The Wooden World: An Anatomy of the Georgian Navy

The Wooden World: An Anatomy of the Georgian Navy by N.A.M. Rodger, first published by Williams Collins (1986), and in paperback by W.W. Norton (1996).

A comprehensive study of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. It is not a history of the war, but a complete analysis of life in the RN during that period. Chapters cover sea life, both at sea and ashore, shipboard life itself, victualling and health, ratings' careers, manning, discipline, and politics.

Excellent scholarship, and very readable for the layman. Fascinating appendices with statistics on sea time, origins of ships' companies, rates of desertion, rates of turnover, age of ships' companies, wives, remittances, veneral disease, manpower, etc. Interesting to note that during this period, the average sea time for 1st and 2nd rate ships was only 23%! Smaller ships, 5th & 6 rates and sloops spent half their time at sea.

Thanks for the update. I've added it to the non-fiction section of the site

Yes, this is an excellent book; Rodger manages to convey a good deal of information in a very readable format.