The Sailing Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy - Built, Purchased and Captured 1688-1860

The Sailing Navy List is a comprehensive reference work documenting every vessel in Britain's Royal Navy between 1688 and 1860. This catalog includes ships that were built, purchased, and captured during the era when sailing warships dominated naval warfare. David Lyon's research provides technical specifications, service histories, and fates of over 2000 vessels ranging from first-rate ships of the line to small coastal craft. The book contains detailed information about dimensions, armament, construction locations, launch dates, and operational deployments. The work features extensive appendices with data about shipyards, designers, and naval administration during this pivotal period. Primary source materials include Admiralty records, shipwright documents, and official correspondence. As both a historical record and analytical tool, this volume illustrates the evolution of British naval power during an era that transformed maritime warfare and established the foundations of modern naval operations.

There appear to be very few public reader reviews available for this naval reference book. Readers value: - Detailed technical specifications and dimensions for Royal Navy vessels - Comprehensive listing of ships' fates and service histories - Cross-referencing between renamed vessels - Coverage of both major warships and smaller craft Criticisms: - High price point limits accessibility - Some printing quality issues reported in reproduced editions - Limited availability of physical copies Available Ratings: No ratings found on Goodreads No ratings found on Amazon The book appears primarily held by naval research libraries and institutions rather than individual readers Note: This book serves as a specialized reference work rather than one aimed at general readers, which likely explains the scarcity of public reviews. Most references to it appear in academic works and other naval history publications where it is cited as a source.

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🔷 The book documents over 2,000 Royal Navy vessels across a pivotal 172-year period, including detailed information about their construction, armament, and eventual fate. 🔷 Author David Lyon served as Deputy Director of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, bringing decades of naval research expertise to this comprehensive reference work. 🔷 The 1688 starting date coincides with the Glorious Revolution, which marked the beginning of Britain's rise as a major naval power under William III and Mary II. 🔷 Many ships listed in the book participated in famous battles like Trafalgar (1805), where detailed vessel specifications help readers understand the naval tactics and capabilities of the era. 🔷 The book reveals that approximately one-third of the Royal Navy's ships during this period were captured from other nations, particularly from France and Spain during the numerous Anglo-French wars.