EARLY AMERICAN BOATS

Early or later, these are the boats that transported people and produce until the advent of steam, described with appreciation for their fine points and quirks, and deftly, often amusingly drawn, the structure in detail, the crews' stance, suggested. Each of the four sections--on New England, New York and the South, the Great Lakes, inland rivers--traces the succession of craft that reflected local resources and skills, that developed in response to shifting circumstances, and there's a good deal of incidental history here (made accessible through a detailed index). But initially as per the informal glossary and throughout as per the knowing remarks on performance, this is a boatman's book best suited to youngsters with a sporting interest in the subject. It has a single flaw--some of the boats are not pictured; generally it's a pleasant, unpedantic amalgam of comprehensive survey and close examination.