Customer Reviews

The Nagle Journal: A Diary of the Life of Jacob Nagle, Sailor, from the Year 1775 to 1841

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The introduction of this book should not be skipped, as it is a very illuminating description of how and why the book came to be.
Having obtained a manuscript of a sailor's journal (which appeared to be the genuine article) in a fortuitous proxy bid at an auction, Mr. Dann has to assure himself and his publishers that it really is what it purports to be, prior to publication. Thus follows an account of the detective work done to validate the journal. The investigation leads through the US fiscal, military and naval archives, via the UK records, to Australia - all of which confirm the accuracy of the journal's dates, if not the content. However, there seems no reason to disbelieve the story, other than the tallness of the tale - but as we all know, the truth is often stranger than fiction ...
The transcript of the journal follows - miss-spellings, quaint phraseology, enigmatic punctuation and all (although thankfully some apposite corrections have been made). Each chapter is prefaced by an introduction which puts the following journal entries into historical context, provides background information and also explains terms which may not be familiar to the lay reader. Comprehensive notes elaborate on salient points and provide corroboration of Nagle's text.
The journal itself is unique in that it traces the daily life of the common seaman, rather than that of the movers and shakers of the time (there is a later journal by John Nichol which is far cruder and carries much less detail); this is a record of Jack Tar at work and at play, on land and at sea, at home and away - something that is very rare and should be treasured for the information it holds.
A must for every nautical historian's bookshelf.

An absolutely fascinating work. Nagle sailed constantly and this journal is his amizingly accurate recollection of this life time of seafaring experience. Transcribed as he wrote it with misspellings, and errors it provides a vivid insight into the life of a sailor (not an officer) in the sailing navies of these times. Each chapter's forword by the editor sets the tone and historical context for the chapter and provides some of the historical documentation that authenticates this document.

I found this book to be a superb addition to my library of books relating to early Australian settlement, particularly the First Fleet of 1787/88. It gives an excellent warts and all insight into the conditions which existed for those who found themselves confronted with the challenges of opening up a new continent to european settlement in the 18th century. More specifically, one gains an excellent picture of the life of a lower deck sailor of that period working under a variety of flags and ship masters, as well as being engaged in greatly varying tasks involving wartime actions, exploration voyages, and commercial activities. The book is not only historically informative, but also has an element of adventure story which makes for an enjoyable read. Highly recommended for those who enjoy both history and maritime related topics.