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Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth
The true story of the most notorious crime in American nautical history -- a uniquely grotesque triple murder -- and the long journey to truth.
The Herbert Fuller, a three-masted sailing ship loaded with New England lumber, left Boston bound for Buenos Aires on July 8, 1896 with twelve people on captain and owner Charles Nash, his wife and childhood sweetheart Laura, two mates, the "mulatto" steward, six crewmen, and one passenger. Just before 2 A.M. on the sixth day at sea, the captain, his wife, and the second mate were slaughtered in their individual bunkrooms with the ship's axe, seven or eight blows apiece. Laura Nash was found with her thin nightgown pushed above her hips, her head and upper body smashed and deformed. Incredibly, no one saw or heard the killings . . . except the killer.
After a harrowing voyage back to port for the survivors, the killer among them, it didn't take long for Boston's legal system to convict the first mate, a naturalized American of mixed blood from St. Kitts. But another man on board, a twenty-year-old Harvard passenger from a proper family, had his own dark secrets. Who was the real killer, and what became of these two men?
Not a Gentleman's Work is the story of the fates of two vastly different men whose lives intersected briefly on one horrific voyage at sea -- a story that reverberates with universal inescapable terror, coerced confession, capital punishment, justice obscured by privilege, perseverance, redemption, and death by tortured soul.
The Herbert Fuller, a three-masted sailing ship loaded with New England lumber, left Boston bound for Buenos Aires on July 8, 1896 with twelve people on captain and owner Charles Nash, his wife and childhood sweetheart Laura, two mates, the "mulatto" steward, six crewmen, and one passenger. Just before 2 A.M. on the sixth day at sea, the captain, his wife, and the second mate were slaughtered in their individual bunkrooms with the ship's axe, seven or eight blows apiece. Laura Nash was found with her thin nightgown pushed above her hips, her head and upper body smashed and deformed. Incredibly, no one saw or heard the killings . . . except the killer.
After a harrowing voyage back to port for the survivors, the killer among them, it didn't take long for Boston's legal system to convict the first mate, a naturalized American of mixed blood from St. Kitts. But another man on board, a twenty-year-old Harvard passenger from a proper family, had his own dark secrets. Who was the real killer, and what became of these two men?
Not a Gentleman's Work is the story of the fates of two vastly different men whose lives intersected briefly on one horrific voyage at sea -- a story that reverberates with universal inescapable terror, coerced confession, capital punishment, justice obscured by privilege, perseverance, redemption, and death by tortured soul.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published June 16, 2020
28 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Gerard Koeppel
6 books9 followersI write history, mostly New York related so far, mostly in books of my own and others', but also in anything from magazines and journals to historical signage in city parks. I started writing at Wesleyan, for the student paper and in a grueling non-fiction writing seminar with V.S. Naipaul. After college, I was the captain of a charter sailboat with a past, an awful law student, a licensed hack (out of a Greenwich Village taxi garage), and then, for many years, a radio reporter/writer/editor/producer, mostly with CBS News. In radio, I learned to write short and unlearned narrative. With each book of history, I'm trying to do the narrative thing better. I was born at an edge of the Manhattan street grid, in a hospital since replaced by a high-rise condo, raised on the suburban mainland, and for many decades have lived on my native island, mostly at edges of its dominant rectilinearity. I'm married and we have three grown but still health insurance covered children, who may someday cross paths with some of mine. Or not.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 4, 2020
This was a non-fiction book that was very disappointing. A true, locked -door murder mystery is my sort of fare, but Not A Gentleman's Work just didn't give me enough to chew on.
A hideous triple murder takes place aboard a ship at sea. The captain, his wife and the second mate are axed to death in their sleep. There are only 3 men that could have done it, the first mate (Bram), the only paying passenger (Monks), and a sailor who was manning the helm (Brown); all the other sailors were asleep in their section of the ship. I have summed up the beginning of the story in a few sentences. That was the interesting part.
The author and the authorities of the time discount the sailor at the helm, who though an odd ball, probably didn't do it. So, it comes down to the black first mate and the white, wealthy passenger. It is not too surprising that the black first mate is found guilty. The rest of the book takes up Bram's incarceration and his later perusal of a pardon. Monks goes on his way and surprisingly doesn't do that well in life.
