Sovereign of the Seas, 1637 (ePub)
A Reconstruction of the Most Powerful Warship of its Day
File Size: 39.2 MB (.epub)
Pages: 296
Illustrations: 14 colour & 68 black and white illustrations
ISBN: 9781526766304
Published: 3rd March 2020
Sovereign of the Seas was the most spectacular, extravagant and controversial warship of the early seventeenth century. The ultimate royal prestige project, whose armament was increased by the King’s decree to the unheard-of figure of 100 guns, the ship finally cost the equivalent of ten more conventional warships. A significant proportion of this total was spent on her gilded decoration, which gave the ship a unique combination of firepower and visual impact in battle that led her Dutch opponents to dub her the ‘Golden Devil’. The vessel was the poster-child of the notorious ‘Ship Money’ tax, raised without parliamentary approval and so unpopular it was a major factor leading to the Civil War in which Charles I lost his sovereignty and his head. In that sense, she was a ship that cost a kingdom.
It is unsurprising that such a high-profile ship should be well-documented, but there are no contemporary plans and much of the visual evidence is contradictory. In this book, John McKay sets out to analyse the data and reconstruct the design and appearance of the ship in a degree of detail never previously attempted. The results are presented as a folio of superbly draughted plans, isometric drawings and coloured renderings, covering every aspect of the design from the hull form to the minutiae of sails and rigging. Each section is accompanied by an explanatory text, setting out the rationale for his conclusions, so the book will be of value to historians of the period as well as providing superb reference for any modeller tackling of one of the most popular of all sailing ship subjects.
The author and illustrators deserve recognition for making available a comprehensive, well presented and reasoned summary of the deduced anatomy and physiology of a ship which is self evidently of massive historical significance but for which only minimal evidence (none of it direct or material) survives: theirs has apparently been an extended labour of love. Thanks are due for a work which is significant far beyond its titular remit, will long occasion discussion amongst specialists, and will be valued by anybody with a serious interest in the fundamentally significant developments in warship design within this period. It is, however, a book to buy and consult repeatedly rather than to borrow, read and return.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology
Indeed, this Sovereign is a model such as the portrayed in the National Maritime Museum sitting on a table and being much admired by her conceiver King Charles I. The clue to the purpose of this book lies at the start of the 120 pages of detailed, gorgeously presented plates where it is written.
The Naval Review
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The thorough discussion of the design and construction of this famous ship mean that the book will be of value to historians of the period while at the same time providing superb reference for any model maker.
World Ship Society - Marine News, August 2020
Review by Mick de Ruyter
The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord has published Vol. XXX, No. 2, the Summer 2020
Adelaide, South Australia
The book is recommended for its extensive use of historical documentary and visual sources, as an important catalyst to debate and for the superb draughtsmanship. Enthusiasts and students of early modern warships will find this book thoroughly worthwhile.
A sumptuous production of a book to underline the extraordinary vessel that is its subject. The publisher is renowned for releasing very high quality books on naval history and this is an excellent example with stunning and lavish illustration. – Most Highly Recommended.
Firetrench
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Sovereign of the Seas was the most spectacular, extravagant and controversial warship of the early seventeenth century. The ultimate royal prestige project, whose armament was increased by the King’s decree to the unheard-of figure of 100 guns, the ship cost the equivalent of ten more conventional warships. A significant proportion of this was spent on her gilded decoration, which gave the ship a unique combination of firepower and visual impact that led the Dutch to dub her ‘the Golden Devil’. John McKay reconstructs the design and appearance of the ship with an amazing degree of detail. The results are presented as a folio of superbly draughted plans, isometric drawings and coloured renderings, covering every aspect of the design from the hull form to the minutiae of sails and rigging. A fitting tribute to an iconic ship.
Julian Stockwin
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For the expert reader this book will be invaluable.
History of War
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As featured by
Model Boats, May 2020
About John McKay
John McKay is a professional draughtsman but also an authority on the design and construction of ships from the sailing era. He wrote and produced volumes in the ‘Anatomy of the Ship’ on the Victory and Bounty and also illustrated others on the frigate Pandora and the ‘Flower’ class corvette Agassiz.
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