From the bestselling author of 'The Lighthouse Stevensons', a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th-century - and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea.
A fine wreck has always represented sport, pleasure, treasure, and in many cases, the difference between living well and just getting by. The Cornish were supposedly so ferocious that notices of shipwrecks were given out during morning service by the minister, whilst the congregation concocted elaborate theological justifications for drowning the survivors. Treeless islanders relied on the harvest of storms to furnish themselves with rafters, boat hulls, fence-posts and floors. In other places, false lights were set up with grisly ingenuity along the coast to lure boats to destruction.
With romance, insight and dry wit, Bella Bathurst traces the history of wrecking, looting and salvaging in the British Isles since the 18th-century and leading up to the present day. 'For a fully laden general cargo to run to ground in an accessible position is more or less like having Selfridges crash-land in your back garden,' she writes. 'A Selfridges with the prices removed'. Far from being a black-and-white crime, wrecking is often seen as opaque by its practitioners - the divisions between theft and recovery are small. No successful legal prosecution has ever been brought; the RNLI was founded by wreckers - even today lifeboat crews maintain the right to claim salvage.
In settings ranging from the eerily perambulatory Goodwin Sands to the wreck-strewn waters off the coast of Durham, these murky tales of resourcefulness and quick-witted opportunism open a beguiling vista of life at the rough edges of our land and legality.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 4048798-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. From the bestselling author of The Lighthouse Stevensons, a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th-century and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. A fine wreck has always represented sport, pleasure, treasure, and in many cases, the difference between living well and just getting by. The Cornish were supposedly so ferocious that notices of shipwrecks were given out during morning service by the minister, whilst the congregation concocted elaborate theological justifications for drowning the survivors. Treeless islanders relied on the harvest of storms to furnish themselves with rafters, boat hulls, fence-posts and floors. In other places, false lights were set up with grisly ingenuity along the coast to lure boats to destruction.With romance, insight and dry wit, Bella Bathurst traces the history of wrecking, looting and salvaging in the British Isles since the 18th-century and leading up to the present day. For a fully laden general cargo to run to ground in an accessible position is more or less like having Selfridges crash-land in your back garden, she writes. A Selfridges with the prices removed. Far from being a black-and-white crime, wrecking is often seen as opaque by its practitioners the divisions between theft and recovery are small. No successful legal prosecution has ever been brought; the RNLI was founded by wreckers even today lifeboat crews maintain the right to claim salvage.In settings ranging from the eerily perambulatory Goodwin Sands to the wreck-strewn waters off the coast of Durham, these murky tales of resourcefulness and quick-witted opportunism open a beguiling vista of life at the rough edges of our land and legality. From the bestselling author of The Lighthouse Stevensons, a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th-century and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780007170333
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition 0.57. Seller Inventory # bk0007170335xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published 0.57. Seller Inventory # 353-0007170335-new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780007170333-GDR
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 320 pages. 7.56x5.12x1.02 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0007170335
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780007170333_new
Book Description Condition: New. 2006. Reprint. Paperback. From the bestselling author of 'The Lighthouse Stevensons', a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th-century - and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. Num Pages: 320 pages, 30 b/w plates (16pp). BIC Classification: 1DB; 3JH; HBTM. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 201 x 128 x 24. Weight in Grams: 280. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780007170333
Book Description Condition: New. PRINT ON DEMAND Book; New; Fast Shipping from the UK. No. book. Seller Inventory # ria9780007170333_lsuk
Book Description Condition: New. 2006. Reprint. Paperback. From the bestselling author of 'The Lighthouse Stevensons', a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the 18th-century - and the often grisly ingenuity of British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. Num Pages: 320 pages, 30 b/w plates (16pp). BIC Classification: 1DB; 3JH; HBTM. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 201 x 128 x 24. Weight in Grams: 280. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780007170333