Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: The Shipwreck That Shocked Restoration Britain
Nigel Pickford
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
A true story of royal intrigue--with famed diarist Samuel Pepys as the main protagonist--as a fatal shipwreck on the shores of Restoration Britain sparks a mystery that now may finally be solved. In 1682, Charles II invited his scandalous younger brother, James, Duke of York, to return from exile and take his rightful place as heir to the throne. To celebrate, the future king set sail in a fleet of eight ships destined for Edinburgh, where he would reunite with his young pregnant wife. Yet disaster struck en route, somewhere off the Norfolk coast. The royal frigate carrying James and his entourage sank, causing some two hundred sailors and courtiers to perish. The diarist Samuel Pepys had been asked to sail with James but refused the invitation, preferring to travel in one of the other ships. Why? What did he know that others did not? Religious and political tensions were rife in the years leading up to the wreck of the Gloucester. James was a Catholic, as was his wife, and there was a large constituency who wished them dead. Plots and conspiracies abounded. The Royal Navy was itself in disarray, badly equipped and poorly organised. Could someone on board be to blame for the sinking, either from malice or incompetence? Nigel Pickford's compelling account of the catastrophe draws on a richness of historical material including letters, diaries and ships' logs, revealing for the first time the full drama and tragic consequences of a shipwreck that shook Restoration Britain.
Product Details
Price
$27.95
$25.99
Publisher
Pegasus Books
Publish Date
February 07, 2023
Pages
304
Dimensions
6.4 X 8.9 X 1.3 inches | 1.0 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781639363209
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Become an affiliateAbout the Author
Nigel Pickford is a maritime historian and works with companies to locate shipwrecks and recover lost cargo and treasure. His previous books include Lady Bette and the Murder of Mr. Thynn, but this is his first book to be published in America. Nigel lives in England.
Reviews
"Fascinating. Pickford offers an expert study of the actual circumstances of this shipwreck. At the same time, his narrative is extremely readable and well structured. His extensive archival research enables him to provide poignant details about members of the doomed crew and to give insights into their private lives. At a more general level, he shows how the media was manipulated even in the seventeenth century, as the Crown tried to control popular opinion and turn all circumstances to advantage."--Margarette Lincoln, author of London and the Seventeenth Century
"Pickford's investigation will entrance buffs of maritime and Restoration history."--Booklist
"Historian Pickford delivers a tantalizing account of the mysterious wreckage of the Gloucester as it brought the future King James II from Portsmouth, England, to Edinburgh in 1682. The result is a valuable overview of one of England's great maritime mysteries."--Publishers Weekly
"Pickford's comprehensive knowledge and enthusiasm for shipwrecks turn the book into both an enjoyable and valuable read."--World History Encyclopedia
"Pickford's investigation will entrance buffs of maritime and Restoration history."--Booklist
"Historian Pickford delivers a tantalizing account of the mysterious wreckage of the Gloucester as it brought the future King James II from Portsmouth, England, to Edinburgh in 1682. The result is a valuable overview of one of England's great maritime mysteries."--Publishers Weekly
"Pickford's comprehensive knowledge and enthusiasm for shipwrecks turn the book into both an enjoyable and valuable read."--World History Encyclopedia