This is a masterly, immensely readable and totally convincing narrative of 500 years of this great and mightily important British industry In fact, this new book describes with great insight and clarity the development, growth and decline of two industries: first, the highly skilled trade of crafting wooden sailing ships; and, second, the story of the iron and steel shipbuilding industry that took its place. At one time dozens of small yards were busy building the small wooden trading vessels that were the mainstay of British trade with the world, but with the advent of steam power, and of iron hulls, the British industry gradually became concentrated in a few great shipbuilding regions such as the North East, the Clyde and Belfast.