Down To The Sea In Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men

Author(s): Horatio Clare

History | Maritime | Investigative Journalism | Cultural Studies | Social Sciences | Rivers & Oceans

'Magnificent' Robert Macfarlane winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. Our lives depend on shipping but it is a world which is largely hidden from us. In every lonely corner of every sea, through every night, every day, and every imaginable weather, tiny crews of seafarers work the giant ships which keep landed life afloat. These ordinary men live extraordinary lives, subject to dangers and difficulties we can only imagine, from hurricanes and pirates to years of confinement in hazardous, if not hellish, environments. Horatio Clare joins two container ships on their epic voyages across the globe and experiences unforgettable journeys. As the ships cross seas of history and incident, seafarers unfold the stories of their lives, and a beautiful and terrifying portrait of the oceans and their human subjects emerges. "Tremendous." (The Times).


Product Information

Acclaimed nature writer Horatio Clare travels the great oceans on cargo ships, and witnesses the collision of two temperaments: man and the sea

Long-listed for Dolman Best Travel Book of the Year Award 2014.

"Stupendous and extraordinarily exciting... What Clare demonstrates, even beyond his undoubted gifts as writer, is his basic humanity. I read his wonderful book with gratitude for his insight - but also with increased admiration for the men to whom we owe almost everything in our comfortable and secure lives" -- Philip Hoare Times Higher Education "Rich and dense, full of old sea-dog stories, with barely a word wasted, it's a triumph of quiet artistry" -- Marcus Berkmann Daily Mail "This is a warm and lyrical book about a tough trade in tough times" -- Sara Wheeler Observer "Wonderful... Clare's writing is fluid, light and eminently readable, but perhaps his greatest asset is his empathy" -- Philip Hoare Sunday Telegraph "A lyrical, heartfelt but eye-opening chronicle... Both romantic and realistic, written from the heart but crafted with a seafarer's "passionate precision", [Clare's] book will steer you into the new year on a course that may deepen your grasp both of that world, and of ourselves" -- Boyd Tonkin Independent

Horatio Clare is the bestselling author of two memoirs, Running for the Hills (Somerset Maugham Award) and Truant; the travel book A Single Swallow - which follows the birds' migration from South Africa to the UK - and a novella, The Prince's Pen, the retelling of a Mabinogion tale. An award-winning journalist, occasional teacher, former radio producer, sporadic broadcaster and Fellow in creative writing at the University of Liverpool, Horatio writes regularly on nature and travel for the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and various international publications. He and his family are currently based in Yorkshire.

General Fields

  • : 9780099526292
  • : Vintage Publishing
  • : Vintage
  • : 0.305
  • : February 2015
  • : 198mm X 129mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : March 2015
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Horatio Clare
  • : Paperback
  • : 910.45
  • : 368