Review of A SHIP ASUNDER: A Maritime History of Britain in Eleven Vessels
Do you want to know how many miles of rope went into Nelson's ship?
An ambiguous title followed by an ambitious description … funny that in both are the strengths and weaknesses of this charming, at times cloying, book. As for the title, “asunder” is a bit much and is a tip off for a casual pretentiousness that undermines an offbeat way of telling a good story. The story of the maritime history of Britain is, to say the least, vast and Nacollas protects his flank calling it “a” history. “A” history that, in fact, is centered around his travels throughout the Britain Isles, visiting harbors, ships and museums in his noteworthy effort to stitch this narrative together. The chapters center around a critical component of a ship – its anchor, its hull and so on. This structure is what drew me in as I hoped to get a brief history of each of these provocative symbols of ships and their place in our history. This was too often not the case as he tries to touch too many bases at once. Technical descriptions of ships here, naval history there, local lore and travel notes filling things out. It is uneven BUT it kind of works. I just wish there was less about the down and out towns he visited and a whole lot more on those seductive chapter headings. He serves up a good account of Nelson, but the history is pretty light throughout. Regardless, I finished it and if you really like ships (or boats), there is much to enjoy in this flawed book. If you are looking for a maritime history, go elsewhere. If you are looking for a literate travelogue of Britain, I suggest Jan Morris.
The Ship Asunder: A Maritime History of Britain in Eleven Vessels
Tom Nacollas
2022 284 pages