The author does a deep dive into who was married to who and what their children's children did. That was a snore. I would have preferred if he had lent his time and writing to figuring out what happened. Who did it? And why? There seems to be no motive. If those things could not have been delved into, why write the book?
A hideous triple murder takes place aboard a ship at sea. The captain, his wife and the second mate are axed to death in their sleep. There are only 3 men that could have done it, the first mate (Bram), the only paying passenger (Monks), and a sailor who was manning the helm (Brown); all the other sailors were asleep in their section of the ship. I have summed up the beginning of the story in a few sentences. That was the interesting part.
The author and the authorities of the time discount the sailor at the helm, who though an odd ball, probably didn't do it. So, it comes down to the black first mate and the white, wealthy passenger. It is not too surprising that the black first mate is found guilty. The rest of the book takes up Bram's incarceration and his later perusal of a pardon. Monks goes on his way and surprisingly doesn't do that well in life.
The author does a deep dive into who was married to who and what their children's children did. That was a snore. I would have preferred if he had lent his time and writing to figuring out what happened. Who did it? And why? There seems to be no motive. If those things could not have been delved into, why write the book?
November 23, 2021
My thanks to Hatchette books, Mr. Koeppel and Netgalley. I will confess that I'm completely befuddled after reading this book. I did realize almost immediately that there weren't going to be any easy answers. Still, I hoped that someone with one single ounce of sense would step in. Nope. Sadly, these murders and the investigation was beyond the pale. I'm still shocked. No, it's more than shocked. I am actually mad as hell! All I can think is "stupid fucking people." I love 3 Masted ships. They truly are a thing of beauty! That is what sucked me into this book. Ships, murder and revenge! They weren't far enough into this voyage to have a mutiny. I think I could have solved these murders. It shouldn't have been difficult. What made it a maze of stories, "I believe" is the fact that everyone was constantly changing their stories. W.T.F? I'd have been a bloodhound. Not like those damn dogs that are always getting confused. Hell to the no! I do believe that someone with all the facts could come up with and stated eloquently why he or she believes this conclusion of this book. I think that the author missed an opportunity. I'm not even sure why Mr. Koeppel wasted his nor my time. This book sucks. If there was a b.j. emoji? Well, you get it! Sure is a beauty of a ship in that cover though!
This was a very solvable crime. From my perspective? I have a few idea's. Back then? Heck, I can't even imagine the "pressure" that police had to dance around.
Again, I think I could have solved this, and so could quite a few of my Goodreads friends.
This was a very solvable crime. From my perspective? I have a few idea's. Back then? Heck, I can't even imagine the "pressure" that police had to dance around.
Again, I think I could have solved this, and so could quite a few of my Goodreads friends.
May 29, 2022
The author makes their opinion clear as to who they think did it from the beginning. There is a lot of information here, in great detail, but just as in real life the story sort of peters out without any real satisfying ending.
July 6, 2020
Interesting topic and unknown story, but the writing was way too dry to make it compelling.
July 7, 2020
An Enduring Maritime Mystery
Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGallley for the e-galley copy of Not a Gentleman's Work by Gerard Koeppel. Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth is a non-fiction account of an infamous triple murder at sea in the last years of the 19th century and its lasting effects on those involved, either on the ship or in the years after.
The Herbert Fuller, a type of sailing ship known as a barkentine, left Boston on July 8, 1896 with cargo bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twelve souls were on board; the captain and his wife, first and second mates, a steward, six additional crewmen, and one paid passenger. In the early hours of July 14, 1896, the captain, his wife, and the second mate are bludgeoned to death in their partitioned rooms by an assailant wielding a ship's axe. The ship returned to land and the justice system began its process. Investigation led to the first mate. a naturalized American citizen of mixed blood who was said to pass for white, being charged and convicted. Two men on board, a crewman with mental issues and the passenger, a young Bostonian from a wealthy family, figured heavily in the investigation and conviction of the first mate.
The book seeks to answer who the true killer was, his motives, and the effect of the murders and their aftermath on the killer, the crew, and those involved in the investigation. I prefer non-fiction over fiction so I looked forward to reading this e-galley. The cover was well done and enticing, but the subtitle, "The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to the Truth," did not hold up for me. The writer did elaborate on the murders, providing details and descriptions that gave the reader a strong picture of the brutality; i.e. gruesomeness, of the murders. But sad to say, the reader is no closer to the truth at the end of the book as she before reading the book.
