An History of Marine Architecture. Including an Enlarged and Progressive View of the Nautical Regulations and Naval History, Both Civil and Military, of All Nations. 3 vols.

London, R. Faulder, 1800-1802. With engraved title dated 1801, and 99 engraved or aquatinta plates, some folding. 100,368 pp.; 496 pp.; 436 pp. 4to (300 x 240 mm). Contemporary calf (1 back repaired). With an old armorial bookplate, unidentified. London, R. Faulder, 1800-1802. First edition of "The most authorative eighteenth-century ship-building published in England" (Abbey). John Charnock (1756-1807) member of the Royal Navy, published not only several studies on marine history, but also this monumental history of marine architecture from the earliest time up to the beginning of the 19th century. This is the first serious study of British naval architecture and offers a broad historic overview of English, French, Dutch and other shipbuilding in Asia and the Pacific. It has been illustrated with a total of 99 engravings and aquatintas by Gray, Hall, Newton, a.o. partly also from older works by Van der Velde and others. The work includes the large folding plate of the "Royal George" and the often missing view of the "Flying Prosa of the Ladrone Islands". The last volume contains very first notes about the beginning to use metal in shipbuilding.- Occasional light spotting, otherwise fine. - Abbey, Life 331; Albion, p. 41; Cat. Nederl. Scheepvaart Mus. 752; Lowndes I, 422 ("A valuable and esteemed work"). SHIPS ; NAVAL HISTORY ; GRET BRITAIN ;