and How He Seized the Spanish Treasure Galleon. In 1740 The British sent out a secret squadron of six ships to seize the Spanish galleon. Glyn Williams. Viking, 2000. 264 pp.

From the Lower Deck: The Navy 1700-1840. Henry Baynham. Hutchinson 1969. 200 p. Royal Navy, "mostly from the words of the sailors themsleves."

The Mutiny on board HMS Bounty. (original title Voyage to the South Seas) William Bligh. 1792; reprint Airmont New York, 1965. 189 p.

Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail. W. Jeffrey Bolster. Havard University Press. Cambridge, 1997

Rough Medicine: Surgeons at Sea in the Age of Sail. Joan Druett. Routledge, November 2000. Not strictly speaking from the period of this list, but describes a dozen surgeons on whaling ships from 1823 to 1843. One of whom fell among cannibals and ended up being -- tattooed all over! And you thought "Emergency Room" was exciting. A highly regarded book.

A Universal Dictionary of the Marine: or, A copious explanation of the technical terms... and military operations of a ship ... : Falconer, William, 1732-1769. London : Printed for T. Cadell, 1769...1815. Reprinted several times in the 20th century, but still rare. Includes duties of officers and other members of ship's company. Often called Falconer's Universal or Marine Dictionary.

Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: A Gastronomic Campanion to the Aubrey/Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian. Anne Grossman and Lisa Grossman Thomas. A valiant effort to find, test, and present recipes for most dishes mentioned in the Patrick O'Brian novels, no matter how unusual. W. W. Norton. 1997.

Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men, and Organisation, 1793-1815. Brian Lavery. foreword by Patrick O'Brian. London : Conway Maritime, 1989. 352 p. 412 illustrations. One of the best one-volume guides to the naval setting of the period.

The British Seaman 1200-1860 A Social Survey. Christopher Lloyd. Collins, London; and Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1968, 317 p.

The Floating Republic: An Account of the Mutinies at Spithead and the Nore in 1797. G.E. Mainwaring and Bonamy Dobree. Penguin, 1935. 288 p.

The Great Mutiny. James Dugan, G. Putnam, New York, 1965. 511 p. The mutiny of 1897.

Sea Life in Nelson's Time. John Masefield. New York: Macmillan. 1925.

Dress of Naval Officers. W. E. May. London: H.M. Stationery Office. 1966.

Man of War Life. Charles Nordhoff. Prepared in conjunction with his novel trilogy The Bounty Trilogy.

Nelson's Blood The Story of Naval Rum. Capt. James Pack OBE RN. Naval Institute Press. 208 pages. 57 illus.

Uniforms of the Sea Service. R. H. Rankin. Annapolis MD.: U.S. Naval Institute, 1962.

Life in Nelson's Navy. Dudley Pope. Naval Institute Press, 1981. 279 p.

Food and Drink in Britain from the Stone Age to the 19th Century. C. Anne Wilson. (Univ. Chicago?) 472 pp.

Naval and Maritime History: An Annotated Bibliography. Robert G. Albion. Mystic Seaport, 370 p.

Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. edited by Peter Kemp. Oxford 1976. 972 pages. 3700 "articles" A.B. to Zulu. A really handy reference for technical terms, people, places, and some ships and battles. An excellent resource. Still in print.

Harbors and High Seas An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian. Dean King with John B. Hattendorf. Henry Holt, (2nd edition) Lots of excellent historical background information as well as maps.

A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales. Dean King with John B. Hattendorf and J. Worth Estes. Henry Holt, NY. 1995. 411 p. Not only seafaring words, but many other unusual terms of the period. Includes maps, sail diagrams, suggestions for further reading including lists of other major fiction on the period, and introductory essays on naval medicine of the period, and the Royal Navy. (The Navy essay has some questionable assertions: "it was far more difficult for gunners to hit the hull than masts and rigging" of opposing ships; "musket range is 300 yards", etc. This is news to muzzle loading gunners.) Still, this is a very valuable asset for anyone who does not happen to be an expert on 18th century naval terminology or medical practice.

A Dictionary of British Ships and Seamen. Grant Uden and Richard Cooper, St. Martin's Press, NY, 1980, 591 pp.