The book does illustrate the almost phenomenal advancement in forensics, not only technological, but also psychology and organization. I also enjoyed the style of writing as it put me in mind of the style of several late 19th century authors, such as Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, etc. The progress of the book through investigation, judicial proceedings, and aftermath seemed choppy as the narrative moved from one possible protagonist to another.
I enjoy the non-fiction works of Erik Lawson, Nathaniel Philbrick, Hampton Sides, etc. and was hoping to add this author to that illustrious group. Perhaps with his next book.
Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGallley for the e-galley copy of Not a Gentleman's Work by Gerard Koeppel. Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth is a non-fiction account of an infamous triple murder at sea in the last years of the 19th century and its lasting effects on those involved, either on the ship or in the years after.
The Herbert Fuller, a type of sailing ship known as a barkentine, left Boston on July 8, 1896 with cargo bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twelve souls were on board; the captain and his wife, first and second mates, a steward, six additional crewmen, and one paid passenger. In the early hours of July 14, 1896, the captain, his wife, and the second mate are bludgeoned to death in their partitioned rooms by an assailant wielding a ship's axe. The ship returned to land and the justice system began its process. Investigation led to the first mate. a naturalized American citizen of mixed blood who was said to pass for white, being charged and convicted. Two men on board, a crewman with mental issues and the passenger, a young Bostonian from a wealthy family, figured heavily in the investigation and conviction of the first mate.
The book seeks to answer who the true killer was, his motives, and the effect of the murders and their aftermath on the killer, the crew, and those involved in the investigation. I prefer non-fiction over fiction so I looked forward to reading this e-galley. The cover was well done and enticing, but the subtitle, "The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to the Truth," did not hold up for me. The writer did elaborate on the murders, providing details and descriptions that gave the reader a strong picture of the brutality; i.e. gruesomeness, of the murders. But sad to say, the reader is no closer to the truth at the end of the book as she before reading the book.
The book does illustrate the almost phenomenal advancement in forensics, not only technological, but also psychology and organization. I also enjoyed the style of writing as it put me in mind of the style of several late 19th century authors, such as Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, etc. The progress of the book through investigation, judicial proceedings, and aftermath seemed choppy as the narrative moved from one possible protagonist to another.
I enjoy the non-fiction works of Erik Lawson, Nathaniel Philbrick, Hampton Sides, etc. and was hoping to add this author to that illustrious group. Perhaps with his next book.
July 10, 2021
In 1896, a gruesome triple murder took place on a ship known as The Herbert Fuller. Two sailors and one Harvard dropout were the main witnesses in court, and the main suspects. So what happened?
That's the story Gerard Koeppel wants to tell here. The book is a narrative of the events leading up to the murder, the different accounts of it, the ongoing legal actions related to guilt, and the final fate of the ship.
What's good: The topic is definitely interesting. This is essentially a closed-door mystery intermixed with American racism and classism.
What's iffier: The book has several issues that bog down the reading and slow down the building tension around the "who done it" question here.
--It took quite a while for the basic facts of the case to be presented in the book. We got a lot of backstory instead.
--There's a lot of unnecessary backstory for the ship and for every single person in the text. For a book that is primarily about 3 people, that extra information just isn't necessary.
--The author presents his conclusion throughout the book but doesn't really come out swinging for his argument. I'd have liked to see more independent research: Could he have found the plans for the Herbert Fuller and detected to what extent sound would travel, for example? Could he have used the positioning of the ship vs. the moon to determine how likely it was that there was sufficient lighting to see into the captain's room, for example? What would forensic scientists say today about the murder scene? What would sailors today say about this kind of violence on a ship, even though sailing life is quite different?
--I'd have liked the author to take off the gloves from the start and be more aggressive with his argument than occasionally comment on the fact there was no follow-up question at the inquest of such-and-such a point. He has an argument here for a specific person's guilt.
Overall, this was an intriguing book and definitely an interesting case.
That's the story Gerard Koeppel wants to tell here. The book is a narrative of the events leading up to the murder, the different accounts of it, the ongoing legal actions related to guilt, and the final fate of the ship.
What's good: The topic is definitely interesting. This is essentially a closed-door mystery intermixed with American racism and classism.
What's iffier: The book has several issues that bog down the reading and slow down the building tension around the "who done it" question here.
