Rory Muir
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300244311
- eISBN:
- 9780300249545
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300244311.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
This chapter continues the discussion on careers in the navy, particularly in terms of career progression. On the whole the navy was not a particularly rewarding career for most officers. Life at ...
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This chapter continues the discussion on careers in the navy, particularly in terms of career progression. On the whole the navy was not a particularly rewarding career for most officers. Life at sea, especially for a midshipman, was harsh, uncomfortable, and dangerous, while there was only a slim chance of making a fortune or even of becoming sufficiently prosperous to be able to marry and support a family in the style of a gentleman unless they had some private means of their own. Yet some men found it extremely satisfying, relishing their time at sea while also enjoying enforced periods of leisure at home with their families. This was largely a matter of taste and temperament rather than patronage or connections: there were plenty of men of all ages and ranks for whom the sight of a proud man-of-war setting sail lifted their hearts and made them thank fate — or their parents — for preserving them from a life of tedium and dullness behind a lawyer's desk or in a counting house. Patriotism, the pursuit of glory and, at least during the war, the sense of performing an essential service, provided intangible rewards, while a naval officer had a respected place in British society which long continued to regard the navy as central to its identity.Less
This chapter continues the discussion on careers in the navy, particularly in terms of career progression. On the whole the navy was not a particularly rewarding career for most officers. Life at sea, especially for a midshipman, was harsh, uncomfortable, and dangerous, while there was only a slim chance of making a fortune or even of becoming sufficiently prosperous to be able to marry and support a family in the style of a gentleman unless they had some private means of their own. Yet some men found it extremely satisfying, relishing their time at sea while also enjoying enforced periods of leisure at home with their families. This was largely a matter of taste and temperament rather than patronage or connections: there were plenty of men of all ages and ranks for whom the sight of a proud man-of-war setting sail lifted their hearts and made them thank fate — or their parents — for preserving them from a life of tedium and dullness behind a lawyer's desk or in a counting house. Patriotism, the pursuit of glory and, at least during the war, the sense of performing an essential service, provided intangible rewards, while a naval officer had a respected place in British society which long continued to regard the navy as central to its identity.
Megan Taylor Shockley
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814783191
- eISBN:
- 9780814786529
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814783191.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, American History: 19th Century
This chapter shows how Rebecca's journals reveal the transition of her personality from young bride to sea captain's wife. Rebecca's entries illustrate new facets of her relationship with William, ...
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This chapter shows how Rebecca's journals reveal the transition of her personality from young bride to sea captain's wife. Rebecca's entries illustrate new facets of her relationship with William, which depict his personality aboard ship. Throughout her journey, Rebecca noted both her reliance on and independence from traditional Victorian definitions of womanhood. She became a social commentator on sailors and their lives, as well as the lands she visited, and revealed her sentiments about life on the sea by using language to justify her position away from the defined domestic sphere of traditional womanhood. She cast herself as the protagonist of an adventure story, enjoying and writing down in great detail the experiences of maritime life. Her journals reflect her growing sense of self, as defined by the maritime world of which she had become a part.Less
This chapter shows how Rebecca's journals reveal the transition of her personality from young bride to sea captain's wife. Rebecca's entries illustrate new facets of her relationship with William, which depict his personality aboard ship. Throughout her journey, Rebecca noted both her reliance on and independence from traditional Victorian definitions of womanhood. She became a social commentator on sailors and their lives, as well as the lands she visited, and revealed her sentiments about life on the sea by using language to justify her position away from the defined domestic sphere of traditional womanhood. She cast herself as the protagonist of an adventure story, enjoying and writing down in great detail the experiences of maritime life. Her journals reflect her growing sense of self, as defined by the maritime world of which she had become a part.
David J. Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813037349
- eISBN:
- 9780813041575
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813037349.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This study advances understanding of British and American maritime culture by exploring memorialization practices. Interpretations are based on analysis of more than 2,000 maritime memorials from ...