Naval Historical Center. US Department of the Navy "Mission: To enhance the Navy's effectiveness by preserving, analyzing and interpreting its hard-earned experience and history for the Navy and the American people." http://www.history.navy.mil/index.html

United States Naval History: A Bibliography. US Department of the Navy http://www.history.navy.mil/biblio/biblio1/bibli1an.htm

Naval Documents of the American Revolution. US Department of the Navy (seven volumes or more.) US Navy Department, 1976. 1463 pp. The ultimate in contemporary nitty-gritty, including, for example the two Princeton University students who went out on a spree, were shanghied aboard the Continental (U.S.) Navy brig "Andrew Doria", and carried to the Carribean. Some weekend.

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. U.S. Department of the Navy. Washington, D.C. 1959 -. vol. 1 1959. vol 2. 1963. vol.3. 1968.

The Visual Encyclopedia of Nautical Terms Under Sail. Crown Publishers, NY, paged by chapter, [no date?] ("the ultimate reference book")

A Universal Dictionary of the Marine: or, A copious explanation of the technical terms and phrases employed in the construction, equipment, furniture, machinery, movements, ... Falconer, William, 1732-1769. London : Printed for T. Cadell, 1769, ..., 1815. Reprinted several times in the 20th century, but still rare. Includes lists of duties of officers and other persons on board. A really fine reference for any enthusiast of the period.

Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-of-War 1600 - 1860 Based on contemporary sources. John Harland. Conway London 1984; Naval Institute Press 1987. 320 pages. Very completely illustrated. Full details of setting sail in your square-rigged ship, and using sail (for example, entire chapters on reefing; setting stunningsails); also tacking, wearing, box-hauling, heaving-to, and anchors & boatwork Many original and historic drawing and illustrations. Based not only on works in English and French but every major language used to describe working the full-rigged ship. Does not include military functions such as gunnery.

The Kedge-Anchor; or, Young Sailor's Assistant. William Brady. 3rd ed. New York, 1848.

The Seaman's Friend. Richard Henry Dana. reprinted 1998. 225 p. Ship rigging, seaman's duties, sea law. Written in 19th century. Dana, a Harvard man, sailed to California in 1835 as a foremast hand.

Manual of Seamanship for the Officer of the Deck. Lieutenant P. W. Hourigan USN. 1903. John Harland says "...a wonderful little book ... I depended on it heavily when working on Seamanship in the Age of Sail." reprinted 1980 by Naval Institute Press.

The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor, or, A key to the leading of rigging and to practical seamanship ... with an appendix containing several figures illustrative of novelties and improvements in rigging .... by Darcy Lever. London: Sold by J. Richardson. 1819 116 pages, plates; Second editon. Reprinted by Dover Publishers, 1999, their number 0486-40220-7. A popular manual of the times with many illustrations.

A History of Seamanship. Douglas Phillips-Birt.

The New American Practical Navigator; : being an epitome of navigation; containing the different methods of working the lunar observations, and all the requisite tables used with the nautical almanac, in determining the latitude and longitude; and keeping a complete reckoning at sea: illustrated by proper rules and examples: : the whole exemplified in a journal kept from England to the island of Teneriffe ; Illustrated with copper-plates. Bowditch, Nathaniel, First Edition 1802 Newburyport, Mass. 570p. 8 leaves of plates : illus., diagrams. Continuously in print since. Early volumes of this describe navigation of the period in great detail.

Longitude. Dava Sobel. (the Story of Harrison's chronometers) Walker 1995. 184 pp. Why does this one book on one small topic of known naval history become a best seller even among folks who can't tell a sloop from a schooner or a bobstay from a binacle, not to mention latitude from longitude? Maybe because it's that old favorite: underdog working man beats the bureaucrats and wise-guys.

Pirates and Patriots of the Revolution: An Illustraed Encyclopaedia of Colonial Seamanship. C. Keith Wilbur. The Globe Pequout Press, 1984. 100 p.

From Sails to Satellites: The Origin and Development of Navigational Science J.E.D. Williams. (Oxford?) 320 pp.

A series of uniform books each describing one ship typical of her period and type. Detailed black and white diagrams, orginal models photographed. A brief history of each ship's career. Jacket illustration shows the hull and boats in full color as originally built. Construction, rigging, sails, fittings, guns, etc. all diagrammed and named in detail. 120 pages each. Very professional and high quality, but not exactly right for casual interest!

