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Jack Tar: The Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Seamen in Nelson's Navy
'An enthralling book' Sunday Telegraph
' Fascinating' Sunday Times
The Royal Navy to which Admiral Lord Nelson sacrificed his life depended on thousands of sailors and marines to man the great wind-powered wooden warships. Drawn from all over Britain and beyond, often unwillingly, these ordinary men made the navy invincible through skill , courage and sheer determination . They cast a long shadow, with millions of their descendants alive today, and many of their everyday expressions, such as 'skyscraper' and 'loose cannon', continuing to enrich our language. Yet their contribution is frequently overlooked , while the officers became celebrities.
JACK TAR gives these forgotten men a voice in an exciting , enthralling , often unexpected and always entertaining picture of what their life was really like during this age of sail. Through personal letters, diaries and other manuscripts, the emotions and experiences of these people are explored, from the dread of press-gangs, shipwreck and disease, to the exhilaration of battle, grog, prize money and prostitutes.
JACK TAR is an authoritative and gripping account that will be compulsive reading for anyone wanting to discover the vibrant and sometimes stark realities of this wooden world at war.
' Fascinating' Sunday Times
The Royal Navy to which Admiral Lord Nelson sacrificed his life depended on thousands of sailors and marines to man the great wind-powered wooden warships. Drawn from all over Britain and beyond, often unwillingly, these ordinary men made the navy invincible through skill , courage and sheer determination . They cast a long shadow, with millions of their descendants alive today, and many of their everyday expressions, such as 'skyscraper' and 'loose cannon', continuing to enrich our language. Yet their contribution is frequently overlooked , while the officers became celebrities.
JACK TAR gives these forgotten men a voice in an exciting , enthralling , often unexpected and always entertaining picture of what their life was really like during this age of sail. Through personal letters, diaries and other manuscripts, the emotions and experiences of these people are explored, from the dread of press-gangs, shipwreck and disease, to the exhilaration of battle, grog, prize money and prostitutes.
JACK TAR is an authoritative and gripping account that will be compulsive reading for anyone wanting to discover the vibrant and sometimes stark realities of this wooden world at war.
391 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
44 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Roy A. Adkins
29 books43 followersRoy Adkins is a historian and archaeologist. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in London.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 10, 2014
Brilliant book. I'm researching a novel set in this time period, and this book was extremely helpful on the day-to-day details that help bring an era to life. The organisation of a ship, how it was run, how much items cost, the complicated system of pay, the daily routine, information on material culture, the politics on board, and much more, were covered clearly and in detail.
But the day-to-day didn't come at the sacrifice of larger social and political issues - those were well covered throughout the book, with class, race, gender, and social changes considered in depth.
The choice of primary sources was excellent - a wide range of voices and perspectives, from the tragic to the laugh-out-loud funny.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in the period.
But the day-to-day didn't come at the sacrifice of larger social and political issues - those were well covered throughout the book, with class, race, gender, and social changes considered in depth.
The choice of primary sources was excellent - a wide range of voices and perspectives, from the tragic to the laugh-out-loud funny.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in the period.
September 7, 2011
The strap line to this book reads "The extraordinary lives of ordinary seamen in Nelson's navy," and that sums it up perfectly. With chapters on all aspects of the seaman's world, it gives a complete picture of the men, the time, and the conditions. My only criticism, if criticism it be, is that the chapters are long, and rather breathless, with so much information presented without natural breaks as to make the narrative indigestible at times. That said there is a rich vein of solid information here, and I can see it becoming established as an essential reference book for many years to come. Comprehensive notes, a bibliography, and index complete the package. Buy it to read, to dip into, or to have on hand as a reference tool, but make sure it is on your book shelve.
October 26, 2011
What a read! Atkins depth of study is mind boggling and has created an account of the period that could equally be used as a textbook as well as an enjoyable read. It is verging on being too long and did need to break it up with another book but the structure and layout of the chapters allows it to be slowly enjoyed over time. I've already had a couple of requests to borrow it!!!
March 8, 2012
OMG, LOVED this. The bible. And a fair amount of reliable information about women aboard ships in the age of sail.
January 5, 2018
A comprehensive and particularly well-researched volume that still reads smoothly. Adkins used a lot of primary sources to tell the tale and it made a difference.
January 6, 2025
A very good and enjoyable book with so much stuff I didn't know and very interesting characters highly recommend if you like maritime stories
December 22, 2024
A superb book . I was amazed at the letters and journals
written by British ,Americans and Irish sailors. The book takes you back to a very difficult and turbulent time and a truly awesome period of history.
written by British ,Americans and Irish sailors. The book takes you back to a very difficult and turbulent time and a truly awesome period of history.
December 10, 2009
A great read. If you are a fan of Patrick O'Brian and Alexander Kent you will love this. The insights are fascinating.
