The Mammoth Book of Life Before the Mast: Sailors' Eyewitness Stories from the Age of Fighting Ships

by Jon E. Lewis (Editor)

The stirring firsthand accounts of the real-life naval adventures behind the popular historical sagas of Patrick O'Brian and C. F. Forester. The twenty true-life adventures in this exhilarating volume capture the glory and the gore of the great age of naval warfare. They epitomize that era from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century -- the age of the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812 -- when combat at sea was won not by the impersonal power of technology but by sheer human wit, courage, and endurance. Culled from the memoirs, diaries, and letters of celebrated officers as well as common sailors, the collection not only includes exciting accounts of such decisive naval engagements as Admiral Horatio Nelson's on the Battle of the Nile in 1798 or Midshipman Roberts' on the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 but also offers revealing glimpses into the hardships suffered daily aboard a man-of-war: the scurvy, whippings, storms, piracy, press gangs, drudgery, boredom, and cannibalism. Here, too, are the salt spray and grapeshot and bravery, the strategic errors and the thrill of victory. While in fiction many books strive to chronicle or re-create the colorful and heroic Age of Sail, for heart-rending immediacy and poignant truth no words can match those of the English, French, and American men who were there and whose tales make history live on every page of this anthology.

Genres: Naval History

512 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 2000

About the author

Jon E. Lewis is a historian and writer, whose books on history and military history are sold worldwide. He is also editor of many The Mammoth Book of anthologies, including the bestselling On the Edge and Endurance and Adventure.

He holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in history. His work has appeared in New Statesman, the Independent, Time Out and the Guardian. He lives in Herefordshire with his partner and children.

From: Constable & Robinson

Reviews

[Sue Law]

An interesting selection of first-person accounts from the heyday of fighting sail. Don't be misled by the title though. Most of the accounts are from occupants of the quarterdeck.

[Poet Felon]

Disappointing. Not a very good selection of age of sail sea tales.

[Rob]

Some wonderful stories. Some ho-hum stories (that may be more interesting to nautical nerds).

[Crissy]

I enjoyed this book but be warned the sources are from real mariners who use nautical speech. Good read for anyone interested in the days of sail.

[Megan]

The Mammoth Book of Life Before the Mast: An Anthology of Eye-Witness Accounts from the Age of Fighting Sail (2001)