The New Practical Navigator; being a complete epitome of navigation: to which are added, all the tables requisite for determining the latitude and longitude at sea: containing the different kinds of sailing, and necessary corrections for lee-way, variation, & exemplified in a journal at sea . The whole illustrated with engravings . John Hamilton Moore

The New Practical Navigator by John Hamilton Moore *** Highly influential maritime work on everything you need to know to successfully navigate and sail the oceans of the world. Was a "must have" for ship captains. Collated and textually complete and with all plates.*** OVERALL CONDITION: VERY GOOD+ The new practical navigator; being a complete epitome of navigation: to which are added, all the tables requisite for determining the latitude and longitude at sea: containing the different kinds of sailing, and necessary corrections for lee-way, variation, & exemplified in a journal at sea . The whole illustrated with engravings . Published in 1807 by J. Johnson, et al. in London. Seventeenth edition as indicated on title page and with correct 1807 publication date. Bound in its original full sheep boards with rebacked calf spine and corner restoration. Octavo, 8.5" x 5.5". Collated and complete less a few blank flyleaves: xvi, 328, [218] pp. including errata page. With all 11 copper engraved plates - a frontispiece of the author, two foldout plates at the rear, 8 single-page plates and numerous other illustrations, charts and diagrams within text. Included are numerical navigation charts, tips for nautical safety, essays, and a journal of a voyage. All edges speckled black. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Hamilton Moore (1738 - 1807) was a Scottish teacher of navigation, chartseller, and hydrographer active in London during the latter part of the 18th century. Moore was born in Edinburgh and was educated in Ireland before joining the Royal Navy. After leaving the navy he set up a navigation academy in Brentford, Middlesex. In 1772 he published the navigation textbook The New Practical Navigator and Daily Assistant. The work became the most popular such text of its day and ran into some 17 editions, firmly establishing Moore's credentials. He taught navigation to a select audience as well as traded in navigational instrument and nautical charts. Moore began publishing his own charts. These were among the earliest blueback charts, called such for their distinctive blue paper backing. Moore took on draughtsman William Heather and John Noire, both future publishers of blueback nautical charts in their own right, to draw and engraves his charts. His obituary in The Gentleman's Magazine, a sign in and of itself of Moore's social significance, offered him high praise: "he caused the best Charts to be published that had ever been done by any individual in this or any other nation." CONDITION REPORT: VERY GOOD+ for a nearly 200-year-old antiquarian book for use aboard sea vessels. Rebacked spine and professional corner and edge leather restoration. Areas with rubbing and soiling. Exterior and binding - square binding, firm hinges and joints. Worn boards. Areas of rubbing and soiling. Several stains on back board. Interior - grubby original endpapers. Text block is impressively bright white, mostly quite clean and with only a few areas with a spot or two of foxing (quite scarce). Darkening around plates, mostly along margins. Some misfolds and edge wear to rear plates. Signs of handling mostly on page margins - thumbing, creasing, bent page corners and finger smudging. A few pencil notations on recto of frontispiece. A light water stain along gutter between title page and frontispiece. All in all, a much nicer, higher grade collectible copy versus what is normally found! Textually complete, original boards, and with all 11 plates.