A Sailor’s Scrapbook

Just picking up this book tells one to expect something different - and so it proved!

“A Sailor’s Scrapbook” is three books in one: The log of the 4 masted barque “Lawhill” from 1943 to 1948 (with a short section on “Passat”); the life history of the vessel including an insight into the ownership and management of such vessels - clearly the result of in-depth research and fascinating to learn; whilst the major content is a description of life aboard during those especially troubled years. The black and white photography is exceptional and forms the backbone of the book.

Gordon Belton was a young Able Seaman whose account of life before the mast is beautifully written and is based on day-to-day accounts of several voyages. His description of the joys, horrors and minutiae of life aboard is written by a true seaman who has the rare ability to graphically communicate to the reader his inner feelings as well as what he sees with his eyes and camera.

Whilst a very specialist subject and far from “our” sort of sailing, anyone interested in the sea – from sitting looking at it to those who plough their own furrows – cannot but enjoy and benefit from this story of the very last days of commercial sail. This reader soon found himself sharing that experience, the ending proving particularly poignant. - MG