A review by eljaspero
Sons of the Waves: The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail by Stephen Taylor

3.0

The life of the common sailor is a useful lens through which to view the golden age of sail, and Taylor’s sources are admirably voluminous. But I wished for a meatier, more rewarding work. There’s no real thesis to this book; it’s just a string of below-decks anecdotes and flip sides to familiar events, many of which he repeats more than once. It’s charming, but ultimately a bit fluffy.