First of all, greetings.
I am starting to do a deep research for a personal project I'm working on and I really need accurate and specific info on these topic.
What did soldiers wear, eat, do when not in combat?
What did sailors/privateers wear, eat, how where their living conditions, etc?
What kind of ships were used for war and for trading? What were the ranks of the Royal Navy at that time? Basically, how was life at sea for both sides during that turbulent period? *What was the currency used at that time for both americans and british?
How was life for the average american throughout the conflict?
As you can see, I have many questions, but I don't know where to find appropiate answers for them, so I thought that I could start in here. If you people could you suggest me any books, maps, even movies, something that can help me with that, I'd be very, very grateful.
For a movie, check out Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. It gets pretty much everything right, with a few minor exceptions (who owned Valparaiso at the time, etc). Also look into Dean King's A Sea of Words, which is a naval-focused dictionary that plays off the book series that movie is based off of, and Harbors and High Seas by the same author, which is the maps for the series. You'll also want to head over to Six Frigates by Ian Toll, which hits the American side of the naval life, and The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict by Donald Hickey, for a broader look. From these, you should be able to source backwards to answer all of your questions, and they should give you a decent overview for each of the things you've asked here. Also, if you feel like purchasing a big book for just one or two chapters, For the Common Defense is an outstanding overview of the history of the US Military. Finally, don't forget to check out the AskHistorians booklist!
RN Ranks.
Commissioned Officers
Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral
Vice-Admiral
Rear-Admiral
Commodore
Captain
Master and Commander
Lieutenant
Warrant & Standing Officers
Master/Sailing Master
Surgeon
Boatswain, Gunner, & Purser
Carpenter
Master's Mate
Midshipman
Chaplain
Sailors
Able Seaman
Ordinary Seaman
Landsman
Boy 1st-3rd Class
Misc
Armourer
Master-At-Arms
Carpenter's Mate
Caulker & Ropemaker
Quartermaster & Boatswain's mates
Sailmaker & Cooper
Gunner's mate
Yeoman of the powered-room
Caulker's mate
Yeoman of the sheets
Captains of the fore-castle, tops, & afterguard