Warships of the World to 1900

Warships of the World to 1900 is a spin-off from Lincoln Paine’s Ships of the World: An Historical Encyclopedia, which Library Journal described as “clearly the most fascinating book of the year” and the New York Public Library named one of the best reference books of the year.

Warships of the World to 1900 traces the history of naval warfare through the stories of more than two hundred of the most famous and important fighting ships, from the earliest triremes and Viking longships to the Mary Rose, Wasa, Bonhomme Richard, HMS Victory, USS Constitution, USS Monitor, and Mikasa.

Each ship is described in a vivid short essay that captures its personality as well as its physical characteristics, construction, and history, from the drawing board to the scrap yard or museum. Paintings and photographs show the grandeur and grace of these vessels that helped shape world events. An introductory essay, maps, and a chronology offer the reader a global perspective on the course of naval history from antiquity to the present.