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Sons of the Waves

The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail

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Sons of the Waves

By: Stephen Taylor
Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
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About this listen

A brilliant telling of the history of the common seaman in the age of sail and his role in Britain's trade, exploration, and warfare

British maritime history in the age of sail is full of the deeds of officers like Nelson but has given little voice to plain, "illiterate" seamen. Now, Stephen Taylor draws on published and unpublished memoirs, letters, and naval records, including court-martials and petitions, to present these men in their own words.

In this exhilarating account, ordinary seamen are far from the hapless sufferers of the press gangs. Proud and spirited, learned in their own fashion, with robust opinions and the courage to challenge overweening authority, they stand out from their less adventurous compatriots.

Taylor demonstrates how the sailor was the engine of British prosperity and expansion up to the Industrial Revolution. From exploring the South Seas with Cook to establishing the East India Company as a global corporation, from the sea battles that made Britain a superpower to the crisis of the 1797 mutinies, these "sons of the waves" held the nation's destiny in their calloused hands.

©2020 Stephen Taylor (P)2020 Tantor Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Europe Maritime History & Piracy Imperialism Maritime History

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Profile Image for Derek Ironside-Hughes

Great Listen

An excellent listen did not want it to end. How brave these souls were, imagine being press ganged, taken from your family for years on end and perhaps never seeing them again. The story is wonderfully written and spoken superbly well. I highly recommend this wonderful book that takes you to another time and place. How tough the life they had to lead both men and women, it made be feel glad to be alive today and not suffer as they did.

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well written

An in-depth look at the lives of regular Jack Tars. varied, thoughtful and adventurous

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