July 7, 2018
This is a fascinating account of what life was actually like for the land men, sea men and officers on board 18th century Royal Navy ships.
Most histories of this era focus on Nelson himself and the Battle of Trafalgar, but they say remarkably little about what it was like. It turns out all the things you know about life on board ship are untrue. This was not just about floggings and hard tack. These ships were diverse communities of highly capable people, including black people and some women. Respected captains respected their men, only using force when a sailor’s behaviour threatened the ship in some way.
Because this book focuses on the war years of this golden age of sail, it probably makes too much of the press gang. In peaceful years, most men volunteered for the navy, and were considered the elite members of the working classes. While battle was horrendous, and old sailors were not treated as well as they should have been, by 18th century standards, sailors were treated pretty well, and spent years learning their craft.
This is a splendid explanation of life on board ship, and is well worth a read by the keen historian wanting to understand the context of Nelson’s achievements and why the British Navy were so much more successful than their European counterparts. Their age was so different to our own, and yet they faced similar challenges about getting the best from their people. It turns out kindness and empathy were as effective then as they are now.
Most histories of this era focus on Nelson himself and the Battle of Trafalgar, but they say remarkably little about what it was like. It turns out all the things you know about life on board ship are untrue. This was not just about floggings and hard tack. These ships were diverse communities of highly capable people, including black people and some women. Respected captains respected their men, only using force when a sailor’s behaviour threatened the ship in some way.
Because this book focuses on the war years of this golden age of sail, it probably makes too much of the press gang. In peaceful years, most men volunteered for the navy, and were considered the elite members of the working classes. While battle was horrendous, and old sailors were not treated as well as they should have been, by 18th century standards, sailors were treated pretty well, and spent years learning their craft.
This is a splendid explanation of life on board ship, and is well worth a read by the keen historian wanting to understand the context of Nelson’s achievements and why the British Navy were so much more successful than their European counterparts. Their age was so different to our own, and yet they faced similar challenges about getting the best from their people. It turns out kindness and empathy were as effective then as they are now.
March 12, 2019
A hit and miss book.
Some of the chapters are brilliant; the ones on battles, surgery, and the everyday drinking/whoring culture were fun, lurid, and gripping equally.
Between and before these (mainly before - which makes the first 1/3 a bit of a struggle) are tedious ones about e.g. washing facilities or pay rates.
There's also an academic textbook worth of primary sources and accounts included. Some of them are funny, enlightening and emotive but I found most to be superfluous or redundant as the authors had already explained the main points themselves. I found myself just skipping the larger accounts in some sections as they really dragged.
There are enough interesting tidbits in here to be interesting, but felt it was just too academic and dry in certain areas for a bookshop-bought everyday history book. No doubt if I wanted to write a dissertation on dietary habits of pre vs post Trafalgar seamen then this would be great- but I just wanted highlights.
Some of the chapters are brilliant; the ones on battles, surgery, and the everyday drinking/whoring culture were fun, lurid, and gripping equally.
Between and before these (mainly before - which makes the first 1/3 a bit of a struggle) are tedious ones about e.g. washing facilities or pay rates.
There's also an academic textbook worth of primary sources and accounts included. Some of them are funny, enlightening and emotive but I found most to be superfluous or redundant as the authors had already explained the main points themselves. I found myself just skipping the larger accounts in some sections as they really dragged.
There are enough interesting tidbits in here to be interesting, but felt it was just too academic and dry in certain areas for a bookshop-bought everyday history book. No doubt if I wanted to write a dissertation on dietary habits of pre vs post Trafalgar seamen then this would be great- but I just wanted highlights.
February 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! I've read a few of Roy and Lesley Adkins' naval history books and they've all been very entertaining, well-researched and well-told. This one was probably my favourite as I really liked how it was laid out – not by a chronological timeline but by theme, so daily life onboard, medical aspects, women, how battles were fought etc. The level of detail in it was fabulous, and exactly what I need when I'm researching this period. It also let you see how much had changed over time, or how much hadn't changed. So many interesting primary sources were used to give a voice to the regular seaman in Nelson's Navy, as well as showing a little about the officers. Very recommended to anyone wanting to a get an intimate and detailed sense of the era and the Navy.
April 26, 2018
A Great addition to my history library. Jack Tar had a hard life, brutal in fact. This book leaves little to the imagination where the British Navy is concerned. The Press-gang was to be feared by any young man who made the mistake of wandering about port cities in England foot-loose, fancy-free- not for long! The ordinary seamen, upon whose backs the empire was built, suffered unimaginable pain, disease, and served often as what might otherwise be considered a slave. Heartbreaking and inspiring book.
I intend to read more of Roy and Leslie Adkins books.
I intend to read more of Roy and Leslie Adkins books.
