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Books : The 44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides" (Anatomy of the Ship)In association with Amazon.comRating:  - Revised 'Constitution' ReferenceReviews of earlier editions of this reference were very negative. I purchased the revised (current) version and could find none of the problems listed in reviews of the earlier editions. I conclude that those problems were resolved in this edition. I have placed this book on my reference shelf beside others of similar sterling quality and will use it as I construct my own model of USS Constitution. I recommend this REVISED reference for any who want detailed plans of this magnificent ship! Rating:  - Show her colors.This is an excellent reference book, especially for the modeler who wishes to enhance his kit or scrath built model by building it as it would have appeared during a specific time period. Up until now I had no idea that there had been so many Gallery changes on this ship. And, that because it was a "war ship," and no one was thinking of making it into a museum some day, its Captains would update it with the latest equipment and change its appearance according to their particular needs and desires. One thing that changed every time it was rebuilt or updated, was the colors of any paints used. I wish the author had addressed that the best he could. All in all, a good purchase and a compliment to my ever growing nautical library. Rating:  - DisappointingI waited thirty years for this book to be written. After experiencing Anatomy of a Ship's H.M.S. Pandora and Victory I was beside myself with excitment in anticipation of an in-depth disection of Constitution. Woa, was I ever disapointed. Anatomy of a Ship series hit a nadir with this publication. Compared to Victory and Pandora the scope of the drawings is limited and are not to a constant scale. Details are bunched and difficult to seperate when searching the adjacent captioning. Several drawing legends were arranged backwards, the numbers ascended from from one side of the page but the actual legends ascended from the opposite side, lots of hunting. Spelling is inconsistant "Mizzen" being the most frequent error. How much faith can one place in the natutical background, and hence, accuracy of a document when the author lables ladders as "Stairs" the ship's wheel as a "Steering Wheel" and mis-spells "Mizzen" as "Mizen"? Two photographs are grossly mis-captioned too. The history of the ship represents the typical "sanitized" version generated by government agencies, great for a dim public entralled by a steady diet of reality TV programs but not much accurate substance is presented. All in all this book is a typical example of what you can accomplish with a computer and the desire to make a quick buck over providing a product whose quality is consistent with the previous efforts of this series. Stairs, geesch. Rating: - Excellent Detailed History of "Old Ironsides"- A Difinitive Anatomy......NOT a novel. If you're looking for a romantic history--this is not the book you want. If you want a factual historical account with highly detailed drawings about all the many "restorations" of this ship--this book is excellent. I just purchased a 3.5 foot long model of the USS Constitution and I was curious as to it's accuracy--that's why I purchased this book. I'm not a nautical expert--but after seeing the many changes this ship (see? I said "ship" not BOAT:) has gone through, it made me want to find out more about the naval history of our country---and others. Did you know that the USS Constituion was not the first naval frigate launched by our young nation? It was actually the third (see page 8 of this book and verified in other books I've since read as well). I'm wondering if I should tell you the name of our country's first REAL fighting frigate (the largest fighting ship (44 guns) we had as a young nation). Read the book for the answer! This book contains many diagrams, photos, and makes you appreciate just how precious this wonderful real bit of history to us as a nation. The USS Constitution is STILL the oldest official ship of any nation which can still sail on it's own . The USS Constellation in Baltimore is NOT the same Constellation launched as the 5th of 6 completed vessels in 1797. The Constellation, although still a wonderful part of our heritage, was actually launched in 1851 after the other ship was dismantled. It is a much smaller vessel and has no parts of the original frigate of 1797. The HMS Victory, which I also have a large model of, is larger but it is in permanent 'drydock' (meaning it is kept out of water) and belongs to our former "enemy" of the American Revolution-- now our closest partner and friend, Great Britain (UK). The "Anatomy of the Ship" series is actually a wonderful cadre of books each about a single vessel. It's a great series . I would most definitely urge the reader to purchase if you are interested in the historical facts, diagrams, and detailed analysis of "Old Ironsides". In fact, one could most probably construct a detailed model of the USS Constitution just using this book. I trust this has given you some insight into the book. Perhaps I'll travel up to Boston so I can see the 'old girl' up close and personal, 'ey matey? |
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