TO HARNESS THE WIND: A Short History of the Development of Sails
By Captain Leo Block, USNR-ret.
United States Naval Institute (2002)

This concise book traces the evolutionary development of sails from the square sail of the early Egyptians, which permitted sailing only in a down-wind direction, through the improvements made by Cretans, Phoenicians, Vikings, the Dutch, the Arabs and other nationalities to create the sails that are commonly in use today. Thus, through the centuries there evolved two classic sailing rigs, the "square rig" and the "fore-and-aft rig." A description of the advantages and disadvantages of each rig are included and also an explanation of how and why each rig frequently supplemented its basic sails with sails from the other category. The text of approximately 40,000 words is enhanced by 90 simple line-cuts that illustrate the various types of sails and clearly show how sails "harness the wind."

Whether they buy it for themselves or receive it as a gift, nearly everyone who is a sailor, was a sailor or hopes to become a sailor –some 15 million Americans in all – will enjoy and learn from this little book. Maritime history buffs will find especially engaging and valuable.

Captain Leo Block is an ex-Naval officer, an engineer (M.S. degree), technical author and sailor (over 30 years), with a U.S. Coast Guard "master" license for 100 gross ton, motor and sail. His technical writings have been published in several technical magazines and engineering society transactions. In 1992 his paper won the International Appliance Technical Conference Award. His last book, Diesel Engines, a Boat Owner’s Guide to Operation and Maintenance, was published by the Cornell Maritime Press.

E-Mail us at nepa@nepa.com if you are interested in obtaining the rights for this book. Please let us know which rights you are seeking.

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