Customer Reviews

The Ships of Christopher Columbus: Santa Maria, Nina, Pinta (Anatomy of the Ship)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Along with the scale fold-out plan on the inside of the jacket with folds at the top and bottom, photographs, models, and diagrams recreate the three historic, legendary ships of Columbus's first voyage to the New World. The work by the noted Spanish maritime historian is the latest in the publisher's series "Anatomy of the Ship." Other historically notable and in a few cases historically momentous ships dealt with in this series in a similar manner are the HMS Beagle and the Endeavor (Cook's ship), the naval cutter Alert, and the more generic Fairmile 'D' Motor Torpedo Boat. An inviting series for naval and maritime enthusiast. Diagrams with a detail familiar from airplane designs, and more relevantly, the skillfully-drawn, aesthetically-pleasing designs of yachts do not stop at the body of the three ships, but extend to individual designs of masts, ship fittings, flags, steering gear, tackle, the smaller landing boats, and other parts of the ships. With this bounty of detailed diagrams and illustrations of the ship parts (e. g., masts and sails), equipment, and other implements the crews would work with and handle, the Columbus voyage comes to life in a unique way.

The book covers lots of details about all three ships, but misses lots of other details, most probably because there is not enough evidence for such old vessels. Modelers with extreme ambition to build the interior of these ships may be disappointed, but in general the book is a very informative one about the general outlook of the ships. As in all such books, we have to question certain items about the restitution of the ships.

This book is for model builders or people fascinated by the caravel and the nao -- the ships of the Age of Exploration. It says right on the front that it comes complete with a 1/100-scale plan, and it was really fun trying to find it! It's there, don't worry!!