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It is the best.
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BACK COVER
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Master seaman, shipbuilder and nautical chronicler Charles G. Davis here charts an anecdotal, highly personal course through our rich nautical history. Written in a style both entertaining and informal through which bubbles as genuine love of sailing vessels and sea lore, American Sailing Ships evokes the very feel of salt spray and rolling decks.
In nearly 140 photographs, prints and plans (most drawn by the author, an accomplished marine architect), you'll find a first-rate cross-section of a wide range of sailing ships from the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. Here too is knowledgeable discussion of ship size, design, proportion, rigging details and more. Included are:
Block Islanders
Quoddy boats
Chebacco Boats
Pinkys
Fishing Schooners
Clippers
Packet Ships
Bugeyes
Oyster Luggers
Frigates
... and others
American Sailing Ships offers lively discourse on shipbuilders such as 18th century American designer Joshua Humphreys, whose frigates had no equal among the sailing men-of-war of any other nation; illuminating insights regarding crews, chains of command and life at sea; an account of how the Gloucester-built chebacco boat Fame earned the right to that name as a privateer during the War of 1812, outsailing and capturing vessels ten times its weight; and much more.
Davis's classic work is sure to intrigue sailing enthusiasts, historians, Americana buffs and model builders. American Sailing Ships, here in its first popularly priced paperback edition, promises the imaginative reader an unforgettable taste of seafaring excitement.
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Reviewers comments:
Charles Davis wrote this book in 1929. He especially loved building models. So much so, that he went to sea and sailed around Cape Horn for the fun of it, and to learn more about these vessels. Davis was a man who knew the sea, knew boats, and loved them both. His knowledge was precious and I'm grateful he passed it on to us.
I would liken this book to a modern book about fighter aircraft written today. At the time he wrote the book, the use of sailing craft for merchant purposes was passing away. The time was ripe for a book of this nature.
This book is 196 fact filled pages. Have you ever wondered how many men were on a gun crew of a frigate? What their positions and responsibilities were in battle? This book will tell you.
I was pleased with the drawings, which were excellent. They had nice detail. I was suprised that I could not find fault with any of them! The photographs of ships in the water, on the hard, and models were excellent and added perspective to the included line drawings. The book includes over 140 drawings and photographs.
Davis included useful descriptions of the deck layout, and many rigging details, weight of anchors, and information on the spars.
What I liked best were his stories about the various ships like the then famous "Black Ball" Line of packet ships, which were the first ever to sail regularly on the 1st and 16 of every month between New York and Liverpool. His descriptions of life aboard fascinating reading, written by a man knew what he was talking about relating his personal experiences. He brought the times back to life!
He also included some fun stuff like sea chanteys. "The words of each line of the song are made up by the chanteyman with no sense whatever, so long as the last word of each couplet harmonizes." says Davis. The Yo-o-o-o-o being drawled out with the "Ho" sharp and crisp.
Solo: Oh the cook he's mixing up his bread!
Chorus: Yo-o-o-o-o-ho, heave the man down!
Solo: An when you it eat it yo'll drop dead!
Chorus: Yo-o-o-o-o-ho, heave the man down!
Solo: Oh the old man's a going for to shoot the sun.
Chorus: Yo-o-o-o-o-ho, heave the man down!
Solo: Ay' this here old topsail it must weigh a ton.
Chorus: Yo-o-o-o-o-ho, heave the man down!
I think anyone would enjoy this book. It has details for the model builder, lots of great pictures, and fun stories for everyone.
If you have ever sailed or wanted to sail on a ship rigged vessel. You owe it to yourself to buy this book. It is one of a handfull of books on the subject with really useful information.
Smooth Sailing!
Bart Senior
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The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses is 6 1/2" by 5 1/2", and has just ninety-five pages with big print. There are many photographs (a lot of these by the author), and many of the line drawings that Walker does so well. This book is NOT a plan book or a "how to "book. It is intended to inspire readers to build their own tiny dwellings, and to show (by example) how other people have gone about this rewarding task. Mr. Walker makes the point, and rightly so, that building a tiny house is easy enough that most people can do it.
Many of Walker's ddrawings show the furniture arrangements of the little houses. I found this feature of special interest. With tiny houses (or "Minicabins") thrifty use of space, through arrangement of what is IN that space, can make a large difference in comfort.
Walker presents seventeen mini marvels, ranging in size from 124 square feet (the "Frontier Cabin") to 26 square feet ("Poetry House", a converted privey!). Each tiny house is illustrated with photograph(s) and line drawings along with text and arrows pointing to unique features of construction. Although there is not enough detail given to exactly duplicate any of the houses, most anyone with a little knowledge of basic building techniques could build a tiny house pretty close to any illustrated.
Of special interest to many readers will be Walker's presentation of Henry Thoreau's famous cabin. Unlike most modern carpenters who start by a trip to the lumberyard, Thoreau started by borrowing tools and heading for the woods! The framing studs and rafters were hewn from young pine trees cut in the woods. In his "simple living" fashion Thoreau flattened or squared ONLY as much of a tree as was necessary, even leaving the bark on the tree for the unworked part! Thoreau made his own shingles for covering the outside walls and roof. At a cost of $28.12 1/2 the cabin was a bargain even in 1845. Using the same building/recycling techniques as Thoreau used, the same house could be built in our present day for just about the same cost! Brief framing details as well as furniture placement are illustrated by Mr. Walker.
A number of the houses featured are two-story, or have sleeping lofts. It is interesting to see how various builders have dealt with the problem of access to, and use of, this "high space". Some of the little monoliths were obviously designed and built with great planning and care to be both utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing, such as the adorable studio built by architect and amateur shipwright David Minch. Othere are strictly utilitarian, like the "ice fishing shanty."
If you have an interest in building a small house, guesthouse, or even a children't playhouse, you will find this book helpful. It also makes a nice "coffee table book". Rather than the usual oversized encyclopedia-wanna-be, that takes away space you need for the cinnamon rolls, try this tiny treat on your guests. They will be fascinated, and won't have to put "Tiny" down as they sip their latte' and munch their Danish!
We live in a small home (900 sq. ft 1800's cottage) by California standards and are designing an equally small newer home geared for us as we age.
But it is charming and charming books belong in my life.
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