In 1786 the French navy had just emerged from its most successful war of the eighteenth century, and the reputation of its ship design and fighting skills never stood higher. Though the effects of the French Revolution would devastate the navy's efficiency, the French would go on to produce some of the most advanced, innovative ships of the age. This book contains an abundance of information on the construction and careers of each of these marvelous ships. The result of such detail is the first concise, clear resource on the development of French warships in the latter half of the sailing era.