
Sons of the Waves
The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail
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Narrated by:
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Matthew Waterson
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By:
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Stephen Taylor
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 Now, Stephen Taylor draws on published and unpublished memoirs, letters, and naval records, including court-martials and petitions, to present these men in their own words.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 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance, and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English-speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his often challenging voyages. Now you can take a seat next to John - at a lesser cost - and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure.
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Fantastic book on ocean sailing
- By Aleksander Styrvold Kristoffersen on 05-09-19
By: John Kretschmer
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Burke and Wills
- The Triumph and Tragedy of Australia's Most Famous Explorers
- By: Peter FitzSimons
- Narrated by: Michael Carman
- Length: 23 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The iconic Australian exploration story - brought to life by Peter FitzSimons, Australia's storyteller. 'They have left here today!' he calls to the others. When King puts his hand down above the ashes of the fire, it is to find it still hot. There is even a tiny flame flickering from the end of one log. They must have left just hours ago. Melbourne, 20 August 1860. In an ambitious quest to be the first Europeans to cross the harsh Australian continent, the Victorian Exploring Expedition sets off, with 15,000 well-wishers cheering them on.
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This Yarn Is Rather Needling—Off The Rails, Even
- By Nicholas Robinson on 05-08-20
By: Peter FitzSimons
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The Great Polar Fraud
- Cook, Peary, and Byrd - How Three American Heroes Duped the World into Thinking They Had Reached the North Pole
- By: Anthony Galvin
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The Great Polar Fraud explores the history of the three men who claimed the pole, their claims, and the subsequent doubts of those claims, effectively rewriting the history of polar exploration and putting Amundsen center stage as the rightful conqueror of both poles.
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A good read
- By rjay on 09-08-17
By: Anthony Galvin
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Conquistador
- Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs
- By: Buddy Levy
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It was a moment unique in human history: the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico, determined not only to expand the Spanish empire but to convert the natives to Catholicism and carry off a fortune in gold. That he saw nothing paradoxical in his intentions is one of the most remarkable and tragic aspects of this unforgettable story.
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A Great Book
- By Victor on 02-27-11
By: Buddy Levy
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My Old Man and the Mountain
- A Memoir
- By: Leif Whittaker
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1963, the world followed the first American Mount Everest Expedition, and watched as "Big Jim" Whittaker became the first American to stand on top of the world. He returned home a hero. My Old Man and the Mountain is Leif Whittaker's engaging and humorous story of what it was like to "grow up Whittaker" - the youngest son of Jim Whittaker and Dianne Roberts, in an extended family of accomplished climbers. He shares glimpses of his upbringing and how the pressure to climb started early on.
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Lief and Eric what a great combination
- By Mountain Guide on 11-10-23
By: Leif Whittaker
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Empires of the Sea
- The Contest for the Center of the World
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Empires of the Sea tells the story of the 50-year world war between Islam and Christianity for the Mediterranean: one of the fiercest and most influential contests in European history. It traces events from the appearance on the world stage of Suleiman the Magnificent through "the years of devastation" when it seemed possible that Islam might master the whole sea, to the final brief flourishing of a united Christendom in 1571.
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Brilliant detail, exciting story
- By Tad Davis on 08-17-08
By: Roger Crowley
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God's Shadow
- Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Alan Mikhail
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Long neglected in world history, the Ottoman Empire was a hub of intellectual fervor, geopolitical power, and enlightened pluralistic rule. Yet, despite its towering influence and centrality to the rise of our modern world, the Ottoman Empire's history has for centuries been distorted, misrepresented, and even suppressed in the West. Now Alan Mikhail presents a vitally needed recasting of Ottoman history, retelling the story of the Ottoman conquest of the world through the dramatic biography of Sultan Selim I (1470-1520).
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Entertaining narrative, but poor scholarship
- By Yosemite on 09-15-20
By: Alan Mikhail
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Men-of-War
- Life in Nelson’s Navy
- By: Patrick O’Brian
- Narrated by: Ronald Pickup
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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What was daily life in Nelson's navy really like, for everyone from the captain down to the rawest recruit? What did they eat? What songs did they sing? What was the schedule of watches? How were the officers and crew paid, and what was the division of prize-money? These questions and many more are answered in Patrick O'Brian's elegant narrative, which includes wonderful anecdotal material on the battles and commanders that established Britain's naval supremacy.
