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A Seaman's Book of Sea Stories

A Seaman's Book of Sea Stories

Desmond Fforde
4.1/5 ( ratings)
Read Download
"Just the sort of book one likes to find on a yacht's bookshelf between watches." - Classic Boat Magazine

Set sail on a voyage of discovery of great nautical stories.

These stories range from the Napoleonic wars, via ships that traded under sail round Cape Horn, to what it was like to take charge of a ship in Convoy, serve in the force-ends of a submarine or fly a Corsair against the Japanese.

‘Hornblower and the Widow McCool’ by C S Forester from Hornblower and the Crisis’.

Hornblower is, of course, the best known fictional character in sea fiction. This short story is not well known, but illustrates the dilemmas which a young officer can be faced with on active service. I especially like the puzzle.

‘Peter Simple’ by Captain Marryat. – date unknown.

Marryat was a midshipman under the famous Captain Cochrane, the model for many Napoleonic sea story heroes. This extract is particularly interesting to me because it is the only account I know of, of an extreme manoeuvre called ‘club-hauling’ – a desperate last resort to avoid the ship being driven ashore.

‘Through the Gap’ from Down to the Sea by ‘Shalimar’ .

Frank Hendry is without doubt my favourite sea-story writer. He had a distinguished career at sea in sailing and steam ships, and was aRangoonpilot for some years. He then joined the Indian army and was awarded the MC for commanding a paddle steamer in the Tigris during the disastrous campaign in Mesopotamia in the First World War. He then, in retirement, wrote many stories which were published by Blackwood's magazine in the 1940's and 1950's.

‘On Camouflage, and Ships’ Names’ from Merchantmen at Arms, by Captain D Bone,

Captain Bone is well known for his book, The Brassbounder, taken from his apprenticeship in sail. He became Commodore master of the Anchor Line, and served throughout both world wars. His writing style is wonderfully archaic, and he is the only person who seems to have used the title ‘Merchant’s Service’, a far more accurate forerunner to the later term, ‘Merchant Navy’.

‘I Was There’ by Nicholas Monsarrat, from The Ship That Died of Shame and Other Stories.

A rather moving account of theDunkirkevacuation from an imaginative point of view.

‘Without Incident’ by G. Drake, from Touching the Adventures.

Geoffrey Drake was my first divisional officer when I, as a young cadet in HMS Conway, was training for the merchant navy. He was an unforgettable character and a seaman to his fingertips, as well as having many other artistic talents. His story well shows the sheer strain of operating in convoy; a strain unknown to modern seafarers.

‘Quiet Holidaywith a Genius’ by Weston Martyr quoted in More Joys of Life by Uffa Fox.

This story is a wonderful description of Uffa Fox at the height of his powers, when he was designing the Airborne Lifeboat, an extraordinary craft, one of which is on display atNewport, IOW. It is told in Weston Martyr’s inimitable style.

‘Send Down a Dove’ by Charles MacHardy.

This book is a real eye-opener for anyone who has read one of the conventional books on life in a submarine.
Language
English
Pages
196
Format
Kindle Edition
Publisher
Accent Press
Release
November 11, 2013

A Seaman's Book of Sea Stories

Desmond Fforde
4.1/5 ( ratings)
Read Download
"Just the sort of book one likes to find on a yacht's bookshelf between watches." - Classic Boat Magazine

Set sail on a voyage of discovery of great nautical stories.

These stories range from the Napoleonic wars, via ships that traded under sail round Cape Horn, to what it was like to take charge of a ship in Convoy, serve in the force-ends of a submarine or fly a Corsair against the Japanese.

‘Hornblower and the Widow McCool’ by C S Forester from Hornblower and the Crisis’.

Hornblower is, of course, the best known fictional character in sea fiction. This short story is not well known, but illustrates the dilemmas which a young officer can be faced with on active service. I especially like the puzzle.

‘Peter Simple’ by Captain Marryat. – date unknown.

Marryat was a midshipman under the famous Captain Cochrane, the model for many Napoleonic sea story heroes. This extract is particularly interesting to me because it is the only account I know of, of an extreme manoeuvre called ‘club-hauling’ – a desperate last resort to avoid the ship being driven ashore.

‘Through the Gap’ from Down to the Sea by ‘Shalimar’ .

Frank Hendry is without doubt my favourite sea-story writer. He had a distinguished career at sea in sailing and steam ships, and was aRangoonpilot for some years. He then joined the Indian army and was awarded the MC for commanding a paddle steamer in the Tigris during the disastrous campaign in Mesopotamia in the First World War. He then, in retirement, wrote many stories which were published by Blackwood's magazine in the 1940's and 1950's.

‘On Camouflage, and Ships’ Names’ from Merchantmen at Arms, by Captain D Bone,

Captain Bone is well known for his book, The Brassbounder, taken from his apprenticeship in sail. He became Commodore master of the Anchor Line, and served throughout both world wars. His writing style is wonderfully archaic, and he is the only person who seems to have used the title ‘Merchant’s Service’, a far more accurate forerunner to the later term, ‘Merchant Navy’.

‘I Was There’ by Nicholas Monsarrat, from The Ship That Died of Shame and Other Stories.

A rather moving account of theDunkirkevacuation from an imaginative point of view.

‘Without Incident’ by G. Drake, from Touching the Adventures.

Geoffrey Drake was my first divisional officer when I, as a young cadet in HMS Conway, was training for the merchant navy. He was an unforgettable character and a seaman to his fingertips, as well as having many other artistic talents. His story well shows the sheer strain of operating in convoy; a strain unknown to modern seafarers.

‘Quiet Holidaywith a Genius’ by Weston Martyr quoted in More Joys of Life by Uffa Fox.

This story is a wonderful description of Uffa Fox at the height of his powers, when he was designing the Airborne Lifeboat, an extraordinary craft, one of which is on display atNewport, IOW. It is told in Weston Martyr’s inimitable style.

‘Send Down a Dove’ by Charles MacHardy.

This book is a real eye-opener for anyone who has read one of the conventional books on life in a submarine.
Language
English
Pages
196
Format
Kindle Edition
Publisher
Accent Press
Release
November 11, 2013

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