If there is an heir to Chapelle's "History of the American Sailing Navy," it is this book. The format is somewhat similar, but with the inclusion of photos in addition to plans. This book picks up where Chapelle left off, with the early steam ships of the US Navy. These are the ships of fame of the Civil War, on which little good information is avaliable. The steam frigates are covered in detail, as well as the sea going sloops and gunboats. The section on the USS Michigan does not do her justice, nor is there a lot information on the engines of the period, but this book is an important missing link in US warship design history from the USS Constellation to the steel hulled ships of the Great White Fleet. Well worth the purchase price to a person interested in period naval archecture, as is vol.2, The Ironclads, and his book on Revenue Cutters.