A GOODLY SHIP: The Building of the...
A GOODLY SHIP: The Building of the Susan Constant by Peter H. Spectre and David Larkin (Houghton Mifflin: $15.95). The largest of the three ships that left London in 1607 carrying the settlers who would found Jamestown, the Susan Constant was not even as large as some modern yachts (overall length, 116 feet; net weight, 120 tons). In words and well-chosen photographs, Spectre and Larkin document the construction of an authentic recreation of the ship in 1989-90, using traditional ship-building techniques. The authors also explain how the details of construction enabled the ship to withstand the stresses and strains of a transatlantic journey. The new Susan Constant is both an evocative bit of history and a thing of beauty in its own right.
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