Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is arranged into thematic
chapters:1) 1) The ocean environment - animals, geography, geology,
weather, coasts, islands2) 2) Ship types and parts - from the first boat
to the latest cutting-edge technology1) 3) People - heroes, heroines,
pirates, sailors, captains 2) 4) Disasters, battles, wars3) 5)
Literature - stories, myths, legends, proclamations, acts, orders 4) 6)
Nautical sayings and slang Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is about
ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical
compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or
the downright extraordinary. Thus, someone most of us do not know,
Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson.
Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist.
And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor,
the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. Readers will be
stimulated to read more about the remarkable men - explorers, admirals
and trawlermen - who have shaped our world. The sea has had a remarkable
effect upon our language. We hear the terms 'steer clear of', 'hit the
deck', 'don't rock the boat', 'to harbour a grudge' and the like, and
give little thought to them. In the pages of this book, the reader will
find the origin of 'bumpkin', a 'brace of shakes', 'born with a silver
spoon', 'booby prize', 'to take on board', 'above board', 'bombed' (in
the sense of being drunk), the 'blues', 'blind-side', 'blind drunk',
'the pot calling the kettle black', 'reach the bitter end', 'wasters',
'ahoy', 'all at sea', 'to keep aloof', 'piss-artist', 'taken aback',
'barbecue'' and 'bamboozle'. Other colourful terms, which have passed
out of common usage, such as 'bring one's arse to anchor' (sit down),
'belly timber' (food) and 'bog orange' (potato) are also included, as
well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles,
maritime inventors and ship speed records.
