Building The Wooden Fighting Ship

By the middle of the eighteenth century the wooden ship had reached the peak of its development in design and construction. In particular the fighting ship of the period was a graceful vessel as well as a highly functional one, and in an age before industrialisation it was undoubtedly the most complex man-made object yet built, symbolising national aspirations and, in its construction, employing the most advanced technology.
Naval ships of that period were highly valued and expensive to construct and maintain. Consequently, the most meticulous records were kept of everything concerning them, from the initial purchase of timber to the cost of the last detail of their equipment and armament. From an extensive study of these records, the authors have been able to reconstruct the building of HMS Thunderer, a Third Rate, 74-gun ship-of-the-line, representing one of the most successful types of warship of her time.
In words and beautifully detailed line drawings, especially drawn for this book, the authors tell of every stage of the building of this ship, as well as describing a naval dockyard in the 1750s and the trades and skills which made shipbuilding such an esteemed occupation. This book is not just a fascinating account of the building of a proud ship which saw active service in the Georgian navy but also a vivid and often surprising picture of life and labour in the eighteenth century.