This special, large format book is a beautifully illustrated panorama of some of the most elegant ships ever built. Some of the ships include: Portuguese carracks, Venetian merchantmen, Spanish galleys and galleons, Elizabethan warships, the yachts and clippers of the 19th century, and more. It covers the period from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, with an emphasis on the golden age of sail – the years of exploration from 1450-1700. The beautiful full-color illustrations are accompanied by insightful text by a leading naval historian which chronicles the rise, development and fall of the sailing ship. A must for any maritime buff, it will also be an excellent browsing book for the general reader.