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Sons of the Waves

The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail

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Sons of the Waves

By: Stephen Taylor
Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
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About this listen

A brilliant telling of the history of the common seaman in the age of sail and his role in Britain's trade, exploration, and warfare

British maritime history in the age of sail is full of the deeds of officers like Nelson but has given little voice to plain, "illiterate" seamen. Now, Stephen Taylor draws on published and unpublished memoirs, letters, and naval records, including court-martials and petitions, to present these men in their own words.

In this exhilarating account, ordinary seamen are far from the hapless sufferers of the press gangs. Proud and spirited, learned in their own fashion, with robust opinions and the courage to challenge overweening authority, they stand out from their less adventurous compatriots.

Taylor demonstrates how the sailor was the engine of British prosperity and expansion up to the Industrial Revolution. From exploring the South Seas with Cook to establishing the East India Company as a global corporation, from the sea battles that made Britain a superpower to the crisis of the 1797 mutinies, these "sons of the waves" held the nation's destiny in their calloused hands.

©2020 Stephen Taylor (P)2020 Tantor Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Europe Maritime History & Piracy World Imperialism Latin American British Empire Maritime History

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All stars
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A great example of high quality, well written, serious but accessible history. The performance does it justice too. Recommended.

Terrific

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A fascinating story of a moment in history rapidly being forgotten. Heartbreaking stories of the press gang and slavery blended with inspirational stories of valour and comradeship, with quite a dose of rogue like endeavour.

Brilliantly presented

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Some of the reviews point to a poor performance by the reader. I am afraid I disagree, whilst it is not the most engaging reading I have ever heard I still found the narration and subject matter to be very enjoyable.
The book itself is focussed on “voices from the lower deck” which is an interesting change from the more available accounts from the quarter deck.
Much of the same subject matter is covered by Roy Adkins “Jack Tar” where the reading may be more enjoyable but the content is of a similar quality. I would recommend one or both to anyone with an interest in Naval history.

Enjoyable Listen

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Thoroughly Enjoyed this collection of epic adventures. Anyone who loves old shops will love this book.
Many thanks to the author.

Wonderful sea adventures from the age of sail

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A really interesting chronicle of ‘British’ naval sailors. While the narration was ok, he sounded too much like ‘British’ government politician Micheal Gove. Quite annoying.

Really interesting. Narrator not great for me.

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A well researched and enjoyable history drawing on first hand accounts by ordinary seaman. However this audiobook is let down by the narrator who takes up an almost robotic and fast-paced style. I note that the narrator has the "highway code" in his list of audiobooks. I would have preferred a little less highway code style and a little more measured personality which would of helped to bring the book alive. I would reccommend reading rather than listening to this excellent book.

A fascinating history let down by narration

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The book was spoiled by poor narration. The tempo was universally flat and frequent, repeated, mispronunciation of even everyday words was initially irritating and eventually became jarring and detracted from the overall enjoyment of what could otherwise have been an absorbing subject.

Disappointing

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