A classic naval history by the bestselling author of Pirate Wars. 'They are violent fellows, and ought to be encourag'd to go to sea, for Old Harry can't govern them on shoar.' Daniel DefoeSailors is the history of the English merchant seaman in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; a period during which England rose to dominance in world commence and became the greatest naval power in the world.
Drawing on primary documents and memoirs, renowned naval historian, Peter Earle, explores every aspect of the sailor's life: conditions of service, wealth and possessions, life aboard a ship, the perils of the sea, discipline and punishment, sickness, desertion, mutiny and morality, and the role of the sailor in wartime.
Peter Earle addresses the popular image of sailors: handkerchiefs knotted round their heads and a cutlass in their hands, as they stare into the blue yonder, on their way to romance and adventure; and introduces us to a diverse range of characters: some diligent, industrious and fearless; others drunk, difficult and careless. We discover that life on the waves was not just about storms and tyranny, piracy and plunder, but harmony and comradeship, the attractions of travel and adventure, and the joys of fine-weather sailing.
'This absorbing account of merchant seamen... redresses the bleak cliches concerning maritime life' The Independent
'A fascinating account of the English merchant navy in the 17th and 18th centuries... A good few myths are dispelled' Choice Magazine
Praise for Peter Earle and The Pirate Wars:
'His scholarship is solid, and his telling of this complex story is lucid and well-paced.' Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph.
'A thoroughly entertaining read that dispels a number of myths and spins many a good yarn' Daily Mail
'Masterful ...a much needed reappraisal' The Sunday Times, Best Summer Books
'Peter Earle's distinguished and thorough study... puts all kinds of preconceptions about piracy to the sword... a fascinating and timely reminder that no outlaw ever exists outside the society he opposes' Scotland on Sunday
'Utterly fascinating and exposes a whole new world to the reader... This is truly an excellent work of social history that will entertain and fascinate in equal measure' The History Magazine