And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Something here makes me want to sing, "Rule, Britannia..."
That probably took hundreds of hours to build and rig. More, if it was scratch-built.
"4th rate" is a term of naval precision, like battleship vs. cruiser vs. destroyer vs. frigate. It's not a commentary on its value IRL or the quality of the build (which appears to be superb). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth-rate
I'd suggest any of the literary works of Alexander Kent or Patrick O'Brien. Or even the virtuoso piece by Stephen Biesty, Man Of War: https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Man-War/dp/156458321X/ref=asc_df_156458321X?
In my college library I found a two-volume set of books ("The Seventy Four Gun Ship) about the design and construction of a French warship of the late 18th century. I lusted after those books but unfortunately they were written in French. Years later I discovered a later 4-volume set, in English, published by the U.S. Naval Institute. Phenominal. They explain that the royal government would send out timber cruisers to identify trees whose natural curves would yield useful timbers. Those trees would be marked as royal property and there were "penalties" for molesting them. The books have very detailed and complete drawings. I once encountered (at some kind of show) a guy who'd built a model based on those plans. (BTW, does it hit a discordant note with you, to see a sailing ship modeled without sails? Like portraying a bird without wings.) The books also discuss the naval establishment - recruiting and training. (They were teaching midshipmen calculus, way back in those days.) Provisioning, etc. Wonderful books.
Maybe the builder isn't completely finished yet. ;) The trick isn't cutting and rigging handkerchief material as sails, it's hand-sewing in all the reef points on each piece.
"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"
ReplyDelete4th rate: 48 guns on two decks.
ReplyDeleteI think you're missing the point of the beauty and craftmanship that went into the model.
DeleteHow do you figure?
DeleteThat probably took hundreds of hours to build and rig.
More, if it was scratch-built.
"4th rate" is a term of naval precision, like battleship vs. cruiser vs. destroyer vs. frigate. It's not a commentary on its value IRL or the quality of the build (which appears to be superb).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth-rate
I'd suggest any of the literary works of Alexander Kent or Patrick O'Brien.
Or even the virtuoso piece by Stephen Biesty, Man Of War:
https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Man-War/dp/156458321X/ref=asc_df_156458321X?
Aesop, I'd recommend you add the works of Dudley Pope to that list.
DeleteI will seek them out the next time I'm at a used book store.
DeleteThanks for the tip.
Frigate?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Madonna in the painting doing? It looks like she’s holding the ghost of an owl while looking at a fish.
ReplyDeleteIs that the Terror?
ReplyDeleteIn my college library I found a two-volume set of books ("The Seventy Four Gun Ship) about the design and construction of a French warship of the late 18th century. I lusted after those books but unfortunately they were written in French. Years later I discovered a later 4-volume set, in English, published by the U.S. Naval Institute. Phenominal. They explain that the royal government would send out timber cruisers to identify trees whose natural curves would yield useful timbers. Those trees would be marked as royal property and there were "penalties" for molesting them. The books have very detailed and complete drawings. I once encountered (at some kind of show) a guy who'd built a model based on those plans. (BTW, does it hit a discordant note with you, to see a sailing ship modeled without sails? Like portraying a bird without wings.) The books also discuss the naval establishment - recruiting and training. (They were teaching midshipmen calculus, way back in those days.) Provisioning, etc. Wonderful books.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the builder isn't completely finished yet. ;)
DeleteThe trick isn't cutting and rigging handkerchief material as sails, it's hand-sewing in all the reef points on each piece.