The Naval Achievements of Great Britain, From the Year 1793 to 1817, by James Jenkins, first published in 1817. Now available, with a new foreword by the publisher in a limited edition of 450 copies only.

From the modern naval novels of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian, the reader is taken right to the front of many hard fought actions during the days of fighting sail. We know that both authors drew widely upon contemporary accounts in order to ensure historic accuracy. With their added skill in written description and created dialogue, all the flavour of ship board life and the desperate struggle of winning in single ship or fleet actions is brought alive within the readers imagination.

But was there something else to assist the author's eye in seeing the condition and effect of the weather on a full rigged man of war? Was there a source for viewing the positions of opposing fleets at critical moments in a major engagement or in the quick witted manoeuvre of a frigate captain which exposed his enemy's stern to a raking broadside?

"Yes" is the answer, and probably the most important contemporary visual source is found in The Naval Achievements of Great Britain, 1793 to 1817 by James Jenkins, which was first published in 1817.

In the words of Roger Quarm of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England:

"As a record of naval events spanning a period of over twenty years Jenkins' Naval Achievements has no precedent. At no time prior to 1817 had a publisher attempted such a complete volume of documentary naval prints."
"It is the quality of the accuracy which makes Jenkins so valuable above all, and it is the pictures rather than the text to which the value can be attributed."

Fifty five water-colours were painted by Thomas Whitcombe (54) and Nicolas Pocock (1) which formed the basis for the coloured aquatint plates that are the body of this large format presentation of sea fights. Jenkins has not been reprinted since its last printing around 1830, and today it is a very scarce book caused mainly by the original volumes being broken up, so that the plates may be framed and sold individually. Today, a single plate from Jenkins sells for around £250.

Technical Specification:

Publication date: 1st August 1998, the bicentenary of Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of the Nile.

Content: 288 pages including two blank leaves as end papers. 57 coloured plates, which include portraits of Lord Nelson (after De Koster) and Earl St. Vincent (after Beechey). Of the 55 remaining coloured plates of sea fights under sail, 54 are by Thomas Whitcombe and one is by Nicolas Pocock. The original aquatint plates are in the main engraved by T. Sutherland, with a few by J. Jeakes and J. Bailey. The original copy used for this 1998 limited edition is an original Subscription Copy. It is identified by the additional two portrait plates, uncoloured title vignette, names of subscribers list and Whatman paper watermarks for the text and plates, all being 1816 or earlier. The original edition was published in March, 1817.

Origination and printing of the colour plates: The Stochastic Process is employed. Stochastic is a technology using a non screen scanning technique which produces very high density data as micro dot patterns of colour. The result is one of effectively continuous colour flow with very high definition of varying shades. Colour separation is enhanced through the micro dot not being in conflict with neighbouring elements, as one may find in traditional screen based scanning techniques. In addition to this, the scan is taken from the original Jenkins plate, thus removing the interference created in colour translation by producing a colour photo image.

Origination and Printing of the uncoloured text: Traditional black and white half tone photography is used, as this produces the best image results in terms of black and shades of black.

Paper: Mohawk Superfine Softwhite Eggshell 148gsm is an acid freematt finish paper which is very similar to the weight and colour of the original Whatman paper.

Binding: Each book is bound by hand and incorporates the french groove technique which provides added strength to the book cover hinge. The binding has gold tooling applied to the spine incorporating nautical devices as well as the title. Complete with dust jacket and green card slip case.

Patrick O'Brian said of this book:

"I think the reprint of Jenkins is quite a remarkably successful piece of book production and I send you my hearty congratulations on the quality of your paper, colour reproduction, letterpress and binding."

Author: David Steel
First published 1817, reprinted 1998 Sim Comfort Associates

Naval Achievements (13.75" x 10.5" / 335mm x 270mm).
Bound in Blue Buckram with gilt title and devices housed in a green card case.
Foreword by the publisher.

Limited edition of 450 copies only
First come, first served!
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