Voices from the Lower Deck examines the role of folklore as the instrument of integration and bonding for the ordinary seafarer during the Age of Sail. Mainly based on contemporary sailors narratives and historical and folkloric texts, the book evokes common themes: the harsh environment, the cruel discipline, the brutal way of life, and the release of onshore carousing and whoring, but also the coordinated work and effort of daily tasks and the tremendous pride of seeing themselves as unique men against a background of landlubbers. The psychological and physical survival of these disparate men from many origins depended on their rapid integration into the common culture––the folklore and the folkways––of what historians have called “the wooden world.”
The idea behind this volume, according to its editor Brian Lavery, was to give a rounded picture of life at sea during the age of sail. It concentrates on the daily routine of shipboard life rather than more dramatic events such as battles and mutiny. It supplements other volumes produced by the Navy Records Society, notably Five Naval Journals 1789-1817 (vol 91, 1951, ed H G Thursfield) and The Health of Seamen (vol 107, 1965, ed C C Lloyd.) The selection begins in the second quarter of the eighteenth century because, stated Brian Lavery, ‘there are no suitable documents from earlier periods’ and closes in 1815, when the navy entered a new era with the advent of steam and a long period of peace. One of the most important aspects of shipboard life was that it was intensely self-contained, especially in the later part of the age of sail. After the conquest of scurvy, ships were able to stay at sea for many months at a time and the world-wide battle for empire caused them to make very long voyages, often away from their home bases over a period of years. Even in port seamen often stayed on board and shore leave was not in any sense a right. This volume throws a spotlight on the way in which a crew of up to 850 men could be crammed into a small space for many months at a time, and the ways in which they were fed, clothed, allocated space for eating and sleeping, at the same time as they were organised for sailing and battle duties. It contains separate sections dealing with Admiralty Regulations, Captain’s Orders, Medical Journals, discipline and punishment. It also includes an extensive glossary of the nautical terms and descriptions of the time.
First published in 1998, this volume explores the Royal Navy which had most of its greatest triumphs in the decades up to 1815, but has received relatively little study of its social life and shipboard administration, beyond popular myth and sensational accounts. This volume starts with the formal structure of naval discipline, with Admiralty instructions and captains' orderbooks. It then looks at how things really happened, using diaries, medical journals, petitions, court martial reports and even the menu book of a semi-literate steward. It reveals many strong characters and colourful incidents of shipboard life, while providing material for study.
This is the graphic, first-hand story of the maiden voyage and disastrous sinking of the RMS Titanic, told by the survivors themselves. The story of the sinking of the great liner has been told countless times since that fateful night on April 14, 1912, by historians, novelists, and film producers alike, but no account is as graphic or revealing as those from the people who were actually there. Through survivors’ tales and contemporary newspaper reports from both sides of the Atlantic, here are eyewitness accounts full of details that range from poignant to humorous, stage by stage from the liner’s glorious launch in Belfast to the somber sea burial services of those who perished on her first and only voyage. In this book, the voices of the survivors share their own stories, as well as the official records, press reports, and investigations into what went wrong that night.
"A collection of essays, poems and short stories published between 1868 and 1875 in The Overland Monthly, California's first successful literary journal. Included is the work of Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Ina Coolbrith, Ambrose Bierce and Joaquin Miller"--Provided by publisher.
Aeron Kline is your usual 15-year old amnesia victim. After waking up in the hospital, with the past two years of his memory missing Aeron is plagued with mysterious visions and a vague voice that warns him with the words This is your second chance, make the most of it. With no way to regain his lost past he pushes on with his life. But it would seem that fate has a different plan for Aeron when a year later he begins to see mysterious strangers that begin to trigger more of the visions, and to make things even stranger he comes face to face with the urban legend of his hometown. The skeleton man Everet- who is somehow connected to his missing memories- and who awakens a dormant power inside Aeron. Now, with his newfound powers Aeron Kline must fight for his missing fragments and possibly something greater; the fate of an entire world.
Turns out... In space... People can hear you scream... Euphrates Miondor had it all. Good looks, good job, designer clothes, luxurious condominium and she was an extremely prolific serial killer. The Daedalus is Space Force Global's latest class of Starsplorer propelled by a Faren Fusion Drive.The Virtual Engine Synaptic Simulation Associate is a first gen bio-organic computer processor powered by a harvested human brain.Through a series of fortunate events Euphrates brain becomes the ships VESSA organ. The Daedalus 7 are SFGs' elite female crew and mapping of the Kuiper Belt on the outer edge of the solar system is SFGs' most perilous mission since the Orion's Eye disaster. Euphrates desire to kill remains strong but with no physical body she needs a plan to execute her latest murderous mission. She has plan... A good one! Who of the Daedalus 7 will survive?
"This work is a collection of works by Southern naval participants. The narratives traverse the field from the fond and not-so-fond memories to the carefully worded reports of an officer claiming a victory or the loss of a ship. The writings lend information as one tries to understand what personnel faced during this time in history"--Provided by publisher.
