By the late eighteenth century, Britain was the pre-eminent naval power in the world but faced competition from French militarisation following the Revolution of 1789, forcing the Royal Navy to construct hundreds of new ships over a short period. The Elements & Practice of Rigging & Seamanship provides extensive instructions on how to prepare a ship for sail and the basics of seamanship and naval tactics. It is heavily illustrated with engraved plates and moveable diagrams and covers everything from mast- and sail-making to rigging and rope-making. There are also illustrated comparisons between various British ships to other European ships as well as to Chinese and Polynesian sailing vessels.