Electric propulsion for boats was developed in the early 19th century and--despite the advent of the internal combustion engine--continued with the perfecting of the modern turbo-electric ship. Sustainable and hybrid technologies, pioneered in small inland watercraft toward the end of the 20th century, have in recent years been scaled up to create integrated electric drives for the largest ocean-going vessels. This comprehensive history traces the birth and rebirth of the electric boat from 1835 to the present, celebrating the Golden Age of electric launches, 1880-1910.

“Exceptional...should be in the library of anyone who has any interest in electric boats...the definitive book on the subject that defines the word definitive...excellent...covers everything from the first days of electric boats and Gustave Trouvé's inventions right up to 2017, with lots of great anecdotes and even more factual information”—The International Journal of Electric Boats
“a highly valuable reference guide”—The Northern Mariner

Kevin Desmond, a technology historian and biographer, lives near Bordeaux in southern France. Since 1976, he has published 33 books and 300-plus articles on the men and women innovators, often forgotten, behind the progress of transport and related subjects.