This book does NOT help you as far as a beginner. If you already know how to build wooden ships it might show you some stuff but as a beginner it is a loss.On many things it only it briefly touches on them.I have built models my whole life but I am moving into wooden ships now and I am looking for a book to help with the planking but this was not it.It was writen by someone that has forgotten what it was like when they started.