Any of these books will provide a lot of information about the technical terms used in books about the age of sail. For readers in the Napoleonic war period the "Diana", "Bellona" and "Victory" will be the most useful. The book on the "Victory" has the best illustrations showing the ship as a whole and the names of the decks, cabins, etc., though remember this is one of the big battleships of the day, not a frigate, far less a sloop.

The 20-gun ship Blandford, by Peter Goodwin. 1988. A sixth-rate "pre-frigate" built in 1719. 375 tons. Very pretty 6-pounders.

The Royal Yacht Caroline, by Sergio Bellabarba and Giorgio Occulati. 1989. Built in 1749. Nice decorative 4-pounder pop-guns, and fine ornamental work. The ornate launch is a delight.

The Bomb Vessel Granado 1743. Peter Goodwin.

The Naval Cutter Alert. Peter Goodwin.

The 74-gun ship Bellona, by Brian Lavery. 1985. Built 1760. This ship of the line appears both on the cover jacket of this book and is shown in the cover illustration of _The Yellow Admiral_. The difference in the two color jackets is a complete demonstration of the technical versus the atmospheric. Bellona was launched with "long" nine-pounders on her forecastle (illustrated); the closest I have seen to Jack Aubrey's pet guns, and very possibly quite similar. Patrick O'Brain must have referred to this book in writing The Yellow Admiral, and writing other books as well.

The 100-gun ship Victory, by John McKay. 1987. Built 1765. Complete isometric (3D oblique) views of ship from laying the keel to fully rigged. Many transverse cross-sections, labeled.

The Frigate Diana, by David White. 1987. Built 1794, a "38" with 28 18-pounder carriage guns. 1000 tons. In 1803 the "Diana" carried Lord Elgin, his horses, and his "baggage", from Greece to London. The "baggage" included the Elgin marbles, taken from the Parthenon at Athens to London.

The Frigate Essex. Portia Takakjian.

The Armed Transport Bounty. John McKay.

Captain Cook's Endeavour. Karl Marquardt. 1981. 200 illus.

The Wooden Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy AD 897-1860. E.H.H. Archibald. Blandford Press London, 1968, 174 p.

The Heyday of Sail. The Merchant Sailing Ship, 1650-1830. edited by Dr. Philip Bosscher. Naval Institute Press. 192 pages. 250 illus.

The History of the French Frigate, 1650-1850. Jean Boudriot, English translation by David H. Roberts. Rotherfield, East Sussex: J. Boudriot, 1993. 416 p.

John Paul Jones and the Bonhomme Richard : a reconstruction of the ship and an account of the battle with H.M.S. Serapis. Jean Boudriot. English translation by David H. Roberts. Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, 1987. 127 p. : ill. ; 32 cm. Wonderful watercolor paintings by William Gilkerson and Boudriot's usual superb diagrams. Cross section of the "Richard" shows Gunroom, Wardroom, Great cabin, etc. The character of the Bonhomme Richard was unknown, except in very general terms, before Boudriot discovered plans of sister ships in French archives.

The Seventy-four Gun Ship : a practical treatise on the art of naval architecture. Jean Boudriot; English translation by David H. Roberts. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1986-1988.
v. 1. Hull construction
v. 2. Fitting out the hull
v. 3. Masts, sails, rigging.
v. 4. Manning - Shiphandling.
Translation of: Le Vaisseau de 74 Canons. These are big books. Superb, highly detailed, draftsman's diagrams of every part of the ship of the line. A stunning achievement.

The Floating Bulwark The Story of the Fighting Ship 1514-1945. Douglas G. Browne. Cassell London, 1963. 274 p.

The History of the American Sailing Navy: The Ships and Their Development, by Howard I. Chapelle, Bonanza Books reprinting of W.W. Norton, 1949.

The Baltimore Clipper. Howard I. Chapelle. The Marine Research Society 1930 (Reprinted by Bonanza Books in recent years).

The History of American Sailing Ships. Howard I. Chapelle. Norton 1935 (Reprinted by Bonanza Books in recent years.) 400 p.

The Search for Speed Under Sail 1700 - 1855. Howard I. Chapelle. Norton 1967. Lots of fine ship drawings, history, and technical analyses of what makes big sailing vessels go fast. 451 p. 136 plans.

