A Book for the Hammock by William Clark Russell
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"A Book for the Hammock" by William Clark Russell is a collection of nautical essays written in the late 19th century. The work reflects on the romanticism of sea life, contrasting past maritime adventures with the mechanized, prosaic realities of modern naval experiences. The essays explore themes of nostalgia for traditional seamanship, the loss of poetic engagement with the ocean, and the whimsical culture of sailors, including superstitions and life at sea.
The opening of the book introduces readers to Russell's reflections on the decline of the "old romance of the sea" amid the advancements of steam-powered travel. He paints a vivid picture of a modern sailor's experience aboard a ship, pondering the beauty and mystery once associated with ocean voyages that seems lost in the face of progress. Russell laments the absence of wonder in contemporary maritime life, as sailors now rush through journeys stripped of the exploratory spirit that once characterized their trade. Through his contemplative prose, he creates a sense of longing for a bygone era filled with adventure and folklore, suggesting that the magic of the ocean has faded alongside the traditional ways of seafaring. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Russell, William Clark, 1844-1911 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 42028896 |
| Title | A Book for the Hammock |
| Contents | A nautical lament -- Superstitions of the sea -- Old sea ordnance -- The honour of the flag -- The naval officer's spirit -- Women as sailors -- Fighting smugglers -- Sea phrases -- Then and now -- Costly shipwrecks -- Curiosities of disasters at sea -- Infernal machines -- Queer fish -- Strange craft -- Mysterious disappearances -- Rich captures -- Peculiarities of rig -- How the old navigators managed -- Plates and rivets -- French smacksmen -- Old sea customs -- Who is Vanderdecken? |
| Credits |
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 62.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Seafaring life |
| Subject | Sailors |
| Subject | Ships |
| Subject | English essays -- 19th century |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 61207 |
| Release Date | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Last Update | Oct 17, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 714 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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