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There are few books that describe accurately life on board sailing ships in the last days of sail, from the 1860s to the First World War; the romantic image conjured up by many who wrote from a safe distance belies the harsh realities which were a sailorman's lot. Domville-Fife, in collecting together the personal stories of seamen while they were still alive, was able to present a truer picture of the tough last days of sail. Long voyages on board nineteenth-century sailing ships were marked by isolation, boredom, and miserable living conditions that taxed the endurance of men already hard pressed by the gruelling and dangerous nature of shipboard work. While some were attracted to a life of adventure most simply went to sea for a living, and a meagre one at that.They experienced neither the excitement of life on the crack clippers of the earlier decades nor the safety of the steamships; they were caught in the limbo of a dying profession where poor pay, discontinuous employment, prolonged isolation from family and physical hardship were the norm. No wonder that murder, mutiny, starvation and shipwreck appear in the memoirs gathered here, and in their telling they make for truly compulsive reading. Domville-Fife surely did future generations a great service by piecing together this reality. First published in 1938, these memoirs are now available again in this superbly presented new edition with a new selection of stunning photographs and a fascinating introduction on life at sea in the dying world of sail. It is a wonderful read for all enthusiasts and historians of the merchant service in the days of sail.
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Format:Hardcover
This is a reprint of a book first published in 1938. It is a collection of stories, each being a separate chapter headed by what could be described as a sumary abstract by the editor, about life on board the final years of British merchant sail, with contributions by such noted individuals as James Bisset and Harry Hine. The text is illustrated with a number of black-and-white photographs, some of which are quite outstanding.
In terms of the literature of the history of the large steel-built merchant sailing ships of the last years of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century this book is considered a 'classic' of the genre.
For the devoted student of merchant sail it is recommended. It would also make for a useful introduction for anyone not familiar with the beauty of these ships and the hard life working them meant.
In terms of the literature of the history of the large steel-built merchant sailing ships of the last years of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century this book is considered a 'classic' of the genre.
For the devoted student of merchant sail it is recommended. It would also make for a useful introduction for anyone not familiar with the beauty of these ships and the hard life working them meant.
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