American Merchant Ships 1850 - 1900, by Frederick C. Matthews. 399 Pages. Softbound. This classic two-volume study by a famous marine historian is one of the most revealing documents of the great age of sailing. It recounts in a finely detailed narrative the histories of 322 late 19th century merchant vessels depicted in a stirring series of photographs and works of art with 64 ship captains peering forth from an imposing gallery of portraits. This book is both a work of great scholarship and enormous appeal. It is filled with information and factual data about the ships, but is interesting enough to be a wonderful browsing book. With the first-hand accounts of human drama aboard the vessels and countless other stories, you will not be able to put this book down. UNAVAILABLE (BK-1012)