Portsmouth Point

Portsmouth Point—or “Spice Island,” as it was informally called—has always been associated with British naval history. In this classic work, the Point serves as the backdrop for British naval historian and author C. Northcote Parkinson’s chronicle of life in His Majesty’s Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). The captivating stories, while semi-fictitious, use excerpts from the writings of men who personally served in the British Navy during these periods, and each entry covers a distinct aspect of everyday life aboard England’s “wooden walls,” from the daily lives of Jack Tars and ships’ officers to the complexities of rigging to the barbarity of naval warfare. Originally published in 1949, Parkinson’s collection is an illuminating companion perfect for those who enjoy naval history and fiction, including Patrick O’Brian, Alexander Kent, and Parkinson’s own Richard Delancey novels.