The fascination of ships and sailing is endless. Ever since the days of the first log rafts, men have been held by the lure of the sea. Here is an exciting, authoritative story of ships that is filled with scores of entertaining facts and tales of sailing, sailors, shipbuilding, and navigation.

This story of the world of ships begins with a tour of a fabulous, modern ocean liner. We are shown sections of the boat never visited by the passengers, such as the huge engine rooms which produce enough electricity to light a city of 25,000 homes, and the enormous kitchens in which 30,000 meals are cooked daily.

Then we learn all about the history of ships, and how they were built and improved upon by many varied peoples. We find out what makes a ship sail, how to find a ship's position when at sea, and how to calculate its rate of speed. We learn about all of the many kinds of ships, from the ancient Viking galleys to the modern superliner.

THE REAL BOOK ABOUT SHIPS is beautifully illustrated with many pictures and diagrams. It is brimming over with the adventure of ships and the men who sail the seas.

From the dust jacket