The ''Anatomy of the Ship'' series of books are comprehensive treatments of the design and construction of individual

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s. They have been published by

Conway Maritime Press Conway Publishing, formerly Conway Maritime Press, is an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. It is best known for its publications dealing with nautical subjects. History Conway Maritime Press was founded in 1972 as an independent publisher. Its o ...

(now

Conway Publishing Conway Publishing, formerly Conway Maritime Press, is an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. It is best known for its publications dealing with nautical subjects. History Conway Maritime Press was founded in 1972 as an independent publisher. Its or ...

) since the 1980s, and republished in the US by the

Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

About the series

Each volume begins with a general history of the vessel, as preface to a set of detailed scale drawings showing every part of the interior and exterior, from keel to masthead. Black-and-white photographs and engravings, including of

ship model Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient t ...

s for older types, round out the description. Since 1998, each volume has carried a large-scale plan on the reverse of the fold-off dust jacket. According to its producers, the series ‘aims to provide the finest documentation of individual ships and ship types ever published. What makes the series unique is a complete set of superbly executed line drawings, both the conventional type of plan as well as explanatory views, with fully descriptive keys. These are supported by technical details and a record of the ship’s service.’''Anatomy of the Ship'', Conway Publishing The ships chosen are a mix of famous vessels, such as and ''Yamato'', and less-famous ships that are well-documented representatives of their class (, ''

Lawhill ''Lawhill'' was a steel-hulled four-masted barque rigged in "jubilee" or "baldheaded" fashion, i.e. without royal sails over the top-gallant sails, active in the early part of the 20th century. Although her career was not especially remarkable, ...

'').

Classification

The series is divided into two distinct – yet broadly encompassing – categories, identified by colour coding. Firstly, those presented in a yellow-and-silver themed dust jacket relate to ‘non-motor-propelled’ ships. This group tracks the development of ship design from ''The Ships of Christopher Columbus'', through to the end of the age of sail (those designed or constructed approximately up until the 1860s), such as the ''HMS Beagle: Survey Ship Extraordinaire, 1820–70'', by Karl Heinz Marquardt. Ships thereafter, powered by steam and screw propulsion, are represented in silver-and-blue themed dust jackets. These include submarines, the Japanese World War II vessel, ''The Battleship Yamato'', by Janusz Skulski, and ''The Aircraft Carrier Victorious'', by Ross Watton.

Index

References

{{reflist Books of naval history Series of non-fiction books Maritime history magazines