Seafaring Women

by Linda Grant De Pauw

Discusses women at sea throughout history in both feminine and masculine roles, including those of pirate, warrior, whaler, trader, and the greatly expanding roles of recent times.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Pirates

246 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1982

About the author

LINDA GRANT DE PAUW is President of the Minerva Center (an institution dedicated to studies of women in the military) and Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting! Very informative about the different roles women played at sea during various times periods

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, and a fairly quick read. There are so many amazing stories in here. Ever heard of Mary Patten, the woman who quelled a mutiny, navigated around Cape Horn in a ferocious storm, and served as captain for 52 days after her husband collapsed of brain fever––all while 19 years old and pregnant? (She "is uncommon handy about the ship, even in weather, and would doubtless be of service, if a man," her husband remarked before setting out on that fateful voyage. The irony is exquisite). Or Madame Ching, arguably the most successful pirate of all time? Or Caroline Mahew, the Victorian whaling wife who kept a pet kangaroo on board throughout her voyages? While this book is mostly a collection of stories and anecdotes, De Pauw weaves them skillfully together into something very powerful––a reminder that women sailing the seas, whether as leaders, warriors, helpers, or nurturers, is not just the stuff of fiction. So don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A great introduction to a fascinating topic.

[M Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically a collection of short accounts of women at sea which fall under a handful of categories instead of a summarial compilation of accounts. Story after story for pages and pages can get dry.

[L.C. Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read of 106 about women at sea during different periods of time. Chapter 2, titled PIRATES, was an interesting read.