I already own several excellent books that cover the period:
...etc.
The Command of the Ocean gives excellent tables to cover the armament, displacement, and so on. But plans, rigging, and layout are so varied that it's hard to visualize. What I really want is diagrams of rated ships and their armaments. I've found lots of individual plans for ships (designed for wooden ship hobbyists) but they're expensive (in the $90-$120 range apiece). In other words, I want lots of stuff like this -- I don't mind if they are reprints from the era as long as the text is legible.
And other books above give brief snippets from personal logs and accounts from sailors, but they are chopped up and interspersed with explanations. I really want to get my hands on some un-edited first-hand accounts of things like the Battle of the Nile, or random encounters at sea. I want to get a real taste of the language used with no context.
I hope this is all clear, and a reasonable request for /r/AskHistorians
Thanks!
EDIT: AND CHARTS! I forgot charts. If anyone knows where I might get reprints or scans of charts from the era, with soundings, etc., I'd be very grateful.
A book you might find interesting is, "The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor: Or a Key to the Leading of Rigging and to Practical Seamanship." by Darcy Lever.
This was written in the early 1800s and was used as a textbook by young officers in the Royal Navy.
It covers a lot of the technical mechanics and nautical terms used to sail and maintain a wooden sailing ship.
You can get it from Amazon.
As far as charts go, you can always use modern charts. The ocean has not changed that much. If you want to find old charts, British Admiralty Charts have been published since 1800. You can find a large collection at the British Museum, and some research might find other sources or reprints or online versions.
If you Google, "diagrams of sailing warships", you will find many including some comparative ones (but I did not see any comparative ones that were really good in a quick look).
Another book you might find interesting is "Mr. Midshipman Easy", by Frederick Marryat.
Marryat joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1806 on board HMS Imperieuse, commanded by Lord Cochrane. He served in the navy until 1830, seeing action in the wars against France and the war against America in 1812. He attained the rank of Commander by the time peace broke out in 1815. He became a Post Captain in 1824.
Marryat wrote several novels about naval affairs (he was one of the first to do so). His best known (about the navy - His best known novel is probably "Children of the New Forest" about the English Civil War) is "Mr. Midshipman Easy" published in 1836.
Marryat certainly knew his subject, and you might get a good flavor of nautical life and a degree of authenticity. You will also get a certain old fashioned or "Dickensian" (Marryat and Dickens were friends) style of writing.
If you are interested, you can find it on Amazon for free as a Kindle book, or you can buy a paper edition.
