-
A Voice from the Main Deck
- Being a Record of the Thirty Years' Adventures of Samuel Leech
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
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Publisher's summary
"I heard the shot strike the sides of our ship; the whole scene grew indescribably confused and horrible; it was like some awfully tremendous thunder-storm, whose deafening roar is attended by incessant streaks of lightning, carrying death in every flash and strewing the ground with the victims of its wrath: only, in our case, the scene was rendered more horrible than that, by the presence of torrents of blood which dyed our decks."
This was Samuel Leech's first experience of naval warfare. He was a powder monkey aboard the HMS Macedonian when it was attacked forced to strike its colors by the USS United States in the war of 1812.
Leech provides a fascinating account of life as a sailor in the War of 1812 and through early 19th century. It is a remarkable account of a man who, until the conflict with the USS United States, had fought British Navy but after that battle changed allegiance to the United States and continued sailing with her navy for a further four years. He provides brilliant insight into the contrasts that he saw between the US Navy and the British Navy during this time.
It is a vivid account of life at sea in the early 19th century and a perfect addition to any sailor's library.
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The Catalpa Rescue
- The Gripping Story of the Most Dramatic and Successful Prison Break in Australian History
- By: Peter FitzSimons
- Narrated by: Michael Carman
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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The incredible true story of one of the most extraordinary and inspirational prison breaks in history. Boston, 1869. Members of the Clan na Gael - agitators for an Irish republic - hatch a daring plan to free six Irish political prisoners from the most remote gaol on earth, Fremantle Prison in Western Australia. Under the guise of a whale hunt, Captain Anthony sets sail on the Catalpa, risking his life to rescue the men from the prison, known among the inmates as 'a living tomb'.
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Terrific yarn
- By Garrett on 05-13-19
By: Peter FitzSimons
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Commander
- The Life and Exploits of Britain's Greatest Frigate Captain
- By: Stephen Taylor
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Edward Pellew, captain of the legendary Indefatigable, was quite simply the greatest British frigate captain in the age of sail. Left fatherless at age eight, with a penniless mother and five siblings, Pellew fought his way from the very bottom of the navy to fleet command. Victories and eye-catching feats won him a public following. Yet he had a gift for antagonizing his better-born peers, and he made powerful enemies. Redemption came with his last command, when he set off to do battle with the Barbary States and free thousands of European slaves.
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OK
- By peter on 02-02-21
By: Stephen Taylor
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James Cook
- The Story Behind the Man Who Mapped the World
- By: Peter FitzSimons
- Narrated by: Michael Carman
- Length: 21 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The name Captain James Cook is one of the most recognisable in Australian history - an almost mythic figure who is often discussed, celebrated, reviled and debated. But who was the real James Cook? This Yorkshire farm boy would go on to become the foremost mariner, scientist, navigator and cartographer of his era, and to personally map a third of the globe. His great voyages of discovery were incredible feats of seamanship and navigation.
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Great. But...
- By Virgil Tracy on 05-01-21
By: Peter FitzSimons
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A General History of the Pyrates
- From Their First Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence, to the Present Time
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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This work was published in 1724, under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson, by an unknown British author, usually assumed to be Daniel Defoe. This work is the prime source for the biographies of many well-known pirates of that era and shaped the popular notions about pirates of the day. Included are Blackbeard, Black Bart, Jolly Roger, Anne Bonny (aka Anne Bonn), Edward Teach, Henry Avery, Mary Read, and many more.
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Horrendous Waste of John Lee’s Time and Ours
- By Blake on 01-22-20
By: Daniel Defoe
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John Paul Jones
- Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy
- By: Evan Thomas
- Narrated by: Dan Cashman
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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John Paul Jones is more than a great sea story. Jones is a character for the ages. John Adams called him the "most ambitious and intriguing officer in the American Navy." The renewed interest in the Founding Fathers reminds us of the great men who made this country, but John Paul Jones teaches us that it took fighters as well as thinkers, men driven by dreams of personal glory as well as high-minded principle to break free of the past and start a new world. Jones' spirit was classically American.
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Swashbuckler or Saviour
- By Bruce on 03-16-04
By: Evan Thomas
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Seize the Fire
- Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar
- By: Adam Nicolson
- Narrated by: Adam Nicolson
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
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Adam Nicolson takes the great naval battle of Trafalgar, fought between the British and Franco-Spanish fleets in October 1805, and uses it to examine our idea of heroism and the heroic. A story rich with modern resonance, Seize the Fire reveals the economic impact of the battle as a victorious Great Britain emerged as a global commercial empire. Nicolson not only vividly describes the brutal realities of battle but enters the hearts and minds of the men who were there.
