Steam, Steel and Shellfire: The Steam Warship, 1815-1905 (Conway's History of the Ship) Hardcover – January 1, 2001

Great reference for anyone trying to learn about the transformation of the world's navies from sail to steam in the 19th century.

I've now accumulated several volumes of Conway's History of the Ship. These have become the first references I reach for.Besides the informative text there are numbers of wonderful old photos. I've become interested in modelling the ships of the transitionfrom sail to steam, and this book has been a wonderful resource.You get details of not just the technology, but the forces driving the change. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the focus is more on British ships than American.

This is a very good general book on the period 1815 - 1905 (before the introduction of the "Dreadnought"). I thought the most interesting chapters were: 7) "The Pre-Dreadnought Age," 10) "Naval Armaments and Armour," and 11) "Warship Machinery." The text is accompanied by many black and white photos of the ships and summary tabulations of the ships' displacements, dimensions, armament, speed and machinery horsepower, and general performance characteristics.

Conway's History of the Ship is a very good series indeed, and this is, to my mind, one of the most valuable books in the series because it covers an era in naval history little discussed elsewhere, the years between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the coming of the dreadnought battleship. Fortunately, this great team effort fills the gap. Among the contributors are Andrew Lambert and David K. Brown, both authors of notable works about this period that are not currently in print. The authors cover developments with a focus on the Royal Navy and French Navy, but do not ignore developments elsewhere, and the chapter on the American Civil War will prove a useful introduction to those who may not realize what a crucible of experimentation that conflict proved to be. Other chapters cover the development of paddle warships, the steam-auxiliary ships of the line, warships built of iron, the introduction of steel as the material of choice, and the final pre-Dreadnought era. Given chapters of their own are the development of the torpedo boat, early submarines, naval armament and armor, and a very useful chapter on the varying kinds of steam engines in use during the period. The book is well illustrated with period photographs and illustrations. It would be a useful addition to your naval history library at any price.

I have found this to be one of more informative and better-written volumes in the History of the Ship series. The book is especially helpful because it focuses on a seldom-covered era. Like most sophistocated devices, armored-steam driven warships were developed over time by trial and error. Because there were few naval battles in the mid to late 19cent., many different designs and concepts arose. This book throws light on that process of "continuity and change".

Excelente!!!...great book and shipping service. Thanks a lot!

Readable and well illustrated. This makes for a nice introduction to the rapid technological developments of the period. It has a very broad scope so is not as detailed as R.A. Burt's work or Beeler's but makes for a good summary.