A starting reading list for marine engineering

Which books provide a useful introduction to ship design and marine engineering?

Start with Edgar C. Smith's short historical survey, then use D. A. Taylor's introduction or the specialised Reeds volumes for deeper technical study.

The Reeds Marine Engineering and Technology series covers specialised subjects from thermodynamics to naval architecture and ship construction. Its roughly thirty volumes vary widely in price and are most useful once a reader knows which technical area to pursue. The naval-architecture volume covers balancing loads, while the ship-construction volume examines different construction types. D. A. Taylor's Introduction to Marine Engineering, dated here to 1996, provides a more compact general entry point. The preferred starting recommendation is Edgar C. Smith's A Short History of Naval and Marine Engineering because it is readable, well structured, and gives enough context to guide later choices. A reader can begin with Smith and then decide whether the cost and depth of individual Reeds volumes are justified.