America Sails the Seas. J. O'H. Cosgrove. Houghton Mifflin, 1962. A small boy's book but with excellent and detailed diagrams of a ship's standing and running rigging, guns, gun crew, cross section, stern construction. You might find this on the bargain shelf at the library.

Old Ironsides. W. M. Fowler, Jr. Mystic Seaport Museum, 1995.

First Frigates: the Nine and Twelve-Pounder Frigates 1748-1815. Robt Gardiner.

The Heavy Frigate: Eighteen-Pounder Frigates 1778-1800. Robert Gardiner. "...devoted to the large single-decked cruising ships armed with 18-pounder guns first introduced in the American Revolution. This volume covers the many classes designed in the period up to 1800." Naval Institute Press. 1995. 128 pages. 80 illus.

Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars. Robert Gardiner. desing, construction, armamanet, fittings, use, and comparions. Naval Institure Press, 2000.

Warships of the Napoleonic Era (Chatham Pictorial Histories Series). Robert Gardiner. Naval Institure Press. 2000. 160 pages.

History of the Ship: The Line of Battle 1650-1840. Basil Greenhill. (details?)

The Seafarers: The Frigates. (mostly British of Trafalgar period; more history than ship details) Henry E. Gruppe, Time-Life, 1979, 176 pp.

The Frigates: An Account of the Lesser Warships of the Great French Wars, 1793-1815. Henderson, James. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1971.

Sailing Ships of War 1400-1860. Frank Howard. Conway London, and Mayflower, New York City, 1979. Many original paintings and plans; lots of detailed information (guns, spar dimensions, ships' boats, frigate profiles, ships' colors on both sides at the Battle of the Nile, etc.) The bulk of this material is before 1750.

The Line of Battle: The Sailing Warship, 1650-1840. Consulting editor Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press. 1992. 192 pages. 250 illus. Glossary.

The Ship of the Line. Brian Lavery. Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, 1983 v. 1. The development of the battle fleet, 1650-1850 v. 2. Design, construction and fittings.

Nelson's Navy: Its Ships, Men and Organization. Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press 1990. over 400 illus; 352 pp.

The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. C. Nepean Longridge. Naval Institute Press 1980. 272 illus 283 pp. Technical construction details for modelers; some 200 drawings, mostly of the "Victory."

The Schooner: Its Design and Development from 1600 to the Present. David R. MacGregor. Naval Institute. 191 p.

The Boats of Men of War. Cdr W. E. May. published in 1974 by the National Maritime Museum. Expanded edition printed 2000 by Naval Institute Press; 128 pages. "...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."

American Ships of the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods John F. Millar. W.W. Norton, NY, 1978, 356 pp.

Rigging Period Ship Models A Guide to the Intricacies of Square-Rig. Lennarth Petersson. Naval Institute.

Eyes of the Fleet: A Popular History of Frigates and Frigate Captains 1793-1815 Anthony Price. Norton. illus. 298 pages

The Bomb Vessel: Shore Bombardment Ships of the Age of Sail. Chris Ware. "This book is the first to deal comprehensively with the ships, their weapons, and their strategic importance." 1995. Naval Institute Press. 128 pages. 100 illus.

The Rigging of Ships. R.C. Anderson. 278 pp. 1927 and reprinted since.

The Art of Rigging. George Biddlecombe. 155 p. brigs, yachts, small vessels.

The Seventy-four Gun Ship : a practical treatise on the art of naval architecture. Jean Boudriot. English translation by David H. Roberts. Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, 1986-1988. v. 1. Hull construction v. 2. Fitting out the hull v. 3. Masts, sails, rigging. v. 4. Manning - Shiphandling. Translation of: Le Vaisseau de 74 Canons. Superb, highly detailed, draftsman's diagrams of every part of the ship of the line. A stunning achievement.

The Search for Speed Under Sail 1700 - 1855. Howard I. Chapelle. Norton 1967. Lots of fine ship drawings, history, and technical analyses of what makes big sailing vessels go fast.

Historic Architecture of the Royal Navy. (dockyards, Chatham Hospital, etc.) Jonathan Coad. Gollancz, London, 1983, 160 p.

Anchors: An Illustrated History. Betty Nelson Curryer. Naval Institute.

