Up to half of the world’s cargoes were once carried by British merchant ships, and the officers and crews who sailed them were heirs to a tradition stretching back centuries. Voices from the Bridge presents varied personal recollections describing life as seen from the bridge of a merchant vessel during the second half of the twentieth century. Based on interviews and written accounts from over 50 contributors, this book vividly depicts the experiences of the deck officer, from pre-sea training and cadetship through the ranks to the eventual achievement of a Master’s authority and responsibilities. With the advent of mass air travel, containerisation and flags of convenience, British merchant shipping was already in decline by the 1960s. The passenger and cargo liners, tramp ships, tankers and coasters described here are all but gone. The living archive contained within these pages will help preserve an important record of a seagoing way of life that has all but vanished.

With a foreword by HRH the Princess Royal

145 x 230mm | 246 pp illus. | ISBN 978 1 906266 16 5| £14.95 pbk