HMS Victory Manual 1765-1812: An Insight into Owning, Operating and Maintaining the Royal Navy's Oldest and Most Famous (Owners' Workshop Manual) Hardcover – April 1, 2012

Although Haynes' maritime books tend to be a mixed bag, this is among the best of the (many!) Haynes manuals I've purchased over the last few years. Although Peter Goodwin has written a number of classic books on the fitting and sailing of English men-of-war, he takes a more relaxed and visually attractive approach this time. This book would make a fine introduction to anyone getting interested in the "how stuff works" aspect of the Age of Sail. Thankfully, it doesn't dumb down the subject matter either, with plenty of authentic nautical jargon for us naval geeks.It's also very well done on a visual level. There are a large number of color photographs of "Victory" as she appears today in Portsmouth, England, including areas of the ship usually off-limits to tourists. There are some excellent photographs of modern square-rigged ships "in action," along with some very nice paintings. Finally, there are quite a few nicely detailed plans and diagrams by John McKay, which don't appear in his "Anatomy of the Ship" book on the ship.The fun thing is that this book actually takes the "workshop manual" moniker seriously, and includes a large number of step-by-step procedures written in the present tense. Goodwin describes how to rig a temporary rudder, raise and lower anchors, prepare a cannon for firing, remove and refit the capstan, use the portable forge, tack, and wear ship, and get the ship ready for sea. I know the entire idea of a warship captain whipping out a repair manual in the middle of a battle is utterly ridiculous, but I think the approach adds to the charm here. The only thing that "kills my immersion," so to speak, is the inclusion of a few screenshots from the movie "Master and Commander." Not a big deal, but they kind of a stick out like a sore thumb.

You want to know how they made the Victory and how it was run, rather than its history? This is the book for you. Have your dictionary of nautical terms next to you, because you'll need it. You still get a brief history of the naval battles she took part in, and of course, her spell under her most famous commander, but it's the nitty gritty stuff that makes it interesting - like the huge furnace/forge she carried - and the miles of rigging - and where they stored the gunpowder and so on, that makes the such a readable little book. I loved it.

I plan to build a small plastic model of HMS Victory and wanted something with the colors and pictures.This is certainly that and will fill the bill for the model building. It also includes the instructions on how to fire the guns, work the pumps, and to sail the ship. I have never found some of these details anywhere else. It is a rather unique book.So if you need some good photos and details this is a the book. If you are a person who dreams of commanding a ship then this is the book for you as it tells you how to sail HMS Victory and even detailed lists on supplies.If you are looking for every detail of the construction and forms of HMS Victory this has some of the information but not all.I truly like this book and am glad to have it for both my next model project and to read.

I was not really sure what to expect from this book even after visiting the Haynes website and viewing the table of contents and a few select pages. I own a large model of HMS Victory and wanted a book describing it in some detail. This book is exactly what I was looking for. It is well illustrated and the cut a way views excellent. Descriptions are clear and photographs outstanding. Can easily recommend it!

This book blends the best of both words. I first passed this book up as just another Victory title. Glad I didn't. The author has 'been there, done that' when it comes to tall ships. What this volume excels in is the quality, view and selection of color photos. These go a long way in assisting modelers in color selection. The narrative follows in the Haynes tradition of - 'how do you do that'. The further reading section is also useful in filling in areas limited by space in this book. Trusting Haynes will do a USS Constitution volume soon.

This book is just the thing for those who have an interest in the HMS Victory First rate ship.There is a lot of useful info. in the book.The content is presented in an interesting way, as you might expect from Haynes publisher.I would recommend the book.The cutaway illustrations are well done too.

il libro e' molto bello con bellissime illustrazioni ,peccato pero' che ci sia un difetto, pero' solo da parte mia e purtroppo e' che non conosco l'inglese. ma ripeto e' solo una mia colpa e mancanza. ripeto il libro e' bellissimo e molto utile per modellisti come me.

Brought this as a present for my father ( these Haynes manuals are great for dads) and he loved it ! all the pages are high quality and not the usual paper they use. lots of photos cutaway drawings ect, Loads of stats and facts about building / fighting and sailing.Hes gonna get a few more of these , because their so good , Spitfire , Hurricane.So in the future if you hear someone say i never know what to buy ,so and so because hes a bloke , HAYNES MANUELS , you've been told .

HMS Victory Manual 1765-1812: An Insight into Owning, Operating and Maintaining the Royal Navy's Oldest and Most Famous WarshipI am building a model of the HMS Victory. This book is a treasure trove of details and photographs. It is exactly what I was looking for to get information for my model. The price is very reasonable, and the format is perfect. If you need detailed information for your model of the HMS Victory, buy this book. Message to Haynes - I hope you have more of these books in the works!

Aparentemente es un compendio para modelistas, pero tiene muy poquitos planos y dibujos. Me ha defraudado. Es infinitamente mejor el libro de "Anatomy of the ship" de Peter Goodwin

Speziell für Modellbauer ein sehr interessantes Buch. Es zeigt viele Details die auf Plänen oft fehlen. Witziger weise ist das Buch teilweise geschrieben wie eine Reparaturanleitung für Autos oder Motorräder.