First Frigates: the Nine and Twelve-Pounder Frigates 1748-1815. Robt Gardiner.

The Heavy Frigate: Eighteen-Pounder Frigates 1778-1800. Robert Gardiner. "...devoted to the large single-decked cruising ships armed with 18-pounder guns first introduced in the American Revolution. This volume covers the many classes designed in the period up to 1800." Naval Institute Press. 1995. 128 pages. 80 illus.

F. H. Chapman: The First Great Naval Architect and His Work. D.G. Harris. Naval Institute Press illus; 255 pp.

The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850. Peter Goodwin. Naval Institute Press. 276 illus.

Ships of the American Revolution and Their Models. Harold M. Hahn Naval Institute, 2000. 288 pages. history and model-building guide, photos and plans.

The Colonial Schooner, 1763-1775. Harold M. Hahn

The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War. James Lees. Naval Institute Press. 212 pp. For model craftsmen 540 line drawings and 100 photographs. Masts, rig, and sails and sailmaking.

The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815. Brian Lavery. Naval Institute Press. 319 pp.

Building the Wooden Walls Design and Construction of the 74-Gun "Valiant." Brian Lavery.

The Ship of the Line. Brian Lavery. Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, 1983 v. 1. The Development of the Battle fleet, 1650-1850 v. 2. Design, construction and fittings.

The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. C. Nepean Longridge. Naval Institute Press 1980. 272 illus 283 pp.

The Schooner: Its Design and Development from 1600 to the Present. David R. MacGregor. Naval Institute.

18th Century Rigs and Rigging. Karl Marquardt.

Buckler's Hard and Its Ships [Nelson's "Agamennon" was built here] John, Second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, London 1909, 43 p. map and illus.

Building Early American Warships. The Journal of the Rhode Island Committee for Contructing the Continental Frigates "Providence" and "Warren" John Fitzhugh Millar. Thirteen Colonies Press, 1988, 174 p.

The Sailing Navy 1775-1854. Paul H. Silverstone. US ship data and histories. Naval Institute. 101 pages.

Flags at Sea. Timothy WIlson. Including use in signaling in age of sail. Naval Institute.

The 50--Gun Ship. Rif Winfield. 128 p. 4 drawings.

Live Oaking: Southern Timber for Tall Ships. Virginia Steele Wood. Naval Institute Press. "The USS Constitution and other great early American ships were built from wood from the live oak tree... This book details the industry that developed from the harvest of these trees." 1995. 224 pages. 107 illus. Notes. Apps. Bibliog.

Forests and Sea Power. Robert Albion. Hamden Conn.: Archon Books, 1965.

There are no photographs from the period, but many very fine paintings and drawings from those times, and many accurate modern paintings.

Several recent books have many excellent contemporary illustrations of ships and battles, some of meticulous detail, for example, "The Campaign of Trafalgar;" "Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men, and Organisation, 1793-1815;" "Nelson Against Napoleon: From the Nile to Copenhagen 1798 - 1801;" "Fleet Battle and Blockade: The French Revolutionary War, 1793-1797;" and "Navies and the American Revolution 1775 - 1783."

John Chancellor's Classic Maritime Paintings. Rita Chancellor and Austin Hawkins. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. 1989

The Maritime Paintings of John Chancellor. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1984. Chancellor painted working sailing craft of Britain, including many excellent and highly detailed events from the naval war against Napoleon.

Marine Painting in England 1700 - 1900 David Cordingly, Clarkson Potter, New York, 1973, 200 p.

Ships and Seamanship: The Maritime Prints of J. J. Beugean. John Harland. French maritime artist of the Napoleonic period; from smallest to largest vessels. Harland an authority on seamanship. Naval Institute.

The Influence of Sea Power upon History 1660 - 1805. Alfred Thayer Mahan. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1980. 356 p. This particular edition is lavishly illustrated with paintings and diagrams of the period.

Classic Sailing Ships. Kenneth Giggal with paintings by Cornelis de Vries. W. W. Norton, 1988. Lovely and detailed paintings of ships from nine nations, from the 16th to the 20th century, with a basic history describing each one. The USS Constitution, Ranger, and Chesapeake, the HMS Victory, HMS Bounty, HMS Endeavour. A short history of sail, and glossary of techical terms.

Atlantic Seafaring: Ten Centuries of Exploration and Trade in the North Atlantic. Roger Morris. International Marine, 1992. Accurate and artistic paintings of historic ships in their natural settings, with several pages of history about each one, from Norsemen and Vikings through Columbus's voyages and the age of exploration to 19th century vessels. No naval ships. A truly excellent book that could not be improved for its purpose.

Peabody Essex Museum Maritime Paintings dozens of on-line reproductions of maritime paintings Go to the Peabody Essex Museum Page.

American Sail: A Pictoral History, by Alexander Laing, Bonanza Books, NY, reprinting Dutton, 1961. Many wonderful period engravings and woodprints.

Hurrah We're Outward Bound. Peter Spier. NY: Dell. Children's picture book of a merchant trip from France to New York City and back under sail. 1820. Spier's colored paintings are both charming and very accurate depiction of ships, seamen, and ports of the period.

The Star Spangled Banner. Peter Spier. Doubleday. Spier's drawings are very good depictions of naval life and warfare during the War of 1812. This children's book (with detailed historical appendix) merited an entire page book review in Time magazine when it was published.

From the Lower Deck: The Navy 1700-1840. Henry Baynham. Hutchinson 1969. 200 p. Royal Navy, "mostly from the words of the sailors themsleves."

Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837. Linda Colley. How many peoples in the United Kingdom came together for a common cause, especially during the Napoleonic wars. Yale University Press, 1992. illus. 429 p.

London in the Eighteenth Century. Dorothy George. Academy. 457 pp. (dirty, elegant, and exciting, if you could survive).

Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: A Gastronomic Campanion to the Aubrey/Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian. Anne Grossman and Lisa Grossman Thomas. A valiant effort to find, test, and present modern usable recipes for all the dishes mentioned in the Partick O'Brian novels, no matter how unusual. W. W. Norton, 1997.

A Social History of the Navy 1793 - 1815. Michael Lewis. Allen and Unwin, 1954. 465 p. Royal Navy that is.

The British Seaman 1200-1860 A Social Survey. Christopher Lloyd. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1968, 319 p.

The Floating Republic: An Account of the Mutinies at Spithead and the Nore in 1797. G.E. Mainwaring and Bonamy Dobree. Penguin, 1935. 288 p.

The Great Mutiny [of 1797]. James Dugan, G. Putnam, New York, 1965. 511 p.

Sea Life in Nelson's Time. John Masefield. New York: Macmillan. 1925.

A Gentlemanly and Honorable Profession: The Creation of the U.S. Naval Officer Corps 1794-1815. Christopher McKee. Naval Institute Press. "Compiled from official records and unpublished material, ... a unique and fascinating social history of the U.S. Navy's officer corps between its establishment in 1794 and the end of the War of 1812." 1991. 640 pages. 54 illus. "I believe it superb, as is his Preble biography."

Band of Brothers: Boy Seamen in the Royal Navy 1800-1956. David Phillipson. Naval Institute. 150 p.

England in the Eighteenth Century 1714 - 1815. J. H. Plumb. Penguin, 224 p.

English Society in the Eighteenth Century. Roy Porter. Penguin, Revised edition, 416 p.

Female Tars: Women Aboard Ship in the Age of Sail. Suzanne J. Stark Naval Institute Press. 192 p. "The presence of women on board the ships of the Royal Navy has been disregarded, ignored, and in some cases hidden for decades. This special history presents the first study of these women, from the prostitutes who swarmed aboard naval ships in port to women in male disguise who served as seamen and marines in the 18th and early 19th centuries." 1996. 192 pages. 11 illus.

The Naval Chronicle: The Contemporary Record of the Royal Navy at War. Nicholas Tracy, ed. 5 vols. Stackpole 1999.
vol 1. 1793-1798. vol 2. 1799-1804.
vol 3. 1805-1806. vol 4. 1807-1809.
vol 5. 1810-1815. Extracts from the periodical detailing the actions and personnel of the British naval war against the French and French allies. From 40 original volumes.

Food and Drink in Britain from the Stone Age to the 19th Century. C. Anne Wilson. (Univ. Chicago?) 472 pp.

"A Week Before the Mast." Tony Horwitz. The New Yorker, July 22, 2002; pp 42 - 55. 21st century writer, who knows little about seamanship or naval history (judging by his mistakes), sails on the replica of Cooks' Endeavour and finds it's a hard life. And some remarks on Cook's explorations.

