The Social History of English Seamen, 1650–1815, ed. Cheryl A. Fury

Abstract

It is a fortuitous time to publish an edited book about the social history of English sailors in the age of sail. The field has seen a remarkable flourishing in recent years. A list of new scholarship includes: the imperial context for and prevalence of impressment; officers’ backgrounds, careers, and status; the world of ‘young gentlemen’; the forgotten men of the Marines; sailors’ wages; health, science and the state; and more. Much of this scholarship has been incorporated into the book under review, providing a useful survey of the state of the field from many of its leading figures. It is a companion to an earlier (2012) volume covering the same subject from 1485 to 1649. As the editor, Cheryl Fury, explains in the introduction, the goal of the project was to create a textbook for a course on the subject. She has succeeded in her goal, and the two volumes will be of interest to anyone teaching maritime or naval history in the age of sail.