Very disappointed - much better resources available online
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Given the generally positive reviews for this book I have to say I've been very disappointed with it and wouldn't recommend it at all, there's far better resources online.
So first off, what do you actually get? The book contains a good variety of ships which have four pages each - this is broken down into one page of 'waffle' with a description of the ship and its purpose, a half page showing a wireframe model of the CG ship (not a more useful cutaway), the stats for the ship (which are not always correct) and then a large two page picture of the ship itself.
The 'waffle' as I've called it is just that as there's no meaningful insight into the ship at all, a simple example is the aeroshuttle from Voyager. This is a small Captain's Yacht which you can see the outline for on the underside of Voyager similar to the one seen for the Enterprise-E in Insurrection. In the series it's never seen nor mentioned with the most common fan speculation for this being that Voyager was pushed out the door in a hurry and this part was not added. This book references the aero shuttle but doesn't actually mention why we never see this. Similarly for the other ships I didn't find any of this information of any interest whatsoever.
The CG wireframe model is too small and rather badly aliased making it difficult to make out any of the detail, I don't really see the point in it as it doesn't show any of the fictional ship's inner structure as it should.
The stats for the 'known' ships have various errors in that they are different to what was claimed in the actual TV series and onscreen evidence of the ships themselves and for some of the alien vessels where we have no idea of this information, it's all left blank as either unknown or classified making this aspect not much use either.
Finally there's the two page view of the starship which to be honest was the main reason I bought this book I was hoping to see some new views of the ships. It certainly shows some different pictures but they're generally very dark and not always taken from a great angle. The picture of the Akira is a rarer shot from the rear of one of the nacelles but the saucer section is fairly dark which means you can't see any of the potentially interesting detail in the rear shuttle bays or similar. Just one picture is rather frustrating as well, I would have much rather had a series of pictures which highlighted the various aspects of the ship.
Now you might be reading through this and thinking I'm nitpicking somewhat however I think this book is obviously for the more 'geeky' of the Star Trek viewers. Fan sites such as ex-astris Scientifica provide far more detailed and accurate information.
So why did I buy this book then? Well I have to admit I do like having some items printed on paper for a change rather than all on screen and I've really enjoyed some of the Star Trek material such as the enclyopedia which has a wealth of useful information readily available.
I don't like rating items low as I'd like to think I've given something sufficient research before hand that I'll enjoy it but I honestly feel let down by this book especially for the price and hope I've justified that rating reasonably well.
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Must have trek book.
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This book is just great.
It has 4 pages on each ship featured. It includes a historical and design background, a spaceframe image, technical specifications followed by a high resolution image of each and every ship. All of the written details are really interesting for any hardcore trekkie, as are the technical specifications. The images are fantastic in their detail. All of the major starfleet vessels are included, and many alien vessels as well.
The down sides however are that there are few technical specs for the non-federation ships (apparently due to the "federation" origin of the book and the classified secrets of the vessels) but this is easy to overcome. Another downside is that a number of the high res pictures are unfortunately at perculiar angles, showing a few of the ships from pretty useless viewpoints. Also, it is a slightly dated book that does not include the new nemisis warbirds, nor anything from the Enterprise series.
Even after these downsides, I must still say that this book is brilliant and well worth having as part of any tekkies collection.
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The definitive guide to starships. Period.
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Everything you ever wanted to know about starships from accross the Star Trek galaxy, from the D'Deridex-class Romulan Warbird to the Sovereign-class Federation starship, this book has vital statistics such as weapons loadouts, shield strengths and types, the speed ratings, a short history, in some cases manufacturing notes and even the model of computer core it has. THere is a simple rule in my head nowadays - if you want to know anything about a particular starship, or just want to state at a VERY detailed, crystal clear, high-res photo of a starship, this is the book for you. No Trek fan should go without it.
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The definitive guide to starships. Period.
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Those of us who watch Star Trek and feel more drawn to the ships and their technology than the characters who crew them may crave a book dedicated to those ships, with information, images and backgrounds to each of the famous starship classes. I found one, it's called Starship Spotter. Inside are four pages for every major class of starship ever seen - from the Akira class right through to the D'Deridex warbird and even Species 8472 bioships - which include two-page high-detail, colour images, and two pages of raw info (and a small wireframe diagram). Within these pages you will find information on their weapons systems, their defensive shields, their computer systems, warp speed ratings, crew compliments, mass, dimensions and every other piece of information you could ever want to know. You'll also find background information (such as the design process and ship's mission), and what appearences the ship has made onscreen. This book might be small, but it contains everything you ever wanted to know about starships, and even has pretty pictures for us to drool over. 5 out of 5, and a must-have for Trek fans everywhere.
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Starship Spotters - Where's the building instructions?
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This book is a wonder to behold. The Star Trek books, episodes etc are great but this book has a special quality to it. Fantastic illustrations and details about the starships make them so real and tangible, i almost wanted to build them. From Borg Diamonds to Romulan Warbirds. This book has got the lot. I cant wait for the next edition to come out, so it will include the new style of Romulan Warbirds coming out in the new Star Trek Nemesis film.
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