Smuggling in the British Isles: A History

by Richard Platt

The term smuggling conjures up images of a sailor in long boots and a striped jersey, rolling barrels of brandy up a moonlit Cornish beach and into a hidden cave, while the excise men fruitlessly search in the wrong places. Although romanticised, this picture is not entirely inaccurate, and, because of high and unpopular taxes, smuggling was quite common in Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Indeed, it is estaimated that at one point import duty had been paid on only 20% of the tea drunk here, and there was so much illegally imported gin in Kent that people were using it to clean their windows. In Smuggling in the British Isles, maritime history specialist Richard Platt tells the story of the smuggling trade, from who the smugglers were and why they did it to how contraband was transported and how they avoided detection. This compelling book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the sea and its history.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

(1953–)

Richard Platt is the author of more than sixty informative books for young readers, and he also writes for innovative multimedia projects. Some of his most popular works have been collaborations with illustrator Stephen Biesty on the "Cross-Sections" series. After a failed attempt to forge a career as a photographer, Platt discovered that he had a knack for writing. "I started writing about photography: first magazine articles, then books," he explained on the Walker Books Web site. "I got a job editing children's books, then went on to write them."

In the 1990s, Platt teamed up with popular juvenile illustrator Biesty for several books, beginning with Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections Book, published in 1992. The following year, a second volume in the series, Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War, proved equally interesting for late-elementary-age readers, especially those enchanted by seventeenth-century battleships. Alongside Biesty's cutaway illustrations, Platt provides explanatory text that indicates the purpose and activities in each section of the ship. The hardships of life aboard such vessels for their often 800-member crews are not overlooked, either, and the drawings depict food rations crawling with maggots and a doctor's pail containing severed limbs. Ellen Mandel, writing for Booklist, asserted that Platt's "intriguing text" serves to make "this meticulously presented book a treasure of factual content and visual imagery."

For Stephen Biesty's Incredible Everything, Platt provides informative paragraphs to accompany the illustrations for many everyday products, such as athletic shoes and compact discs. Much of the text revolves around the manufacturing process. Stephen Biesty's Incredible Body is a lesson in human anatomy, with sections on each of the body's systems and several major organs; the digestive system alone takes up four pages. Platt has also worked with the illustrator on Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle and Stephen Biesty's Incredible Explosions.

Working with publisher Dorling Kindersley, Platt has authored several titles in their "Eyewitness" series, some of which have appeared in the United States under the Knopf/Borzoi imprint. Pirate details the world of corsairs, privateers, and crime on the high seas throughout history. A reviewer for Science Books and Films, Richard B. Woodbury, praised the work as "a veritable miniencyclopedia or minimuseum" and "a pleasure to look at." Spy chronicles the history of espionage and the decisive role intelligence-gathering triumphs have played in history. Of particular emphasis are the code-breaking endeavors by Allied intelligence networks during World War II. Shipwreck, also part of the "Eyewitness" series, investigates famous sea disasters and rescues. Like the other books in the popular series, Shipwreck is lavishly illustrated. Chris Stephenson, writing in School Librarian, called it "an excellent source of historical evidence and nautical information."

Platt has also written several books about inventions. His The Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions, which appeared in 1994, won praise from reviewers for its comprehensiveness. Platt divides the development of technology throughout the ages into five sections, including agriculture, conquest, and communication. The timeline begins at 600,000 BCE, around the time humans likely began using fire, and includes predictions for innovations that may occur in the near future. Cathryn A. Camper, reviewing The Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions for School Library Journal, praised Platt's skilled use of illustration and text, which the critic felt "teaches a sophisticated form of literacy similar to" that provided with multimedia learning tools—an area in which Platt already had a great deal of writing experience. "Readers will delight in the colorful pictures and the text, which gives just enough information to satisfy curiosity," opined Voice of Youth Advo

Reviews

[Julie Cordiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and full of detail about the realities of smuggling, this history pulls no punches. It succeeds in dismissing the romanticised view of smugglers, with evidence of violence, while presenting the reader with a fascinating demonstration of ingenuity. It focuses predominantly on the 1700s in the southern part of the country, so I was disappointed not to read more about northern England. I’m not sure if this due to less activity in the north, the author’s greater interest in the south, or whether northern smugglers were just better at leaving no trace!

It took me a while to get through it because although the table of contents indicates chapters are based on themes, I felt the actual content lacked a clear structure and it was more like a series of anecdotes. But I can’t fault the author’s dedication to his research, as the extensive bibliography shows.

[Douglas Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Platt's book is packed with information about the "free trade" in the British Isles which peaked mid-18th century. Deeply researched and written as a historical account, the book had a good balance of raw information and colorful tales.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

useful round up for an an overview

[Paula Berinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating look at smuggling in Britain. I'd never realized that in many cases whole towns participated. It also seems that smuggling went way beyond Cornwall and Devon, the putative centers of the trade. A great overview with many anecdotes.

[Mandy Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference book and look at smuggling throughout Britain. You will be surprised at what happened on your doorstep. You can flick in and out as I did when writing Black Crow.