Tasked with destroying as many British merchant ships as possible, German aristocrat Felix von Luckner and his ship the Seeadler succeeded in spectacular fashion.n 1916, a three-masted windjammer bearing Norwegian colours sailed out of a quiet anchorage in Germany, loaded with cargo and apparently bound for Australia. Her true mission was quite different.The ship was, in fact, the SMS Seeadler, commanded by swashbuckling German aristocrat ...

This unique and entertaining travel guide to Greek waters recreates parts of voyages undertaken in myth, anchoring off landmarks or ports associated with ancient legends. It follows the trails of Odysseus, Hercules, and Jason and the Argonauts, as well as visiting the sites where Poseidon lost his trident (off Paxos) and built his temple (on the Saronic Gulf), the cliff where Theseus's father threw himself to his death after fearing his son had been killed by the minotaur, and Troy, the re...

In the era of commercial sail, clipper ships were the ultimate expression of speed and grace. Racing out to the gold fields of America and Australia, and breaking speed records carrying tea back from China, the ships combined beauty with breathtaking performance.With over 200 gorgeous paintings and illustrations, and thrilling descriptions of the adventures and races on the water, this beautiful book brings the era vividly to life.Chapters include:The origins of the...

The 1866 transatlantic yacht race was a match that saw three yachts battle their way across the Atlantic in the dead of winter in pursuit of a $90,000 prize. Six men died in the brutal and close-fought contest, and the event changed the perception of yachting from a slightly effete gentlemen's pursuit into something altogether more rugged and adventurous. The race also symbolized the beginning of America's 'gilded age', with its associated obscene wealth and largesse (the $90,000 prize put...

How did a big-game fishing trip rudely interrupted by sharks inspire one of the key scenes in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea? How did Robert Louis Stevenson's cruise to the cannibal-infested South Sea islands prove instrumental in his writing of The Beach of Falesa and The Ebb Tide? How did Masefield survive Cape Horn and a near-nervous breakdown to write Sea Fever?The waters of this world have swirled through storytelling ever since the Cel...

Richard Henry Dana's 'Two Years Before the Mast' is a seminal work that eloquently captures the rigors and realities of life at sea in the early 19th century. Written in a vivid, first-person narrative, the book blends travelogue, adventure, and maritime memoir, transporting readers into the harsh, yet transformative experiences of Dana's two-year voyage from Boston to California. His keen observations and rich descriptions reveal not only the challenges of seafaring—stormy weather, labori...

In August of 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton set out with a crew of twenty-eight aboard the ship 'Endurance' in an effort to become the first men to cross the vast Antarctic land mass. Their adventurous tale of exploration soon became a struggle for survival when the ship was enclosed by a sea of ice which slowly crushed it leaving them stranded in a barren icy wilderness. What would follow is one of the most gripping tales of heroism and survival in the face of almost certain death to have eve...

An encyclopedic compendium of every element of a yacht, this book contains a wealth of information for the aficionado as well as the newcomer, taking apart the sailboat to explore every part of it in depth. Gloriously illustrated with beautiful photography and explanatory diagrams, each page is packed with fascinating and satisfying detail.Looking first at the history of yachting and boatbuilding techniques, the book arms the reader with the knowledge to understand the lineage and ...

Learn more about Greek and Roman Mythology with this comprehensive and fully illustrated book.Audience:Intended for everyone interested Greek and Roman Mythology. Written in plain English.FEATURES:- Fully illustrated with maps, art, and photographs - Search for the words or phrases - Navigate from Table of Contents or read page by page - Add Bookmarks - Designed for optimal navigation on electronic devices with a small screen - Access the guide anytime, anywhere - at home, on the train, in...

Heroes, Gods and Monsters in Ancient Greek Mythology' is a collection of classic archetypal Ancient Greek myths, including the stories of Jason, Perseus, Odysseus, Heracles, Oedipus and Theseus, and many more dark and delirious, famous Ancient Greek myths. These stories, which have had a great influence on thinkers throughout the centuries, inform popular culture even today. Here they are told as if by a fireside storyteller, detailing the horrific perils these heroes faced. A historical i...

The Greek Myths contains some of the most thrilling, romantic, and unforgettable stories in all human history. From Achilles rampant on the fields of Troy, to the gods at sport on Mount Olympus; from Icarus flying too close to the sun, to the superhuman feats of Heracles, Theseus, and the wily Odysseus, these timeless tales exert an eternal fascination and inspiration that have endured for millennia and influenced cultures from ancient to modern.Beginning at the dawn of human civil...

Endymion, Pelops, Daedalus, Pygmalion – what are the stories behind these and the hundreds of other familiar names from Greek mythology – names that recur throughout the history of European culture?In a two-volume work that has become a classic reference book for both the serious scholar and the casual inquirer, Robert Graves retells the adventures of the important gods and heroes worshipped by the ancient Greeks.Drawing on an enormous range of sources, he has brought toget...