Maritime

Sightings – The Gray Whales’ Mysterious Journey – Peterson and Hogan

A National Geographic Publication, 2002, first edition and quite hard to find for one of theirs – possibly because of its then price.

Octavo, 286 pages, nice photographic illustrations. A very good if not better copy.

The Gray Whale travels 10,000 along the western coastline of North America… breeding in the warm waters off Mexico and feeding in the chill of the Arctic.

Probably no better book on the subject and one that more should take an interest in.

Gray whales put the effort in – makes walking to work seem a breeze!

$35.00

Updating cart…

The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

A scarce book, the first UK edition published by George Allen & Unwin, London 1952 .. we also have the first US Edition. Octavo, 256 pages nicely illustrated with the authors photographs. Good to better condition with a chip lower dust jacket.

The author was part of the Kon-Tiki expedition. They were shipwrecked at Raroia which is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, to the east of Tahiti.

Danielsson and his wife returned there and spent a year and a half enjoying the relaxed lifestyle. A very funny account but there is tragedy in the death of a key character and the inevitable cyclone.

Perspective .. in 2012 the population of Raroia was 233, there is nowhere to stay so visitors are always invited to stay in the homes of maybe the friendliest people on earth!

Unusual Pacific account

$30.00

Updating cart…

Medal Commemorating Admiral Vernon’s Capture of Porto Bello [Panama] – Struck 1740.

Half length figure of Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757), facing with baton raised in the left hand, right hand outstretched. Inscribed around the edge “THE BRITISH GLORY REVIVE-D BY ADMIRAL VERNON”.

Reverse a view of the Port; six ships [of Vernon’s fleet” and two Spanish gun-boats. Inscribed below “BY COURAGE AND CONDUCT” and around the edge “HE TOOK PORTO BELLO WITH SIX SHIPS ONLY”.

Very good condition, 37mm weighing 19gm.

For those impressed but also confused by the elaborate artwork and extensive description … there is a whole world out there of collectors of Admiral Vernon medals, and the detailed description matters to identify the precise medal, there were quite a few types. He was pretty much admired for his success at capturing Porto Bello in November 1739 and he possibly became the most medal(ised) person in history.

The event was an early conflict in what became known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear. In 1738 Captain Robert Jenkins appeared before the House of Commons with his amputated ear which had been severed by the Spanish in the West Indies. This added to other stories of bad behaviour by the Spanish led to war. Veron, then Vice Admiral was in charge of the Jamaica Station. Vernon preferred small well armed fleets and his attack with only six vessels was seemed foolhardy by others ... he succeeded and had a mountain named after him and the most fashionable street in London was named after the battle.

Vernon takes Porto Bello and gets one back for Jenkins’ Ear …

$180.00

Updating cart...

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy. The best dust jacket ever with a facsimile period map on the reverse from Flinder’s Journal Atlas.

Robert Purdie was a young surgeon who was wrecked on HMS Porpoise on a reef off the Queensland coast (to become known as “Wreck Reef’’). This was the vessel originally taking Matthew Flinders back the England having completed his coastal survey of Australia, confirming the entirety of the land mass. Purdie’s account had been published anonymously in The Naval Chronicle in 1807/07. He had been a junior officer on the Investigator and was among those that stayed on the reef whilst Flinders and others rowed back to Sydney to successfully mount a rescue.

The narrative is lively, informative and readable … here well presented with an excellent introduction and notes by Matthew Fishburn.

Matthew Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$30.00

Updating cart…

Gunfire in Barbary – Perkins and Douglas- Morris

Admiral Lord Exmouth’s battle with the Corsairs of Algeria in 1816

First edition, published by Kenneth Mason, Havant, England. Octavo, 199 pages, slightly toned, very good complete dust jacket a good copy of a most interesting book.

The combined English and Dutch fleets bombarded Algiers with all their might. The objective was to destroy the Corsairs who for near three hundred years had kidnapped masses of white Christians to become slaves to their Moslem captives. The slave markets of Algiers was a busy place. Admiral Lord Exmouth was successful but not without significant losses [greater than Nelson at Trafalgar].

Exmouth deals with the Barbary Corsairs

$30.00

Updating cart…

Sea Dangers [The Affair of the US Brig Somers] – Philip McFarland

First edition, published by Schocken, New York in 1985. Large octavo, 308 pages, a little age to jacket otherwise a very good copy.

In 1842 on the American Brig “Somers” a young officer and two seamen were hung for mutiny, a court martial followed for the commanding officer. A very well researched and written book.

Formed the basis of “Billy Rudd” by Herman Melville.

American Mutiny … or was it?

$25.00

Updating cart…

Sightings – The Gray Whales’ Mysterious Journey – Peterson and Hogan

The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

Medal Commemorating Admiral Vernon’s Capture of Porto Bello [Panama] – Struck 1740.

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Gunfire in Barbary – Perkins and Douglas- Morris

Sea Dangers [The Affair of the US Brig Somers] – Philip McFarland

Product Categories