Fighting Ships of the Far East (1) adds enormously to the hitherto small corpus of knowledge about a fascinating and little known subject. Using detailed descriptions, accurate cutaway plates and reliable historical examples, this book covers the history of Chinese ship design and naval warfare from the beginning of the Han dynasty to the first few years of the Ming dynasty. The epic battle of Lake Poyang in in 1363, won by the man who was to become the first Ming Emperor, is also detailed.

Introduction · Fighting Ships and Naval Warfare in the Ancient and Medieval Far East· Techniques and Types of Chinese Ships and Shipbuilding · The Chinese Fighting Ship · The Chinese Fighting Ship in Action · A case study of Chinese Fighting Ships · Southeast Asian Warships · Suggestions for Further Reading· Colour plate commentary · Index