Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. Printed in 1913, The Modern Warship by Edward L. Attwood offers a pre-First World War account of the design and construction of British warships, from a naval architect's perspective.