During the early 19th Century, a class of ships called packets sailed all over the world, carrying goods and passengers at ever faster speeds. Eventually, ship designers made discoveries in hull configuration and rigging that made it possible to carry larger cargoes faster than anyone had thought possible. Thus were the clippers born, first with the special purpose of facilitating the tea trade to China, later servicing the gold fields of California and Australia. British and American ship builders competed in improving this technology, but the Americans always dominated. Their black hulled ships with snowy white clouds of sails were familiar sights all over the globe, until the steam ship inevitably replaced them.
Jane D. Lyon has produced an excellent introduction to the age of the clippers in The Great Clippers. It’s almost perfect of its type – not too long and very well-written. I learned things from this book and enjoyed reading it.
The Great Clippers requires no long review. I’m glad I bought it. Highly recommended.