The Prize of All the Oceans: Anson's Voyage Around the World
by Glyn Williams
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Description
Anson's voyage of 1740-44 holds a unique and terrible place in British naval history. The misadventures of this first attempt by Royal Navy ships to sail round the world make a dramatic story of hardship, disaster, mutiny and heroism. Only one of Anson's squadron, the flagship Centurion, completed its mission. The other vessels were wrecked, scuttled or forced back in shattered condition. Out of 1850 officers and men who sailed from Spithead in September 1740, almost 1400 died, most from show more disease or starvation. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This was a much better book than I expected when I cracked the cover. It had been sitting on my "to-read" shelf for over 10 years, and I am sorry I did not get to it sooner. Anson's voyage belongs to an era before British supremacy at sea was taken for granted, and I was surprised to learn, for example, that Royal Navy officers and men in the 1740s did not have a standard uniform. This, is a very readable and informative account of an epic voyage with an equally-epic mortality rate from scurvy. Another account of "men of iron sailing in ships of wood".
Excellent book covering Anson’s voyage in the appropriate detail. Also does a nice job summarizing the book about the voyage written afterwards and who the true author might be. Finished 20.06.2020.
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Author Information
8 Works 701 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Prize of All the Oceans: Anson's Voyage Around the World
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- George Anson, 1st Baron Anson (1697 to 1762); Peircy Brett; John Bulkeley; David Cheap; Edward Legge; Matthew Michell (show all 9); Lawrence Millechamp; Philip Saumarez; Pascoe Thomas
- Important places
- Juan Fernandez Island, Chile; Macao; Manila, The Philippines
- Important events
- War of Jenkins's Ear; Anson's Voyage
- Epigraph
- 'The most desirable prize that was to be met with in any part of the globe . . . she had on board 1,313,843 pieces of eight, and 35,682 oz. of virgin silver.'
A Voyage Round the World... (show all) by George Anson (1748) - Dedication
- FOR SONIA AND JAN
- First words
- PREFACE
Commodore George Anson's voyage of 1740-44 holds a unique and terrible place in British maritime history." - Blurbers
- O'Brian, Patrick; Tertius de Kay, James; Gurney, Alan; Hattendorf, John B.; Rodger, N. A. M.; Runyan, Timothy
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Travel, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 910.41 — History & geography Geography & travel modified standard subdivisions of Geography and travel Pirates & Shipwrecks Circumnavigation of the Earth
- LCC
- G420 .A6 .W52 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Geography (General) Special voyages and travels
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 243
- Popularity
- 133,270
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.89)
- Languages
- English, German, Spanish
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 3
