As always in these cases, the combination of the editorial quality of Seaforth books with text by authors with great preparation and professionalism has led to the creation of a volume that, among other things, benefits from a good quality / price ratio and that it is really recommendable to those who wish to deepen this fascinating topic.

STORIA militare, May 2019

So this book is not only an exciting journey into the development of these impressive ships, but also a true feast for the eyes of every model builder

ModellWerft, June 2017

This is a fluent description of the development of the ship of the line made all the more lucid by the well chosen illustrations.

Warship 2017, reviewed by W B Davies

The book is a small study on the evolution of ships of the line , included in a specific period between 1650 and 1850. To accompany the explanations of the study , the author has used photographs of a series of scale models of ships belonging to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich addition to other pieces of various private collections.


When I received the book, I felt a little intimidated by its small size. Accustomed to large volumes within this theme, I expected a much bigger book, a book that seems impressive even in your hands without looking inside.

Big mistake on my part friends, because when I opened it and I started reading and viewing their pictures I was quite impressed ...

A book very interesting no doubt. This is one of those few books that have found the perfect balance and is already a small work of art.

-Jose Manuel Rico Cortes
Translated from Spanish

José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM

The author is one of the foremost naval historians of his generation with special skill and knowledge of sailing warships of the 18th and 19th Centuries. He has been widely published for many years and his knowledge sought by period film companies. This book therefore needs little introduction. What it does very well is provide full colour illustration of ships that have long since ceased to exist. Traditionally, books covering the history and technology of these wooden warships have required drawings and sketches, with a few colour photographs of rare survivors, such as HMS Victory, USS Constitution, and the Swedish Vasa. What the author has done is use colour photographs of models held in the great maritime museums and originally built...

The author has selected models to illustrate the progressive development of the Ship of the Line and beautifully shot images complement text that demonstrates the breadth and depth of the author's knowledge, built up through a lifetime of study. Ship enthusiasts will want their own copy of this book, but it is also a work of art that will appeal to those with a peripheral interest in the subject but will enjoy the high quality full colour images.

FIRE Reviews

As seen in...

Mariners's Mirror

As seen in...

Warship World

A great inspiration for modern modellers.

Military Modelling

This book utilises photographs of many of the best examples of models to tell the story of the evolution of this ship type, the capital ship of the day, and the epitome of British seapower during its heyday of 1650-1850.

Marine Model Magazine

This is a beautiful book right at the start... Excellently written as one would expect from such an accomplished and experienced maritime history author as Brian Lavery... The text also offers a goldmine of information to anyone interested in the capital ships of the sailing navy of the 17th and 19th Centuries.

Ships in Scale