Osprey New Vanguard 42 : British Napoleonic Ship-of-the-Line

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars encompassed a period when rival European fleets vied for naval supremacy, and naval tactics were evolving. The British Royal Navy emerged triumphant as the leading world sea power, and the epitome of Britannic naval strength was the Ship of the Line. These 'wooden walls' were more than merely floating gun batteries. They contained a crew of up to 800 men, and often had to remain at sea for extended periods. This meant they needed to hold a vast array of stores, from powder, shot and spare rigging to flour, cheese and rum. These complex vessels were also the largest man-made structured produced in the pre-Industrial era, and the complex arrangement of masts, spars, sails and rigging was a technical marvel, designed to gain the greatest thrust possible from the wind. The aim is to explain how these vessels worked, how they were manned and how they were fought. The reader will be made aware of the layout if a British ship of the Line, and will have the complexities of sailing and weapons systems explained in clear and concise terms. Text by Angus Konstam with illustrations by Tony Bryan.

Contents

• Introduction
• Design and Development
• Operational History
• The Fleet
• Colour Plate Commentary
• Bibliography
• Index