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Library > New Acquisitions > Book Review
The Sailor’s Word-Book; Admiral W H Smith (the late); Conway Maritime Press, new edition, 2005; £9.99; CA16520
From “A” to “Zumbra” this appears truly to be a comprehensive dictionary of nautical terms. More than 700 pages describe every conceivable word and short phrase that has been used in connection with the sea, the craft and the people who spend their time on, in or under the sea. The “Digest of Sea Terms and Phrases” fill all but the 10 pages of introduction.
Admiral Smyth lived for almost 100 years until 1865, two years before the first publication of this work. He apparently spent his last seven years pulling together all this from his vast experience largely in surveying; alongside French, Australian and Neapolitan surveyors, with much acclaim. He was President of the Royal Geographical Society for 2 years in the middle of the 19th century.
The book has been much used by authors who are well known for their research – a great stand-by, we are told, for Patrick O’Brian. For those interested in the sea and even those just with an interest in the English language, this is a fun book to dip into even if you are not researching your next novel. “Zumbra”, incidentally, for those as ignorant as I, is a Spanish skiff or yawl. – HSS
Page prepared 11 January 2006