--It took quite a while for the basic facts of the case to be presented in the book. We got a lot of backstory instead.
--There's a lot of unnecessary backstory for the ship and for every single person in the text. For a book that is primarily about 3 people, that extra information just isn't necessary.
--The author presents his conclusion throughout the book but doesn't really come out swinging for his argument. I'd have liked to see more independent research: Could he have found the plans for the Herbert Fuller and detected to what extent sound would travel, for example? Could he have used the positioning of the ship vs. the moon to determine how likely it was that there was sufficient lighting to see into the captain's room, for example? What would forensic scientists say today about the murder scene? What would sailors today say about this kind of violence on a ship, even though sailing life is quite different?
--I'd have liked the author to take off the gloves from the start and be more aggressive with his argument than occasionally comment on the fact there was no follow-up question at the inquest of such-and-such a point. He has an argument here for a specific person's guilt.
Overall, this was an intriguing book and definitely an interesting case.
August 13, 2020
The only thing I can tell you, having finished this book, is that something bad happened on the Herbert Fuller, a sailing ship on the way to South America, in 1896. When it was over, the captain, his wife, and the second mate had all been killed with the ship's axe. Beyond that, neither I nor anyone else, apparently, knows. The first mate, Thomas Bram, was convicted of killing the captain on the supposed witness of one Charles Brown, who was piloting the ship at the time of the attack on the overnight watch. It seems unlikely that he could have seen what he claims from where he was, but no one can prove that. Nothing that was said in accusation of Bram seems all that likely. The only thing that does seem likely, to me, is that Lester Monks, a passenger on the ship, made up the entirety of his testimony and changed his story a number of times. Does that mean he's the guilty party? Who knows.
The pieces of the book about the trial and Bram's eventual pardon for the crime after serving many years are interesting. However, I'm not at all clear why the book was necessary as they were, by a fair piece, not the main focus of the book. In the end, my reaction is a shrug. There's something here, but I'm not sure it was worth my time.
The pieces of the book about the trial and Bram's eventual pardon for the crime after serving many years are interesting. However, I'm not at all clear why the book was necessary as they were, by a fair piece, not the main focus of the book. In the end, my reaction is a shrug. There's something here, but I'm not sure it was worth my time.
August 5, 2020
Not a Gentleman's Work is a fascinating recount of an old and unsolved murder at sea -- the captain of the vessel along with his wife and a crew member were found dead, having been slaughtered with an axe, and there was only a mere handful of possible murderers. And yet they were never found.
There are so many loose threads that were never followed up on, and so many contradicting witness accounts. The story is intriguing, compelling, and infuriating.
I only wish the author's writing style had a bit more... flavour. It often felt like it was droning on, listing things without any passion. Very dry, and while good for delivering the facts, not exactly enjoyable. Still, if this is a topic that intrigues you, I would recommend.
There are so many loose threads that were never followed up on, and so many contradicting witness accounts. The story is intriguing, compelling, and infuriating.
I only wish the author's writing style had a bit more... flavour. It often felt like it was droning on, listing things without any passion. Very dry, and while good for delivering the facts, not exactly enjoyable. Still, if this is a topic that intrigues you, I would recommend.
February 14, 2021
This is about a gruesome murder that occurred at sea in 1896, and the resulting investigation and trials. As well as the aftermath of the people involved. I liked the author's writing style. It's also interesting to think about how the investigation would have been so different if it happened even 50 years later. Good true crime read, about an incident most people probably haven't heard about.
November 14, 2020
The best true crime story I've never heard of, Not a Gentleman's Work is an essential addition to any crime junkie's collection. Do yourself a favor and read this compelling account of a murder as sea and the challenge of bringing the culprit to justice.
July 16, 2020
Ok. Lots of details, but slow .
December 27, 2020
An interesting true crime tale told in a dry, fact dump manner. The audio was read by a dry, dull narrator.
December 27, 2023
For a true crime book, I found this surprisingly dull. I liked that the author did his research and dug deep for information, but really, DNF at about 50% and didn't want to continue.
October 21, 2020
This was a slow read but slowly builds up to an interesting argument for who all got wrapped up in the murder of the three people on the Herbert Fuller. It was an interesting story of true crime. Not spectacular or amazing, but intriguing and allows the mind to develop their own theories about who killed the three people aboard the ship.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews