British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792 (WINFIELD, Rif)

British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792

The new Hanoverian dynasty that came to power with the accession of George I in 1714 inherited the largest navy in the world. In the course of the century, this force would see a vast amount of action against nearly every major navy, reaching a pinnacle of success in the Seven Years War, only to taste defeat in the American Revolutionary struggle when it faced the combined navies of France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the rebellious colonies themselves. Considering the contribution to history of these ships, there is surprisingly little readily available on their careers. Now this gap is comprehensively filled by this superb reference book, outlining the service history of every ship, built, purchased or captured, that fought for the Royal Navy in the great wars of the eighteenth century - well over 2000 vessels.

The book is organised by Rate, classification and class, with outline technical and building data, but followed by a concise summary of the careers of each ship in every class. This information includes:

• dates of commissions

• major refit periods (with costs where known)

• changes of captain

• the stations where they served (and when)

• details of any noteworthy actions in which the ships took part.

It enables anyone to follow up a casual reference to any warship, and will provide the researcher with a solid core of information on which to base further study. Specially commissioned general arrangement drawings depict the most significant classes, while contemporary prints and drawings illustrate the wide variety of service required of naval vessels in these wars.

With nothing remotely like it in print, this is a work of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the greatest navy of the eighteenth century.