This quirky compendium of nautical stories, facts, figures and miscellany is a must-have for all the salty sea-dogs out there. From stories of dramatic voyages, myths, superstitions and famous sea battles, to curious sea creatures and our greatest explorers, this charming book brings together the expertise of world-leading curators in a pocket-sized volume. Fish and Shipsis a celebration of the practical and the bizarre: inspiring tales of nautical endeavour, notable firsts, the origins of maritime sayings and the weird and wonderful lifeforms in the depths of the sea.

Young James Robson, Cutty Sark's cook, takes great pride in cooking a hearty breakfast for the ship's captain every morning. But one day, just when they're getting ready to leave London, James discovers that the ship has run out of tea, a CRUCIAL element of the captain's breakfast! Join James as he sets off on an adventure around the world, from London to South Africa, Australia and Shanghai, in search of the nation's favourite drink. Cutty Sark is the world's sole surviving tea clipper and is now an award-winning visitor attraction in Greenwich, London. The ship was built with one purpose - to bring tea from China back to London. It would become the fastest of its time, travelling from Australia to London in just 73 days.

Figureheads developed from an ancient tradition of decorating vessels with painted eyes, carved figures and animal heads. Vikings in Northern Europe adorned the bows of their ships with dragon heads, which were thought to help ships see their way through the sea. But what other purposes did sailors believe figureheads served? What stories do these beautiful objects tell? And what do the different characters symbolise? Exploring the history and traditions associated with figureheads, this illustrated guide contains 60 examples from the National Maritime Museum, home to the world's largest collection of figureheads. With a selection of short in-focus studies, the book looks at mythology, memorial, gender, empire, politics and literature surrounding these unique carvings. The National Maritime Museum is part of Royal Museums Greenwich.

__________ Available now: the biggest and best quiz book about the deep blue! __________ Think you know the difference between a ship and a boat? Do you really understand the shipping forecast? And what do all the different flags at sea mean? The Nautical Puzzle Book is packed to the brim with over 100 puzzles inspired by the National Maritime Museum's objects and their stories. Inside this book you'll find a fiendish mix of word games, codewords, trivia, picture puzzles, word scrambles, anagrams, crosswords and much more. It's a chance to learn all about epic explorers, history makers, record breakers, myths, legends, seafaring traditions and life at sea. By the time you reach the end you'll have navigated centuries of history, crossed thousands of miles of ocean, and made countless discoveries - so batten down the hatches and set sail! __________ The perfect gift for veteran seafarers and armchair navigators alike. Find out if you're worthy of captaincy or destined to be a deck hand in this beautiful and addictive puzzle book! If you're bored of Zoom Quizzes, then this is the book for all the family.

From the Middle Ages through the glorious defeat of the Armada, the triumphs of Nelson, and the battles of the First and Second World Wars, this gripping history tells how the Royal Navy turned this country into the world's greatest sea power. Based around previously unpublished material from the archives of the National Maritime Museum, including letters, journals and despatches, Captain Hore tells the story of life in the navy as experienced by commanders and ordinary seamen alike. More than a story of battles, this book shows how advances in technology made by the Royal Navy revolutionised their military power, from broadside gunnery to copper-sheathed hulls, from paddle-steamers, and iron Dreadnoughts to the invention of submarines and aircraft carriers. We see how the navy played a key role in exploration, from Drake's circumnavigation of the globe and Cook's voyages of discovery to Fraser's search for the North-west Passage. Filled with colourful characters - the infamous Captain Kidd, Captain Bligh, Samuel Pepys and Jackie Fisher, Blake, Beatty and Jellicoe - this is an exciting account of heroes and villains, innovators and adventurers, battles lost and won that vividly illustrates one of the most fascinating legacies in British military history.

Constructed on the Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, Cutty Sark was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest. Cutty Sark spent just a few years on the tea routes before the opening of the Suez Canal and the increasing use of steamships made clippers unprofitable on shorter routes. She was turned to the trade in wool from Australia, where for ten years she held the record time for a journey to Britain. As steamships also came to dominate the longer sailing route to Australia, the ship was sold to the Portuguese company Ferreira and Co. in 1895, and renamed Ferreira. She continued as a cargo ship until she was sold as a training and cadet ship, a role in which she continued until 1954 when she was transferred to permanent dry dock at Greenwich, London, for public display. The handy pocket manual collates original documents to tell the fascinating story of how the legendary Cutty Sark was commissioned, her design and building, life on board and her notable journeys.

A beautifully illustrated children's board book that teaches counting with a nautical theme Illustrated with beautiful recycled paper collages, 123 of the Sea is the perfect way to teach young readers about the seaside. Designed for babies and toddlers ages 18 months and up, this charming board book is a lovely way to start your little one's counting journey.

"Naval Wives & Mistresses" is an innovative study of naval women who stayed at home while their men went to sea. Focusing on the second half of the 18th century, a period when Britain was almost continuously at war, this book looks at different social groups, from the aristocratic elite to the laboring and criminal poor, prostitutes, and petty thieves. Drawing on a range of material from personal letters to trial reports, from popular prints to love tokens, it exposes the personal cost of warfare and imperial ambition. It also reveals the opportunities for greater self-determination that some women were able to grasp, as the responsibility for maintaining the home and bringing up children fell squarely on them in their husbands' absence. Illustrated with images from the National Maritime Museum's extensive collection of oil paintings, prints, and drawings, the book includes many voices from the past and throws fresh light on an under-researched aspect of women's history.