WOODEN SHIP : The Art, History and Revival of Wooden Boatbuilding

Well written story about traditional wooden boatbuilding and much more. Michael Ruhlman spent the time and effort to capture the history and culture of a unique part of Martha's Vineyard.I have visited the Vineyard all my life, often on my own boats, which included a 1959 Phil Bolger designed 31" wooden Egg Harbor. I wandered through Vineyard Haven and the boat shop intrigued by the wooden boats, butoblivious to this wonderful story.Sadly, like a lot of other crafts the cost of beautiful wooden boats limits their ownership.

Wooden Ship, the book, is a delightful and informative look at the history of shipbuilding through very fine photographs of historic ships and models, with succinct and clear commentaries. It is not encyclopedic, but it covers a wide range og history and ship types, including some little-known middle-eastern ships. I am very impressed with the condition of the book and the promptness of its delivery. My only complaint is that it is obviously from a library, and I do not know if it was de-acquisitioned or if it is purloined. I am writing the library to find out. I learned as much about shipbuilding from the pictures as the text and feel inspired to design and build my own ship.

This book is beautifully composed- just like the beautifully constructed books inside. There is a good balance between photos and texts and the photos show both the inside and outside of boats. The text provides insight into the spirit and building of the boat. It helps landlubbers like myself, to imagine the great joy of sailing and the great craft of boat building. If i could just overcome my seasickness....

Buying a book sight unseen is always hit or miss. This book was a homerun! As a builder of large scale wooden model ships, this book had everything that I needed. As a lover of wooden ships in general, this book had everything that I wanted. Many wonderful photographs with just the right amount of text. The book is such a wonderful work that the book itself can be displayed as a piece of art!

Nice coffee table book. Rather shallow from the technical point of view. Not for people really interested (or not newcomers) in the topic.

Excellent book for the interested in some history of the naval architecture. A must have. A collection book for the naval architects and the lovers of the history of the ship.

Enjoy the book arrived well protected and undamaged. Wish it had a section on Pilot Cutters. Great coffee table book.

Not that crazy about the book. A coffee table weight good for about one read.

Lovely

Husband loves this book and hopes to one day built one.

An easy read with lots of pictures, this book is a great introduction to wooden ships.