Hurrah for the Life of a Sailor!

An engrossing history of life in the Royal Navy at the height of its power.

'comprehensive, well-documented and lucidly written' The Daily Telegraph

Perfect for fans of N. A. M. Rodger, Ben Wilson or Roy & Lesley Adkins.

During the nineteenth century Great Britain ruled the waves. But what was it like sailing aboard her ships?

Men and boys travelled across the oceans of the world in Her Majesty's ships, from the snows of the Arctic to the malarial swamps of the tropics. They fought the Queen's enemies on sea and land, chased pirates and slavers, and made contributions to the mapping of the world. They experienced all the brutal conditions that Mother Nature could throw at them, as well as the brutal punishments that were dealt out by their officers.

Yet life as a sailor in Nelson's navy was very different to that of a sailor at the beginning of the twentieth century, with steam replacing sail and iron replacing wood. John Winton charts these changes as well as the reforms that took place over the century to give insight into how the life of sailor evolved during this period.

Hurrah for the Life of a Sailor draws upon a wide range of sources, from sea ballads to Victorian melodramas and advertisements, from admirals' dispatches to sailors' diaries, to provide a comprehensive study of life on the lower-deck in the nineteenth century Royal Navy.

'Bulging with interesting facts and sidelights and ranging from Arctic rigours to the stoker's lot on the Road to Mandalay, this is an excellent account of conditions afloat.' The Observer

'a glorious compilation. One can only hope that the vast research which went into [this] work has planted the seeds for another.' Eastern Daily Press

'a fascinating work based on wide and meticulous research and well worth the study of any student of British naval history.' Navy International

'A fascinating record of life on the lower deck of the Victorian Navy, enhanced by Mr Winton's gift of presenting Admiralty facts and figures jointly with extracts from comic songs and old salts' narratives in a most readable and entertaining style.' Western Evening Herald
show more