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great narration
- By Tito on 12-06-17
By: Adam Nicolson
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The Lion of St. Mark
- By: G.A. Henty
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Of The Lion of St. Mark, G.A. Henty wrote: "I have laid my story in the time not of the triumphs of Venice but of her hardest struggle for existence, when she defended herself successfully against the coalition of Hungary, Padua, and Genoa, for never at any time were the virtues of Venice, her steadfastness, her patriotism, and her willingness to make all sacrifice for her independence more brilliantly shown.
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A Great Listen
- By Jef on 04-04-05
By: G.A. Henty
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Last Flag Down
- The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship
- By: John Baldwin, Ron Powers
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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As the Confederacy felt itself slipping beneath the Union juggernaut in late 1864, the South launched a desperate counteroffensive to force a standoff. Its secret weapon? A state-of-the-art raiding ship whose mission was to sink the U.S. merchant fleet. The raider's name was Shenandoah, and her executive officer was Conway Whittle, a 24-year-old warrior.
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Good all around
- By Rob on 01-19-08
By: John Baldwin, and others
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Sailing Alone Around the World
- By: Joshua Slocum
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Joshua Slocum was believed to be the first man to sail single-handed around the world. After a distinguished career, where he worked his way up from cabin boy to captain, Joshua Slocum wrecked his ship off the coast of Brazil. Turning this catastrophe to his advantage, he built a sailing canoe from the wreckage and sailed back to New York. Moreover, he wrote Voyage of the Liberdad, a chronicle of his trip, and earned some literary success.
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A REMARKABLE MAN
- By Rod on 05-03-06
By: Joshua Slocum
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Ocean Life in the Old Sailing Ship Days
- From Forecastle to Quarter-Deck
- By: John D. Whidden
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Orphaned at five, nothing held Whidden back from embarking on sea life seven years later. Serving as an apprentice, he quickly proved his worth and earned himself a mate's position by his early 20s. Graduating to third, second, and first office, he ended his career in command of, and having part-ownership of, his own vessel. Ocean Life in the Old Sailing Ship Days records a series of real events from his childhood impressions of rough and ready seamen to his thrilling and brutal experiences of war.
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Good salty story
- By Donald L. on 07-17-18
By: John D. Whidden
What listeners say about A Voice from the Main Deck
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kindle Customer
- 06-30-20
personal account of jolly rolling tare.
While for some it will be boring I Love personal history
This jolly rolling tare had a very active life.
For me a great read.
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- Psychofan1
- 08-19-19
Excellent historical account
First hand accounts fascinate me. This is a detailed first hand account of a sailor...it includes many details often overlooked and reads so pleasantly that it feels as though you sitting down to coffee with the author. I highly recommend this reading.
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- B. Dillon
- 04-27-24
That this is our past history and can be oh so harsh.
Life at sea 200 years ago is amazing to me. Hearing the harshness and yet the excitement that drives a young man to continue to go back to sea knowing death is lurking around the corner is revealing.
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- Richard Jones
- 12-28-21
A rewarding listen ,,
,,,,,Hi,,,, yes indeed, a grand listen , simple , factual , the life at sea , and land of a young English boy , with a fascinating finish,,, Ritchie,
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- Tbaley
- 12-15-23
Catalogue
No Patrick O’Brian, this reads more like a catalogue than an adventurous tale of sea faring. No overarching plot. Here’s the end of my life, I converted to devout Methodism, thank goodness the Lord saw fit to have me land in America. The end.
Borderline recommendation.
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- Michael
- 04-21-24
Amazingly entertaining
Definitely very entertaining but not a 5 for me due to the lack of action. Recommend reading for a different perspective of seafaring in the 19th century
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- Peter
- 07-18-18
More religion than sailing
Samuel Leech spent only a few years as a sailor and the rest living on land. The interesting portion is his short time serving on the Macedonian. Much of this part of the narrative has been quoted often in other histories of the War of 1812.
Leech spends pages of his book discussing religion and the perils of drink. Don't expect thirty years worth of sea stories.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-14-24
This writer is detailed and very intelligent about his topic.
I want to long extend this story much for the same with Melville! To watch with his photogenic eyes and cohabitated narrative is equal with their watch on same darkness of a captain’s heart. This poised in a mirror of Ahab standing on a British Man of War!
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- wbrongo
- 10-16-24
A Traitor's Tale
The shameful story of a man who, in war, deserted and fought for his county's enemy. Neither entertaining nor interesting.n
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