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This study advances understanding of British and American maritime culture by exploring memorialization practices. Interpretations are based on analysis of more than 2,000 maritime memorials from Great Britain and the United States. Research reveals three major themes in Anglo-American maritime memorialization. First, memorials show a striking concern for the dangers of life at sea. Numerous memorials describe the perils of the natural world and the group values that mariners developed to cope with the possibility of sudden death. Second, maritime communities faced the problem of commemorating those who never returned from the sea. Many sailors were lost at sea or died aboard. In the vast majority of such cases, the body was never returned home, and many did not receive a proper burial. As a result, family members and fellow sailors created memorials to honor the lost and to symbolically lay the deceased to rest. Evidence indicates, however, that such attempts were not entirely satisfactory. Many epitaphs lament the fact that empty graves cannot provide an adequate substitute for missing bodies. Finally, investigation reveals a significant increase in maritime religious sentiment beginning in the late eighteenth century, linked to religious reform movements. The prevalence of religious imagery and inscriptions on maritime memorials during this time, however, probably does not indicate that most sailors became religious. Rather, most religious maritime memorials were erected by sailors' families, who turned to religion as a source of comfort when faced with the deaths of loved ones at sea.Less
This study advances understanding of British and American maritime culture by exploring memorialization practices. Interpretations are based on analysis of more than 2,000 maritime memorials from Great Britain and the United States. Research reveals three major themes in Anglo-American maritime memorialization. First, memorials show a striking concern for the dangers of life at sea. Numerous memorials describe the perils of the natural world and the group values that mariners developed to cope with the possibility of sudden death. Second, maritime communities faced the problem of commemorating those who never returned from the sea. Many sailors were lost at sea or died aboard. In the vast majority of such cases, the body was never returned home, and many did not receive a proper burial. As a result, family members and fellow sailors created memorials to honor the lost and to symbolically lay the deceased to rest. Evidence indicates, however, that such attempts were not entirely satisfactory. Many epitaphs lament the fact that empty graves cannot provide an adequate substitute for missing bodies. Finally, investigation reveals a significant increase in maritime religious sentiment beginning in the late eighteenth century, linked to religious reform movements. The prevalence of religious imagery and inscriptions on maritime memorials during this time, however, probably does not indicate that most sailors became religious. Rather, most religious maritime memorials were erected by sailors' families, who turned to religion as a source of comfort when faced with the deaths of loved ones at sea.
C. Northcote Parkinson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780853231493
- eISBN:
- 9781846313981
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/UPO9781846313981
- Subject:
- History, Military History
This book offers a personal perspective on the British navy at the height of its power, as it chronicles the tale of a young naval officer who fought around the world in the service of Admiral Lord ...
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This book offers a personal perspective on the British navy at the height of its power, as it chronicles the tale of a young naval officer who fought around the world in the service of Admiral Lord Nelson, and offers a portrait of life at sea during one of the pivotal periods in British naval history. The author recounts the battles with Napoleon's navy, providing detailed accounts of the tactics used in combat and the horrific casualties suffered on both sides. The letters, sketches, and watercolors collected here provide an intimate glimpse into the personal trials and challenges that confronted many British officers at sea.Less
This book offers a personal perspective on the British navy at the height of its power, as it chronicles the tale of a young naval officer who fought around the world in the service of Admiral Lord Nelson, and offers a portrait of life at sea during one of the pivotal periods in British naval history. The author recounts the battles with Napoleon's navy, providing detailed accounts of the tactics used in combat and the horrific casualties suffered on both sides. The letters, sketches, and watercolors collected here provide an intimate glimpse into the personal trials and challenges that confronted many British officers at sea.
Rob Weighill and Florence Gaub
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- February 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190916220
- eISBN:
- 9780190943196
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190916220.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Conflict Politics and Policy
As the political process ceded prominence to military operations, this chapter illustrates how NATO transitioned from peace to war, dealing with a myriad of operational challenges as it took command ...
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As the political process ceded prominence to military operations, this chapter illustrates how NATO transitioned from peace to war, dealing with a myriad of operational challenges as it took command of all national forces in a very short space of time. In particular it describes the difficulty of targeting in poor weather, the lack of surveillance capabilities, the absence of accurate and timely intelligence, and how Gaddafi’s forces adapted to the threat posed by NATO’s air and maritime forces. It offers insights into the complexities of conducting maritime embargo operations with competing priorities to grapple with dual use cargo, delivery of humanitarian aid (sometimes accompanied by weapons, explosives and associated materiel) and the preservation of life (SOLAS), principally refugees escaping Libya in small boats. Public expectation indicated a rapid end to combat operations and not long after the operation started, talk of a stalemate emerged. A number of peace initiatives were pursued, all ending in failure and merely confirming Gaddafi’s intention to retain power and avoid any notion of a ceasefire or capitulation.Less
As the political process ceded prominence to military operations, this chapter illustrates how NATO transitioned from peace to war, dealing with a myriad of operational challenges as it took command of all national forces in a very short space of time. In particular it describes the difficulty of targeting in poor weather, the lack of surveillance capabilities, the absence of accurate and timely intelligence, and how Gaddafi’s forces adapted to the threat posed by NATO’s air and maritime forces. It offers insights into the complexities of conducting maritime embargo operations with competing priorities to grapple with dual use cargo, delivery of humanitarian aid (sometimes accompanied by weapons, explosives and associated materiel) and the preservation of life (SOLAS), principally refugees escaping Libya in small boats. Public expectation indicated a rapid end to combat operations and not long after the operation started, talk of a stalemate emerged. A number of peace initiatives were pursued, all ending in failure and merely confirming Gaddafi’s intention to retain power and avoid any notion of a ceasefire or capitulation.
