Children's Fiction, Family

Great Ships

Name: Great Ships
Author: Patrick O'Brien
ISBN: 9780802777164

by Patrick O'Brien

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Overview

Here is a collective "biography" of the greatest ships the world has ever known. Since the time people first ventured into the oceans in their primitive boats and rafts, the sea has been a source of adventure, travel, exploration, and glory. Countless vessels have traveled the seas-ships of all shapes and sizes-carrying hopes and dreams, conquerors and pilgrims, traders and explorers. Their names and their stories, carried down through history, remain as vibrant and alive as the people who sailed them. Patrick O'Brien profiles twenty of the world's greatest ships, including the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria; the Mayflower; Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge; the Bounty; "Old Ironsides"; the Amistad; the Monitor; the Titanic; and a fleet of others. These are ships that have made their mark through triumph, through tragedy, or sometimes simply by being in the right place at the right time. Patrick O'Brien's in-depth research and unparalleled skill with a paintbrush bring them to life on the page. Climb aboard and experience some of the magic and excitement that made these ships the greatest in maritime history.

Synopsis

Parent Council Reviews

Through history, ships and ship building have played key roles in the development of nations. Author Patrick O'Brien reveals his mastery in illustrating historical ships in this lovely volume. His love for these amazing feats of human engineering will delight young and old. Twenty ships are pictured and explained, from the Viking Gokstad and the huge Chen Ho treasure ship to the Mayflower and the Titanic. A wonderful gift idea. 2001, Walker and Company, $16.95. Ages 10 to 12. Reviewer: A. Braga SOURCE: Parent Council, September 2001 (Vol. 9, No. 1)

About the Author, Patrick O'Brien

Patrick O'Brien is the author and illustrator of nine books for children. Mr. O'Brien lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and son.

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Editorials

From The Critics

Children's Literature

Beginning with the Viking Gokstad of a thousand years ago and progressing through to the modern U. S. Navy Enterprise, O'Brien has presented impressive illustrations and brief histories of seventeen significant ships. A full color painting of each ship at a crucial point in its history is faced with a page of informative text, accompanied by a diagram drawing of the ship and a small supplementary picture. Ships from China, Spain, England and the United States are represented. Some have historical significance, such as the Mayflower, and some were involved in major war battles, such as the Bismarck. The endpapers feature diagrams of the ships drawn to scale for comparison of the great differences in their sizes. A good introduction to seafaring vessels. 2001, Walker, $17.85 and $16.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer

School Library Journal

Gr 3-8-O'Brien tells the stories of 17 of the world's most illustrious vessels (or groups of vessels). Delivered in a more or less chronological order, the text offers brief information about each of the celebrated ships, describing the events or sea captains that made them famous. The author includes accounts of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge, Columbus's trio of Spanish caravels, and the disaster-destined Titanic. A double-page spread is devoted to each story, with a dramatic watercolor-and-gouache illustration on the left and history on the right. Spot-art outline drawings and a painting or map also decorate each spread. While there is no table of contents or index, the last spread is devoted to a few lines about the fate of the individual ships. The endpapers are decorated with line drawings of all the ships, depicting their comparative size. O'Brien has combined his fascina- tion for the topic with his background in naval architecture to create a captivating and beautiful volume for any collection.-Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Children with even a hint of the sea in their blood will pore wide-eyed over this album of dramatic ship paintings. O'Brien (Megatooth, p. 804, etc.) selects more than 20 vessels, ranging from the thousand-year-old Gokstad Ship to the nuclear carrier Enterprise, pairing several paragraphs of historical background for each to large, precisely detailed portraits. Drake's Golden Hind sails away from a burning Spanish victim; Admiral Cheng Ho's mammoth "Treasure Ship" glides by grandly; the Constitution dukes it out with the Guerriere, the Monitor with the Virginia, the Bismarck with the Hood. The clipper ship Flying Cloud seems to fly over the waves, while the Amistad and the Mayflower struggle, the Titanic sinks, and the Maine, well, blows up. O'Brien adds occasional human figures to show young viewers just how astonishingly small some of these renowned craft were, then finishes up with a note about each ship's current whereabouts. Armchair sailors will line up to come aboard. (Nonfiction. 8-11)