Warships - France: Books - History and Ships (1/2)

French Warships in the Age of Sail 1626-1786

The origins of a permanent French sailing navy can be traced to the work of Cardinal Richelieu in the 1620s, but this naval force declined rapidly in the 1650s and a virtually new "Marine Royale" had to be re-created by Colbert from 1661.
Thereafter, Louis XIV"s navy grew rapidly to become the largest and most powerful in the world, at the same time establishing a reputation for the quality of its ship design that lasted until the end of sail.

The eighteenth century was to see defeat and decline, revival and victory, but by 1786 the French Navy had emerged from its most successful naval war having frequently outfought or outmanoeuvred the British Navy in battle, and in the process making a major contribution to American independence.

This book is the first comprehensive listing of these ships in English, and follows the pattern set by its companion volume on the 1786-1861 period in providing an impressive depth of information.
It is organised by Rate, classification and class, with significant technical and building data, followed by highlights of the careers of each ship in every class. Thus for the first time it is possible to form a clear picture of the overall development of French warships throughout the whole of the sailing era.

Certain to become the standard English-language reference work, its publication is of the utmost importance to every naval historian and general reader interested in the navies of the sailing era.

Victory vs Redoutable - Ships of the line at Trafalgar 1805

Late in the morning on 21 October 1805, warships from the British and combined French and Spanish fleets clashed off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish coast. After a six month game of cat and mouse across the Atlantic, 27 British ships of the line engaged the Allied force of 33 ships of the line. This was a duel of skill, tenacity and bravery as captains and crews battled for mastery of the seas.

This book is an opportunity to relive the action at Trafalgar - read the accounts of sailors who were there, and who experienced the sound of scraping cutlasses and bombarding cannons at one of the most important naval engagements of history.
Understand how the guns were operated, learn about the training of crews and study the design and development of the incredible ships which dominated naval warfare of the period, as Gregory Fremont-Barnes reveals the revolutionary tactics used by Nelson to secure a victory that saved Britain from the threat of invasion and ensured British naval dominance for over a century.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - Technical Specifications - Strategic Situation - The Combatants - Combat - Statistical Analysis - Aftermath - Bibliography - Index.

Napoleonic Naval Armaments 1792–1815

There were many elements to British Napoleonic naval success but one of the key factors was gunnery. Other countries developed different naval weapons to fit their maritime strategies. The French and Spanish systems developed on similar lines, while those of the Baltic navies tended to rely on smaller craft and weapons. Holland, during this period, was part of the French sphere of influence and this had an effect on the development of its naval weapons.

This title describes the systems of all these countries as well as the fledgling navy of America, whose gunnery skills embarrassed the Royal Navy at the height of their dominance.

French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859-1914 - Design, Construction, Careers and Fates

In 1859 the French navy was at a high point, having fought alongside the British in the Crimean War and developed a formidable fleet of fast wooden-hulled steam ships of the line. But in that very year the world's navies had to start over again when French naval architect Dupuy de Lôme introduced the ironclad battleship.
The French navy then went through three tumultuous phases. In the 1860s and 1870s it focused on building a new traditionally-structured fleet in which wooden-hulled battleships gave way to iron and steel ships with massive guns and armour.
In the 1880s and 1890s this effort was disrupted by a vigorous contest between battleship sailors and advocates of fast steel cruisers and small torpedo craft, leaving France by the end of the 1890s with few new battleships (none as large as the best foreign ships) but some two hundred torpedo boats.
The Fashoda dispute with Britain in 1898 revealed the weakness of the French navy and between 1900 and 1914 the French focused on rebuilding a strong battle fleet. In 1914 this fleet remained well behind those of Britain and Germany in numbers, but taken individually French warships remained among the best in the world.

This book is the first comprehensive listing in English of more than 1400 warships that were added to the official French navy fleet list between 1 January 1859 and World War I. It includes everything from the largest battleships to a small armoured gunboat that looked like a floating egg.
Reflecting the main phases of naval policy, the ships are listed in three separate parts to keep contemporary designs together and then by ship type and class. For each class the book provides a design history explaining why the ships were built, substantial technical characteristics for the ships as completed and after major reconstructions, and selected career milestones including the ultimate fate of each ship.

Sino-French Naval War 1884-1885

This book covers the naval engagements of the Sino-French War 1884-1885, a little-documented part of late 19th century naval history. The war was a colonial conflict in which France seized control of northern Vietnam from China.
The background, operations, battles (Fuzhou, Shipu, Zhenhai), blockades (Formosa) and outcomes are all described in detail in this book.

All the ships involved, both French and Chinese, are described and illustrated in scale plans with full technical specifications. The book is profusely illustrated with scale drawings and photographs.

L'Hermione - l'aventure de sa reconstruction

Le frégate français l'Hermione de 1779 devint célèbre en transportant le général La Fayette aux États-Unis en 1780 pour lui permettre de rejoindre le camp américain dans la guerre d'Indépendance américaine.
En 2014 une réplique de l'Hermione, reconstruite par l'association Hermione-La Fayette dans l'ancien Arsenal de Rochefort à partir de 1997, est lancée en eaux salées.

Ce livre très documenté, avec des images d'archives inédites, retrace l'aventure de la reconstruction de l'Hermione, de l'ouverture du chantier aux premières mises à l'eau. C'est une vraie mine d'information sur les bois, l'architecture, la conception et la reconstruction de la frégate. On y raconte aussi les sorties en mer de l'Hermione, la vie à bord, et les anecdotes de voyage !