Description

---

For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered.

Entries range from Captain James Cook's notes of his discovery of the South Pacific and Australia, to logs of the great naval battles, such as Trafalgar and the Battle of the Nile. From the ships that attempted to stop piracy in the Caribbean, to the surgeons who recorded the health of the men they tended and naturalists who noted the exotic plants and animals they encountered, comes a fascinating picture of life at sea, richly illustrated with maps, drawings and facsimile documents found alongside the logs in the archives.

About the Author

---

The National Archives at Kew is the repository of documents that record the history of the UK. Events revealed through these papers are both large and small, ranging from momentous political events to day to day happenings in the lives of ordinary individuals.

Praise For…

---

"BOOK OF THE MONTH: Condenses centuries of naval history into one easy-to-read volume in the voices of those who were there. A fascinating portrait of how the seafaring experience has evolved over the years." - Boat International

"Filled with maps, letters, paintings, crew lists and, of course, the Captain's log, of many different important voyages. The book really does give a clear human record of life at sea in another age." - Sailing Today

"A fascinating picture of life at sea, richly illustrated with maps and drawings." - Gransnet

"A faithful reproduction of letters, journals, log entries, diaries and other first hand accounts of nautical events in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries – transcribed for slightly easier reading – to make an engrossing and handsome volume." - Sailing Today