Cross-sections Castle

August 30, 1993
Even the most confirmed landlubbers may find themselves chanting ``Yo-ho-ho!'' by the time they've reached the last of Biesty's 10 uncannily well-executed spreads, each of which shows a cross-section of a 100-gun man-of-war modeled after Admiral Nelson's flagship, the HMS Victory , built in 1765. The same thorough research and meticulous artistry that distinguished Platt and Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections lend this volume the appearance of inexhaustible wealth: the oversize pages combine minutely detailed illustrations with succint yet highly evocative text. A spread entitled ``Working at Sea,'' for example, contains a cross-section of the middle of the ship (a key indicates the relative location of each cross-section), an introductory paragraph about rigging the ship, captions and 24 text blocks which answer the sort of questions a curious young reader would ask, from the basic (how do the sails work?) to the often unspoken (how are the dead buried at sea?). Various flourishes further enrich the extravaganza: a stowaway is hidden in the art; a glossary and index are included; and a couple of spreads depict the man-of-war in dramatic engagement at sea. Anchors aweigh! Ages 8-up.