From antiquity to the present, these pages trace the evolution of these magnificent vessels through a detailed analysis of the great sailing ships, from the galleons of the 1500s to the clippers of the 1800s, the windjammers of the 1900s, and beyond. Hundreds of photographs in glorious full colour convey the majesty of these vessels, and the superb craftsmanship that has endured over time. Anyone who has ever sailed a boat will thrill to the crisp flap of the sail and the splash of the waves evoked by the photographs in this book.