Free Downloads Breverton's Nautical Curiosities: A Book Of The Sea
Breverton’s Nautical Curiosities is arranged into thematic chapters:1) 1) The ocean environment – animals, geography, geology, weather, coasts, islands2) 2) Ship types and parts – from the first boat to the latest cutting-edge technology1) 3) People – heroes, heroines, pirates, sailors, captains 2) 4) Disasters, battles, wars3) 5) Literature – stories, myths, legends, proclamations, acts, orders 4) 6) Nautical sayings and slang Breverton’s Nautical Curiosities is about ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or the downright extraordinary. Thus, someone most of us do not know, Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson. Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist. And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor, the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. Readers will be stimulated to read more about the remarkable men – explorers, admirals and trawlermen – who have shaped our world. The sea has had a remarkable effect upon our language. We hear the terms ‘steer clear of’, ‘hit the deck’, ‘don’t rock the boat’, ‘to harbour a grudge’ and the like, and give little thought to them. In the pages of this book, the reader will find the origin of 'bumpkin', a 'brace of shakes', 'born with a silver spoon', 'booby prize', 'to take on board', 'above board', 'bombed' (in the sense of being drunk), the 'blues', 'blind-side', 'blind drunk', 'the pot calling the kettle black', 'reach the bitter end', 'wasters', 'ahoy', 'all at sea', 'to keep aloof', 'piss-artist', 'taken aback', 'barbecue'' and 'bamboozle'. Other colourful terms, which have passed out of common usage, such as 'bring one's arse to anchor' (sit down), 'belly timber' (food) and 'bog orange' (potato) are also included, as well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles, maritime inventors and ship speed records.
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Lyons Press (September 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599219794
ISBN-13: 978-1599219790
Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #190,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #69 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography #85 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Transportation > History > Ships #160 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Trivia & Fun Facts
We stumbled upon this book at the Oddysea store in Half Moon Bay, and my husband couldn't put it down. I got it for him as a Christmas gift, and he has enjoyed it. It quickly became a coffee table book in our nautical themed living room, and guests tend to enjoy it as well. I highly recommend it.
What a cool book! Who ever thought to write a neat compilation of Nautical facts, trivia of historical nature, and tales, was very clever! I have a father who is exceptionally hard to shop-for-a gift-for! He seems to have EVERYTHING that he wants, ALREADY! Well, when I asked him if he'd heard of this book, after I saw it, and he answered: "No", I KNEW I wanted to get it for him! He has a love of sailing and the boating the seas now that he is retired and, this NAILED IT ! Would recommend!
Terry Breverton has a knack for organizing information and presenting it in interesting, easily digestible chunks. He begins in familiar waters: chapter headings include "An A-Z of Sea Slang," "Sea Conditions and Weather," "Life at Sea," "Death at Sea," "Heroes, Heroines, Sea People and Navigation," and "Villains of the Sea." Read through these sections and you'll learn a lot about types of ships, parts of a ship, a ship's food and medical care, naval weapons, famous captains and, of course, pirates. In "Islands, Ports, Harbours and Capes," Breverton explores the geography of seafaring.In the final chapters, he casts his eyes a little deeper. "Animals of the Seas" and "The Ocean Environment" delve into biology and zoology, laying out for readers the many fascinating creatures that call the oceans home, as well as the environmental threats against them. Breverton makes a serious case for conservation, detailing the mass extinctions that are occurring even now and projecting what's likely to occur if we continue on our present course.This is a darling of a book, easy to read at length or keep handy to browse piecemeal.by Tom Knapp, the Rambles.NET guy
Great little coffee table book for our beach house. Interesting cover and lots of little factoids you can either pick up and skim or actually sit down and read through.Not sure if its the accurate answer but the idea that irish step dancing might have originated from sailors was an interesting tidbit.
If you're interested in maritime or anything nautical this book is one of my favorite in my little nautical library.Fun and yet packed with accurate info on everything from historical events to seamanship do's and don'ts.Awesome present for anyone you know who's into this.
All of Terry Breverton's books are amazing. If you like this I recommend the Encyclopedia of Inventions, and Phantasmagoria: A Compendium of Monster, Myths, and Legends. You can't go wrong for the price of these books and the bindings are great.
A nice compendium of famous ships, sailors, legends, monsters and sayings with nautical origins you have heard lots of times before but never thought to. I Really love this book, I picked it up for research purposes and got so much more than I expected.
Great book full of amazing facts. Well laid out with little repetition. All kinds of interesting facts and legends. If you love the sea, this a great addition to your library.
Breverton's Nautical Curiosities: A Book Of The Sea The Land of Curiosities (Book 2)): Lost in Yellowstone, 1872-1873 (Land of Curiosities (the Ecoseekers Collection)) Sea Shell Coloring Book: An Adult Coloring Book of 40 Zentangle Sea Shell Designs for Ocean, Nautical, Underwater and Seaside Enthusiasts (Ocean Coloring Books) (Volume 5) Nautical Scenes to Paint or Color (Dover Art Coloring Book) Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: The Complete Book of Nautical Codes Summer Time Summer Vacation at the Beach Coloring Book: Coloring Books for Adults Ocean Life in al; Adult Coloring Books Nautical in al; Coloring ... Best Sellers in al; Disney Coloring Books Nautical: Ocean Coloring Books in all Departments; Adult Coloring Books Ocean Life in al; Coloring Books for Adults Ocean Animals in al; Coloring ... in al; Coloring Books for Adults Disney in al Farwell's Rules of the Nautical Road Nautical Illustrations: 681 Royalty-Free Illustrations from Nineteenth-Century Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive) Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature, V. 1) (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls & Related Literature) Kate Spade New York: Things We Love - Twenty Years of Inspiration, Intriguing Bits and Other Curiosities J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: A Pop-up Gallery of Curiosities Cabinet of Curiosities: Collecting and Understanding the Wonders of the Natural World Atomic Marbles and Branding Irons: Museums, Collections, and Curiosities in Washington and Oregon The Steampunk Adventurer's Guide: Contraptions, Creations, and Curiosities Anyone Can Make Seba: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities The Marvelous Museum: Orphans, Curiosities & Treasures: A Mark Dion Project More Civil War Curiosities: Fascinating Tales, Infamous Characters, and Strange Coincidences Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions Stats and Curiosities: From Harvard Business Review
