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Basically this book builds a great foundation to start your hobby. I got this book before I started working on my first ship. As you move along in the hobby and get into more difficult ships, you can get additional books specific to certain skills which I would recommend. It was an easy book to read and explained things in ways that people not familar with ships can understand. It was great in giving you the basics of what tools you need to get started, what to look for in picking out a ship (especially early on as you do not want to pick one too diffcult which will dampen your spirit with hobby), definitions of many common terms, and the basics on most of the skills that are required to build your first ships. The more detailed books however, are just more detailed versions of the basic skills that are covered in this book. For anyone that is starting out, or thinking of starting out in the hobby, this book is a requirement.
I just received this book and I am very pleased with the content. Don't worry about tons of fine print and esoteric talk, just a step by step easy to follow, discussion of the contruction of a single model with side steps when needed. You can expand the lessons learned to any size model or even strike out with sxratch building some parts. A OK/
Great book for the first time model ship builder. Full for great tips and short cuts. It's worth the money just for the time you will save and the mistakes you would have made.
Sometimes I get confused with the terms used, but between re-reading and the glossary, I figure it out. There were a few things that I could have done better.
The instructions that came with it were skimpy at best. I have never built a model ship before, but I got one at a garage sale.
My only regret is that I didn't read the book before I started building the model. So when I saw this book I bought it.
It has been a great help. The book is great for the beginner.
I highly recommend the book.
I thought I learned a lot from reading this brief book (only 115 pages). Consequently, I noticed on the net many references to this book and how good it is. I am now looking at the actual model I purchased and can visualize a lot better what needs to be done and why it needs to be done in the order he recommends. Also, the overall sequence I think is flawed.
Also, my son has been really getting into the Napoleonic wars and life in naval ships, so that was an added inducement. I've modeled for years in other media (plastic, paper) and am also a woodworker, so it seemed like a good fit. The author is (was). For instance, did you know that the Vangs connected the Gaff in the same way as a Stay.My biggest two criticisms of the book is that the author used these terms repeatedly and that some of his techniques appear easy but are not.
As to the techniques mentioned, some of them were really set up to allow you to build one model after another - but I am not sure that I want to spend the time and money to build these fancy jigs when I might only build one model ship in my lifetime.Another, more minor nit, is the loose organization of the logic flow in the book. So, I bought it.After reading it, I understand much more about the whole process of building these model ships. obviously very familiar with the process and had developed many techniques that worked for him. Would those same techniques work for someone else. Over the past year or so, I've been tempted to adopt wooden ship building as a new hobby.
I suppose the use of the proper terms is a good thing, I just wish the approach would have been more descriptive - i.e. add more diagrams or a pictorial dictionary of the terms; this was started with the naming of the various sails and masts, but stopped there. At the beginning of each part, the author gives an overview of the flow. Unfortunately, in the body of the text, he then bounces around and does not necessarily follow his own order. Nor, are the terms carried through to our own day. My typical method when becoming interested in something is to read anything I can about the subject. The last two parts have you attach all the rigging and then add the various boats and their connections.
Maybe.One of the main problems for a novice looking to get in to this hobby is that the terminology of the time was unique and not necessarily logical. So, you have to put up with a fair amount of bewildering words. But, in those models that I've seen it seems like adding the stuff on the deck would be easier to do before the rigging is all attached so you do not have to maneuver around that mass of fine wires.Please do not take these criticisms as reasons not to buy the book. So, I would concur that this is a good book - although not a great one.
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