I obtained my copy from the Barnes & Noble online site which sells all hardcover releases at a 30% discount, so the actual price was $27.26.

Overview
The book focuses on scratch building 20th century merchant ships. It includes detailed 1/1200 waterline plans, photos and constructions hints for 30 vessels. The first 58 pages of the book (216 pages total) discuss techniques for building waterline ship models, tools, materials etc. This book is an outstanding value and  essential for anyone interested in scratchbuilding waterline ships in 1/1200 or 1/1250 scale.

The author concentrates on merchant vessels, but the techniques are applicable to warships. Any modeler of small scale waterline ships  will find this "how to" manual most useful, as well as being a pleasure to read.