Sir Edward Reed

Readers with an interest in history of warship design should read about Sir Edward Reed, if you are not already familiar with him. He was prominent enough to warrent a Wikipedia page, with links. Reed was a great warship designer and structural engineer. His early work on structures formed the basis for the system used by the Royal Corps of Naval Contructors, up through WW I. Reed designed some of the early ironclads, and one of his best designs was the Bellerophon, which had a long service life. He also designed the revolutionary turret ship Devastation, which was the first major warship built without masts and sails. He had earlier built coast defense vessels, such as the Cerberus (extremely long-lived), which formed the basis for the Devastation and Thunderer design. Dr. Oscar Parkes writes more about Reed in his classic book British Battleships. D. K. Brown has a more recent perspective on Reed and his influence. Brown has two books that are relevant:

1. D. K. Brown, A century of naval. construction: The history of the Royal. Corps of Naval Constructors, 1983
2. D. K. Brown, Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development, 1860-1905, 2003