This is an auction for TARS: THE MEN WHO MADE BRITAIN RULE THE WAVES by Tim Clayton.

Amazon.com review:

"The Royal Navy in the late 1750s has not been as popular a subject for fiction and history as it was during the Napoleonic Wars. Tars is certainly a book that breathes a lot of life into the Royal Navy in this earlier period. This was the time of Admiral Byng, who was court-martialed and executed for failing to do his utmost. Captain Augustus Hervey was a protégé of Byng's (not ideal for promotion): most of the book follows his life on the Monmouth and later the Dragon. You get a very detailed view of the life and duties of the tars--the sailors. You'll find out about the duties of a quarter-gunner, for example, and the promotions from ordinary seaman to able. But after the first few chapters, perhaps, when you think that you're getting a view of the navy from the lower decks, most of the rest of the book is about the upper-deck Navy and naval history. This is fine, because you've come to know and appreciate the roles of the two groups. This was in the scurvy days of the Navy, before the emphasis on anti-scorbutics. There are a lot of interesting statistics. On a voyage to the West Indies, the death rate for seamen was 2-3 percent (compared to 1% for voyages in northern climes), and for extended stays of several months, the death rate rose to 10-12% - though compared to the 25% death rate on slavery voyages, it may not seem so bad. There's a fine account of the attack on Cuba's Morro Castle (which failed, initially)--this resulted in the court-martial of a captain for cowardice in the face of the enemy. This book will make a very nice addition to your library. It's well-written and detailed."

More very favourable reviews on Amazon.com.

Hardback 2007.

376 pages + illustrations.

Good condition.

The cost of shipping is $4.95.

There is of course no charge for shipping if you collect this book from my shop in Palmerston North following the auction.

Payment within seven days, please.