The Shellback's Progress by Walter Runciman, Sr., Fiction, Sea Stories, Action & Adventure [Idioma Inglés] - Hardcover

Reseña del editor

When the snow cloud rushed past in the hurricane, the crew were both surprised and cheered to observe a barque a little on the starboard bow, heading north under two close-reefed topsails. She was low in the water, and making heavy weather of it. The crew were seen in the mizen rigging, frantically waving. A tattered flag was flying beside them, but its nationality could not be discerned. It was impossible to render the assistance that was so eagerly sought for, but even if it had been possible it was too late, for a sea was seen to break right over her stern . . . and in a few minutes there was another added to the long list of North Atlantic tragedies.

"I have tried to portray the men as they were -- brave, dauntless, rugged, uncouth, illiterate, simple-minded, kind-hearted, and, at times, unmercifully savage," writes author James Runciman. "And yet there shined through all these conflictingly peculiar eccentricities a humorous kind of religion which belonged exclusively to themselves -- but which gave their characteristics a touch of sublimity."

Biografía del autor

Walter Runciman, 1st Baron Runciman (1847 - 1937) was an English and Scottish shipping magnate and author. He was born in the Scottish town of Dunbar. He was the fourth son of the married couple consisting of Walter Runciman, master of a schooner and later a member of the coastguard and Jane, oldest daughter of John Finlay, shipowner, also of Dunbar. The family moved to the coastguard station at Cresswell, Northumberland, because his father was appointed a position there. After attending a church school, the younger Walter ran away from home to work at sea in 1859. This explains why he was referred to by his grandson Steven as "a Geordie of Scots descent who ran away to sea at 11, was a master mariner by 21 and founded a shipping line" and, usefully for historians of a related area, Runciman wrote several books based on his years at sea. He also served briefly as a Liberal Member of Parliament.