Literature And Lore Of The Sea

"A valuable and lively resource. Jeans sorts truth from fiction with a sure hand and does full justice to both."—Peter Stanford, President Emeritus, National Maritime Historical Society “A veritable sourcebook of nautical history, beliefs, and heritage. Every true mariner will get lost in this book.”—Boating Seafaring Lore and Legend is a storehouse of wonders for those who love the sea. From Noah’s Ark to Thor Heyerdahl’s raft, from Atlantis to the Northwest Passage, author Peter Jeans scours the ages and the seven seas for fanciful, inspiring, and bizarre tales of sea monsters, ghost ships, lost continents, castaways, pirates, explorers, superstitions, and customs. Discover the surprising truths behind: The origins of naval salutes and the Beaufort Scale Flogging a dead horse and other oddities of nautical custom Sea chanties, scurvy, and the hardships of life at sea Infamous and noteworthy sea captains and their ships Famous wrecks and mutinies Mermaids, sirens, and sea nymphs Nautical superstitions such as the albatross and Fiddler’s Green And much more This is a book you can open anywhere to savor for a few minutes or an afternoon. But be careful: it's easy to lose track of time at sea.

From the author of Mayflower, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye--the riveting bestseller tells the story of the true events that inspired Melville's Moby-Dick. Winner of the National Book Award, Nathaniel Philbrick's book is a fantastic saga of survival and adventure, steeped in the lore of whaling, with deep resonance in American literature and history. In 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats. Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents and vivid details about the Nantucket whaling tradition to reveal the chilling facts of this infamous maritime disaster. In the Heart of the Sea, recently adapted into a major feature film starring Chris Hemsworth, is a book for the ages.

A compendium of maritime legend and lore, complemented by contemporary photographs and comments on man's relationship with the sea

Excerpt from Legends and Superstitions of the Sea and of Sailors in All Lands and at All Times Many writers on folk-lore have been consulted, and especially, as relating to the sea. Folk-lore journal, the ety, the works of Jal. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Sea-Lore To the author who so succinctly introduces his book that we can decide then and there, without wasting any time, whether this is the sort of book that edifies us, amuses us, or instructs us. Here the writer's task should be simple. This is a popular work on sailing-ships, the sea, and sailors; in short, the lore of the sea, written mainly for landsmen by one who loves the sea and ships, not for their tragedies and their sordid side, but for their beauty and inspiration. This book aspires to nothing higher than to be an introduction to a further interest in the subject. It informs a little (to those who wish to be informed), and it diverts a little (for those who seek an entertainment). It discusses, in a non-technical manner, most aspects of life at sea and ships in the old days of sail. There are signs of a general renaissance of interest in the sea and ships, and any propaganda that can be contributed to this most wholesome trend is all to the good. Furthermore, it is not too much to say that the matter is presented in an entirely new guise. Writers are frequently at the mercy of their illustrators, for it is plain that no two minds can think exactly alike, and the author is fortunate who gets his text adorned just as he wants it to be. The remedy, then, is to do one's own illustrations, a plan which has been carried out in the present case, and if the author finds fault with the manner of illustrating and decorating the text he. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.