Her Majesty's Secret Service The Making of the British Intelligence Service. Christopher Andrew. Penguin, 640 p. Perhaps a starting point for those interested in the historical background to Patrick O'Brian's character Stephen Maturin.

Patrick O'Brian: Critical Appreciations and a Bibliography. A. E. Cunningham, editor. W. W. Norton, 1994.

Hen Frigates Wives of Merchant Captains Under Sail. Joan Druett. Simon and Schuster, 1998. Some of whom became the effective captain when their husband became ill or died. This is based on 143 diaries - found in New England and Long Island alone. One young lady, age 15, took charge of her father's ship, including navigation, en route to San Francisco via Cape Horn and completed the voyage as planned. See also "A Brides' Passage" by K. Petroski 1997, and "Departure" (a novel) by Janet Stevenson.

She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea. Joan Druett. Simon and Schuster.

Most Secret and Confidential: Intelligence in the Age of Nelson. Steven Maffeo. British, French, and American mainly 1793-1815. Naval Institute.

The Intelligent Traveller's Guide to Historic Britain. Philip Crowl. "A magnificent book" Good guide to naval history sites.

"The Royal Navy Triumphant: The Wooden Wall of Empire," Lutz, James M. The General, Vol 23, No 4, 1987, pp.19-28.

Sea History The Art, Literature, Adventure, Lore & Learning of the Sea. With articles on maritime history, naturally, and quite a bit about marine restoration projects and tie-in historical articles, marine art, sail training, book reviews, and useful ads. US focus. Annual subscription with $35 regular membership. National Maritime Historical Society PO Box 68 Peekskill NY 10566 USA.

Maritime Life and Traditions History - preservation - archaeology - culture - naval architecture - working boats - art - yachts - no advertisements - European and American topics and beautiful photographs ($65 / year - 8 issues) c/o WoodenBoat PO Box 78, Brooklin, Maine 04616

Nautical World The Art Allure and Traditions of the Sea 741 Miller Dr. S. E. Suite D-2 Leesburg, Virginia 20175

"I am trying to find a copy of the Journal Kept on Board U.S. Frigate Constitution - 1812, compiled by Amos Evans and published by Paul Clayton in 1928."

A common question is how to find some book on naval history, often about a particular subject and printed long ago in small numbers. First try the second-hand book dealers listed above. It is a rare book indeed that will not eventually appear on these services. You can leave a request with some of them. Then try the inter-library loan service at your library. Some ILL services are very good, indeed, I have had books from US service academies sent to me in a matter of days. If neither of these works you may have to inquire of a major city (New York) or university library (Harvard; US Naval Academy). Many or most U.S. university libraries have poor holdings in naval history. There may be a few maritime museums with significant holdings that may be open to an inquiry, but I have not tried this route myself. In Britain resources are apt to be closer and much richer.

"I'm looking for some biographical information on the British ship H.M.S Racoon, which sailed along the North American Pacific Northwest coast in the 18th century."

Now you're getting into real research! What you need to do here is go to the nearest major naval research library and install yourself for a few days. No, Virginia, most information is not on the internet. There probably have been 10,000 books, or more, printed in English, related to maritime history in the past two centuries. Many survive in limited copies in a few libraries and have too limited or special appeal to ever be put online. I will try to add the names of major naval research libraries here soon. This web site began as an outgrowth of one of several pastimes at home in the evening, and now folks are asking hard questions! (No I don't have any records of your great grandfather's uncle who was mate on the "Young America.") I am not a professor of history, just a dedicated amateur reader.

Other places to look:

U.S. Navy Naval History Center (and their Web Site List).

Merchant Marine Books (sailing periods)

Nautical Research Guild

Compiled with substantial suggestions by Donald Baird, Paul Tyler, and Mike Bosworth. My thanks to these gentlemen for their help. Donald Baird, an authority on early firearms and an active student of history, provided, in 1976, the initial list of books that was the beginning of this list.

Compiled and annotated 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002

      Copyright © 2002 S. K. Wier
Reproduction, retransmission, or redistribution prohibited without prior written consent of the author. Individuals are welcome to print one copy for their own personal use.