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In English
This book is devoted to the history
of a ship whose very name evokes deep historical
resonances, the frigate. The reader
follows the evolution of frigates in the French
navy from their origin in the 1660s to the mid-19th
century when the sailing wood military navy reached
an end.
The evolution of frigates may be divided into two
phases. The first phase is characterized by the use
of small two-decker vessels and of modest ships
called light frigates. This period ended around
1750 when small vessels were no longer used, to the
"benefit" of the frigate. No longer qualified as
"light", frigates then gained characteristics and
qualities that were to transform them into "modern
frigates", with guns and dimensions that increased
constantly in this second phase.
This historical study begins with a general
orientation presenting an overview of subsequent
chapters. Each chapter deals with a specific class
of frigates, characterized by the caliber of their
guns. Each chapter opens with a text that
historically and technically locates the main
characteristics of the class of frigate presented
in the chapter. Guided by this over arching
presentation, the reader can then proceed easily
through the various plans, diagrams, tables,
commentaries and notes relating to the study of
each class.
The following chapter gathers general and
comparative data whose collective elements give an
overall evaluation of previous chapters, thanks to
numerous sketches, graphs and tables which
sometimes analyze frigates in relation to other
vessels. The chapter ends with a recapitulation
that summarizes the designation and
main characteristics of 600 frigates in the French
Navy.
The following chapter deals with all aspects of the
evolution of frigates: accommodations, guns,
decorations, masts and spars, sails, etc. over two
centuries.
The final chapter gathers nearly 70 photos of
ship models belonging to the collections of
the Musée de la Marine.
The original period documents reproduced and
gathered in this book constitute a corpus that is
without equal. This study is unprecedented in the
history of French naval architecture.
Illustrations are abundant, with 106 plans of
ships, 92 reproductions of documents of
the time, 68 photos and 48 statements, numerical
tables, graphs and indexes. In short, this book is
a genuine encyclopedia of frigates.
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