November 15, 2021
I thought this book might be rather studious but it was actually easy to read and quite interesting . I never knew quite how intense the capture of men into the navy was during the Napoleonic war . The living conditions on the Great War ships and that sometimes wives and other personnel traveled aboard as well . I learnt a lot .
December 10, 2022
4.75/5
A riveting glimpse into the lives of everday seamen during the pinnacle of the age of sail. You'll learn all about how they lived, worked, bled, and died on the decks of some of the most majestic contraptions pre-steam human enginuitiy has come up with.
The authors also frequently cite letters from real literate sailors, midshipmen, etc. to help give the book an air of authenticity.
A riveting glimpse into the lives of everday seamen during the pinnacle of the age of sail. You'll learn all about how they lived, worked, bled, and died on the decks of some of the most majestic contraptions pre-steam human enginuitiy has come up with.
The authors also frequently cite letters from real literate sailors, midshipmen, etc. to help give the book an air of authenticity.
March 19, 2020
A highly readable, enlightening, and engaging account of life in the Royal Navy during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. A great mix of social and military history.
While not the greatest book on the navy available, this account is surely one of the most accessible.
While not the greatest book on the navy available, this account is surely one of the most accessible.
January 2, 2025
I think this is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what naval life was like in the late Georgian era. Chapters are divided into different aspects which makes it easy to dive deep on something and then close the book and come back later. It's a thick book and I should get it in digital.
November 30, 2025
A great resource to help I understanding the lives of those serving in the Navy during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Chapters on a range of aspects of life at sea along with quotations from those who were around at the time. The only area I felt was lacking was more information about the board and card games played at sea.
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July 5, 2020Excelent read if you are a military/naval buff.
July 17, 2023
I learnt so much from this book I don't know where to begin! A fascinating, well-researched book, full of surprising insights into the men (and women) of Nelson's Navy.
April 24, 2025
What an exciting but bloody horrible time to be alive
February 26, 2015
After enjoying the authors' take on Jane Austen's England, I was eager to see what new and lively details they could add to the daily lives of sailors in the same time period. While they did surprise me with things I hadn't read elsewhere, this book was a slog to get through--I read Jane Austen's England in two days, but Jack Tar took me close to three months. There were a lot of points where I felt assaulted by pointless minutiae, or where their explanation was made superfluous by the long excerpt that followed it. There were times where it felt less like a standalone social history and more like a dumping ground for stuff that wasn't relevant to their other naval histories. The book could have used a good editor.
That being said, the book did surprise me on several points: I hadn't realized that volunteers were often imprisoned and harassed the same way impressed men were, and it was fascinating to read that while women disguising themselves as male sailors were much more rare than folklore would have us believe, there were far more women on board ships than the official records would suggest (and reasons why they're omitted from the records in the first place). Not to mention entertaining details like captains keeping raised-bed gardens on deck. And unlike other guides to sailors and ships of the same periods, Jack Tar benefits from numerous excerpts of primary sources, letting naval officers and ordinary seamen describe their experiences in their own words.
In all, if you wanted a straightforward guide to life and work at sea in the Napoleonic era, I'd recommend David Davies' Fighting Ships instead. But if you're willing to push through, Jack Tar rewards patience.
That being said, the book did surprise me on several points: I hadn't realized that volunteers were often imprisoned and harassed the same way impressed men were, and it was fascinating to read that while women disguising themselves as male sailors were much more rare than folklore would have us believe, there were far more women on board ships than the official records would suggest (and reasons why they're omitted from the records in the first place). Not to mention entertaining details like captains keeping raised-bed gardens on deck. And unlike other guides to sailors and ships of the same periods, Jack Tar benefits from numerous excerpts of primary sources, letting naval officers and ordinary seamen describe their experiences in their own words.
In all, if you wanted a straightforward guide to life and work at sea in the Napoleonic era, I'd recommend David Davies' Fighting Ships instead. But if you're willing to push through, Jack Tar rewards patience.
July 24, 2014
Amazing book! Really gives you the edge when researching the social aspects of naval history during the 18th century. This book has every aspect pertaining to seamen in Nelson's navy, from impressment or normal admission through learning the ropes to learning the very unique language of the sailors. Very good book if you are a social and military historian like me!
July 14, 2016
This is a comprehensive analysis of every aspect of what life was life for seamen during the period of the Napoleonic wars. It is full of lengthy extracts from contemporary accounts but is somewhat of a hard slog and there is so much information to digest. The research into this has been phenomenal but the minute detail and long excerpt make it quite a slow and sometimes tedious read.
August 4, 2011
Hard going, but an interesting insight into the life of our ancestors toil at sea.
May 9, 2016
Fantastic scholarship and scope, with the lives of the sailors that ruled the waves of the British Empire brought out from the shadows at last. Rum, sodomy and the lash indeed!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews