Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras

On retirement from a former career, Terence Grocott decided to do something about a lifelong ambition and began researching those ships lost during those Napoleonic and Revolutionary times. What followed was 7 years of painstaking work during which he read every single copy of The Times, the Sherbourne and Yeovil Mercury and the Plymouth and Dock Telegraph published between 1793-1815. He also read all the Annual Registers for those same years. This, in itself, was no mean feat and the result is well worth the enormous effort. I congratulate him for a job well done. "Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras" is a hardback book measuring 9½in x 6½in and contains 441 pages of vital information (including a ten-page index with which I had no problems!) - all from a new perspective. The appetite is immediately whetted on page 1 where the author reveals the huge scale of British ship losses at this time in our history. Beginning with a chilling quote from a contemporary British historian of 1812 - who stated; "perhaps not less than five thousand natives of these islands yearly perish at sea", Grocott goes on to show the true scale of ships lost during the years under examination. Whilst, then concentrating on just 1,500 of these (both naval and mercantile), the author demonstrates how they were but a small proportion of overall losses. The figures speak for themselves; During the years 1793-1799 alone, 2,385 British ships were lost at sea with a further 652 driven ashore and only 70 re-floated. At this same time an incredible 4,344 were captured by the enemy with only 705 being recaptured. Thus 3,639 ships were lost to the enemy and 2,967 met a watery grave of some form or other. Having set the overall scene - right at the beginning!, the book then concentrates on 1,500 incidents - involving both naval and merchant vessels. These are listed in chronological form with each account based on contemporary reports. The book gives details of the shipwreck, location and the number of people lost or saved. In addition to major disasters, day-to-day accidents to small harbour boats are also included. This is a book which also provides a very realistic insight into the life of the ordinary seaman of the day and of the perils he faced. Altogether, this is a work that belongs on any serious researcher's bookshelf. Who knows what snippet of information will get you reaching for this excellent product. NM