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This book was originally published as two, the first looking at the frigates, the second looking at smaller ships.
The frigates are the more familiar topic, often featuring in accounts of the actions of the larger ships, or of the clashes between individual ships (especially during the War of 1812). The smaller ships performed many of the same roles as the frigates, along with a range of more specialized roles, including post ships and fast messengers, bombardment vessels and experimental designs.
Henderson has some interesting material on the more unusual smaller ships to see service with the navy, including the Wolverine, a small merchant ship that was designed to allow her guns to be moved from side to side, allowing her to carry a smaller number of much larger guns.
The two books contain a fascinating collection of tales of adventure on the high seas, and would appeal to fans of Hornblower, as well as being a useful work of naval history.
Chapters (Frigates)
1 - The Frigates
2 - Success Story
3 - Mutiny and Retribution
4 - Invasion
5 - The East India Station: The Far East
6 - The East India Station: Bay of Bengal
7 - Inglorious Defeat
8 - Successful Defeat
9 - The Young Star-Captains
10 - The Last Viking
11 - Prize Money
12 - Squadron Action
13 - The Big Frigates
14 - Challenge Encounter
15 - South Pacific
16 - Shipwreck
Chapters (Sloops and Brigs)
1 - The Ships
2 - The Men
3 - First Blood
4 - The Young Viking
5 - Heroes Before Agamemnon
6 - Shipwreck
7 - Jane's Brother
8 - The VIPER has Fangs
9 - The Hirelings
10 - The Mails Must get Through
11 - The WOLVERINE
12 - Mutiny
13 - Commander Maurice and His Unsinkable Sloop
14 - The ARROW and the DART
15 - The DART
16 - The Hard Way to a Commission
17 - The PELICAN
18 - The Hornet
19 - A Swarm of Wasps
20 - The Last Shots - Tragedy of Errors
Appendices
I - Effect of cannon-fire on wind
II - Effect of the war on American trade
III - Elucidation of Sloop names
Author: James Henderson
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 376
Publisher: Pen & Sword Maritime
Year: 2011 edition of 1970 and 1972 originals