Jack Tar

Description

"When Lord Nelson, Britain's greatest hero, was born 250 years ago, the navy for which he sacrificed his life depended on one thing above all else: the thousands of sailors and marines who manned the great wind-powered wooden warships. These ordinary men were drawn - often unwillingly - from all over Britain and beyond, and they made the Royal Navy invincible through skill, courage and sheer determination. Yet their contribution has frequently been overlooked, while the officers who led them became celebrities." "Jack Tar gives these forgotten men a voice in an exciting, enthralling, often unexpected and always entertaining picture of what their life was really like during this age of sail. Personal letters, diaries and other manuscripts reveal how these men - and even some women and children - lived, worked, fought and died on board the warships. Their emotions and experiences are explored, from the dread of press-gangs, shipwreck and disease to the exhilaration of battle, grog, prize-money and prostitutes."--BOOK JACKET.

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