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Naval Basics
- By Miffed on 04-07-25
By: Patrick O’Brian
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The Light Ages
- The Surprising Story of Medieval Science
- By: Seb Falk
- Narrated by: Seb Falk
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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An illuminating guide to the scientific and technological achievements of the Middle Ages through the life of a crusading astronomer-monk.
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Fascinating exploration of medieval science
- By Celia on 07-05-21
By: Seb Falk
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Mountain Man
- John Colter, the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and the Call of the American West
- By: David Weston Marshall
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1804, John Colter set out with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the first US expedition to traverse the North American continent. During the 28-month ordeal, Colter served as a hunter and scout, and honed his survival skills on the western frontier. But when the journey was over, Colter stayed behind. He spent two more years trekking alone through dangerous and unfamiliar territory, charting some of the West's most treasured landmarks.
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Piqued Curoisty
- By Julie on 01-30-22
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The Invention of Nature
- Alexander von Humboldt's New World
- By: Andrea Wulf
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthrax-infested Siberia. He came up with a radical vision of nature, that it was a complex and interconnected global force and did not exist for man's use alone. Ironically, his ideas have become so accepted and widespread that he has been nearly forgotten.
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Poignant origin story
- By Jeremy Fairbanks on 03-03-16
By: Andrea Wulf
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River of Darkness
- Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon
- By: Buddy Levy
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1541, the brutal conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro and his well-born lieutenant Francisco Orellana set off from Quito in search of La Canela, South America's rumored Land of Cinnamon, and the fabled El Dorado, "the golden man". Driving an enormous retinue of mercenaries, enslaved natives, horses, hunting dogs, and other animals across the Andes, they watched their proud expedition begin to disintegrate even before they descended into the nightmarish jungle, following the course of a powerful river.
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Amazing!
- By Sammi on 02-17-18
By: Buddy Levy
What listeners say about Sons of the Waves
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- DucatiRacer M.D.
- 11-26-24
New perspectives
…..and smooths out my 2 hr commute. Word word word word (count to ya mutha). 15 minimum to rate.
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- Jessica
- 09-23-24
From the mouths of the Common Jack
Oh my gosh. What an epic narrative. Beautifully written and an emotional depiction of the realities of life on the sea from the men who lived it.
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- ZheG
- 11-30-22
Amazing, everything I want from a book
I’m glad I bought this, so excellent, great writing, many quotes research, freaking wow. Devoured it
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1 person found this helpful
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- J. Mar
- 09-29-22
Depiction of the Average Seaman
I like reading the histories of Nelson and Pellew, etc , but this book is unique in that it drew a picture of life for the every day sailor. Despite what the author says, in my experience much of that 18th century spirit in sailors is still alive in the crews of the mechanized beasts that prowl the seas today. Traveling the oceans has undoubtedly changed significantly but some things have remained the same.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lexcast
- 06-17-20
Navy Guy Recommends this Title
This subject is of particular interest to me. A Factual glimpse into the life and times the of the working sailor during the British Golden Age of Sail. Narrator has an excellent cadence in "BBC-English". No voice acting in this book.
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3 people found this helpful
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- B. Dillon
- 02-27-24
An amazing account!
I can only imagine what it must have been like from the press gangs for filling the numbers for war, to battling slavery. The endurance of man in hardship is incredible. The fact that sailors were flogged and suffered other inhumane cruelty is astounding. What a great listen!
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- Veronica
- 03-31-24
What a depressing warped sense of seafaring
This book is not only depressing, barely accurate, not representing life onboard a vessel or the mindset of a sailor. It’s alarming to me that anyone could view and write about a subject they obviously have no idea about
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- Avk ltk
- 03-24-21
A Good Listen But Could be Shorter
This was a pretty good read. I find the life and customs of 18 and 19 century Royal British Sailors fascinating. This books gives an excellent treatment of the the subject matter. I did think that the author could have been lighter on some topics and heavier on others.
The narrator for most of the book mispronounced forecastle throughout the book which was slightly irksome.
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1 person found this helpful