Although purpose-built fighting ships had existed earlier, the principal characteristics of the classic sailing warship were only defined in the mid-seventeenth century, when the emergence of strong central governments, as in Cromwell's Commonwealth or the France of Louis XIV, combined with the novel line-ahead tactics to produce for the first time national fleets of reasonably similar line-of-battle ships. As the battleship became more distinct, the need for a specialized cruising ship became apparent - particularly as warfare became more global - and from this the frigate was born. Gradually during the period, myriad types of crafts were adapted for naval use and the central emphasis of this volume is on the increasing specialization of the fleet and the evolution of each ship type, down to the period when the installation of the steam engine sparked another revolution in tactics and technology.

Includes bibliographical references and index.