Ship

Author Brian Lavery is Curator of Naval History at the National Maritime Museum.

Such is his imminence as a respected maritime historian that he served as consultant on the recent film ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’, which was widely praised for its sense of authenticity. That capacity for bringing maritime history to life springs from every spread of ‘Ship’.

Lavery’s authoritatively written narrative traces the evolutionary history of the Ship from the first floating baskets through to the luxury liner Queen Mary 2 , which went into service earlier this year. In between are Viking ships, Chinese junks, frigates, whalers, steamers, all manner of warships and submarines and many more, all set in their historical context and depicted simultaneously in a wealth of accompanying photos, paintings, artefacts, profiles, timelines and technical explanations. It is challenging for the reader to stick with the chronological progression, for it is possible to turn to any random spread and be thoroughly entertained.

In his foreword to Ship, Rear Admiral Roy Clare writes, ‘This wonderful book sums up the international human relationship with the sea by tracing and radiating enthusiasm for ships and people and for today’s seafaring across the world. It will be enjoyed not least by those who have made the sea their life’s work or their pleasure, or who – like me – have had the fortune to earn a living by combining the two.’

Should you be one of those, or know someone who is, a better Christmas present for yourself or another would be hard to find.

Ship
By Brian Lavery
Published by Dorling Kindersley
ISBN 1 4053 0589 4
Hardback, 400 pages.
Price £25