The Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats into Ships (Conway's History of the Ship) [Hardcover]

Robert Gardiner (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Conway's History of the Ship | Publication Date: September 2001

Reaching back into prehistory and the earliest evidence provided by archeology, this volume - the twelfth and final work in an ambitious series - explores the varied lines of development from the most primitive watercraft to the first real sea-going ships.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Seven of the world's leading experts on early shipping technology, maritime archaeology and culture contribute chapters. Consultant editor Arne Emil Christensen is Curator of the Archaeological Museum of the University of Oslo and is a major authority on the Viking period. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Book Sales (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785814124
• ISBN-13: 978-0785814122
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,418,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeded my expectations, January 27, 2002

By 

A. J. Watson "Bones" (Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats into Ships (Conway's History of the Ship) (Hardcover)

Superb!
This is a highly detailed account of the evolution of boats & rafts into ships - lots of detail, drawing heavily on archaeological evidence, without any wild assumptions about the supposed shape of the boats.

This is not a coffee table book, with lots of pretty pictures and large print, but a real source of up-to-the-minute detailed info for the scholar as well as the casual reader.

What is especially good, is that each chapter is written by the leading expert in that field, using the latest available data and supported with lots of photos/drawings to illustrate points.

However, this forces each chapter into a different written style and sometimes this comes across as a little 'heavy', but most are very fluidly written.

I am very impressed with the content, layout, presentation and production of this series (I have 6 of the books so far) and I would recommend this in preference to other comparable books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats into Ships (Conway's History of the Ship), September 12, 2010

By 

Tom Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats Into Ships (Conway's History of the Ship) (Hardcover)

This is a good book and shows pictures of ships found how they were made.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Earliest Ships: The Evolution of Boats Into Ships (Conway's History of the Ship) (Hardcover)

Sientificly written book which covers the early tries of mankind on the water to the great travells of the Vikings. You should be familiar with the technicus termini of wooden shipbuilding while reading this fantastic book.