The West Country and the Sea.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated,contemporary historical b/w photographic illustrated dw/dj panels,with white,blue and grey lettering; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright, tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Publisher's bright crisp,clean,sharp-cornered, original plain dark burgundy rexine (faux leather) boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,vi-xpp+1-246pp [paginated] includes author's introduction,9 chapters and an envoi,b/w line illus by Peter Green,profuse b/w maps,diagrams and contemporary historical portrait paintings and photographs interspersed throughout the text and the book,an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages and contents list/ table. Beautiful coastal scenery,picturesque fishing villages, sedate holiday resorts,busy ports,famous sea adventurers, pirates,smugglers,shipwrecks and lifeboats battling against vicious seas are all part of the West Country's deep-rooted relationship with the sea.This book has been written for those visitors to the West Country who want an informative and entertaining guide to the coast with an insight into the area's heritage,which is inextricably tied to the sea.After an anecdotal history of tourism in the West Country the reader is taken on a tour of the South West Peninsular coastal path from Southampton to Weston-super-Mare and of the adjacent islands.Throughout this tour the emphasis is on the atmosphere and personalities of the many places of historical,geographical,architectural and cultural interest along the coast. Some of the personalities are well known: King Arthur, Lord Nelson,D.H. Lawrence,Samuel Pepys,Keats,Jane Austen and Queen Victoria.Others are almost completely unknown but equally colourful,including the eccentric vicar who was known to dress-up as a mermaid and sit at the end of the breakwater at Bude and wail strange songs! The next part of the book explores the West Country's relationship with the sea in historical and human terms: the history of the ports; the great West County seamen of the Elizabethan age,Drake,Hawkins,Ralegh and Grenville; the men who used the sea as a vast plundering-ground for piracy and smuggling; the poor wretches who lived off the debris from the numerous shipwrecks; and those who spent their lives,and sometimes lost them,attempting to make the seas safe for their fellows. The concluding chapter outlines various water sports visitors to the area can participate in and some local cultural,sports and folklore 'events' which happen along the coast each year. Derek Parker is a native of the West Country.He writes entertainingly,informatively and,in parts, controversially about an area and subject he has a strong feeling for.The numerous photographs and line drawings help capture both the contemporary and historical atmosphere of the West Country and the sea.To anybody who is visiting the West Country or who lives there,his book will be an enlightening companion. Please contact seller @ rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,because of the lighter weight of this item for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. **N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **