Resources for Naval Combat Strategy?

[Forward Observer]

For descriptive tactics using real historical events with illustrations, this book would seem to be a good buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Warfare-...117484-8218553

There is another book with the same title by a different author also, but nobody has reviewed it so I don't know how good it is:

http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Warfare-.../dp/0785814264

You will note that there 5 pages of associated books on the subject at Amazon, so I'm sure you can find something reasonably priced to fit the bill.

At one time I was into the modeling of such ships, and have quite a few books related to that aspect, but they all have sections explaining how the various components of such ships work, including the deck furniture, sails, and rigging. Still, I've ordered the first book on the list anyway because the reviews seem to rate it pretty highly.

Of course you could read all the Patrick O'Brien books and by the end you might absorb the tactics, but they are a damn hard read if one is not at least a little familiar with the language and technology of a mariner for the period covered.

Cheers