Historic role of shipping highlighted in new book

 

Last of a Salty Breed, written by local identity Roy Vaughan, chronicles tales about British ships, seamen, and the many millions of folk who built and sailed them as well as those who were voluntarily or forcibly shipped to the four corners of the world to create new countries.

This book takes a conventional and chronological narrative spanning centuries of well-known historical ventures and adventurers as well as accounts from the author’s firsthand experience as a merchant seaman and personal anecdotes of his families migration to New Zealand.

The book was launched in Auckland in early December and has met a positive response.

“At 300-plus pages it takes a bit to digest but I’m enjoying the familiarity of the book as much of it relates to my own time at sea,” said Larry Robbins, former CEO of Auckland Maritime Museum and ex RNZN hydrographer and merchant ship's officer.

“I admire the author’s efforts and the amount of research that has gone into this book,” says former NZ Herald editor Peter Scherer. “I think he has done a fine job with the storylines and it is also well illustrated.”

An ideal stocking-filler for Christmas.