Buy new:
-42% $17.35
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$17.35 with 42 percent savings
List Price: $29.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 10 hrs 21 mins
In Stock
$$17.35 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.35
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$12.49
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
EX-LIBRARY; has stamps/stickers/markings on cover and immediate inside pages. Cover otherwise shows at most minor wear. Pages are otherwise unmarked. Tight binding. EX-LIBRARY; has stamps/stickers/markings on cover and immediate inside pages. Cover otherwise shows at most minor wear. Pages are otherwise unmarked. Tight binding. See less
FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 10 hrs 21 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$17.35 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$17.35
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Terry Breverton
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Breverton's Nautical Curiosities: A Book Of The Sea Hardcover – September 1, 2010

by Terry Breverton (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 386 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.35","priceAmount":17.35,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"35","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"agGNl6851%2BAUpTZMrNElMYpprGjs87viubP%2BPgf1KxyXkHZgdIYczhK%2FwpYc4aXp%2FmQ%2FFBxyKGVXzHgVMuq0VJnqw7KXY4woR5ciWYnqT5yqIKSNp061IHLm1UoXa35oShlAc1%2Fos9Y%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$12.49","priceAmount":12.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"agGNl6851%2BAUpTZMrNElMYpprGjs87vioslthUnIlOUsW%2Fzi4u6CvLBmcbFgoY1VfHm7oHhuFOewBmTasvDnR6nY9twcCCxwMzXaWHJl%2BO%2FAiOGxzml6dcjv3kTWoQ3c%2FmdRO%2Bn5aIyW8Pw09u8socTX0ngJluXhTHsjBTJ0fSbSR4aAjp486A%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons



Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is arranged into thematic chapters:

1) 1) The ocean environment – animals, geography, geology, weather, coasts, islands

2) 2) Ship types and parts – from the first boat to the latest cutting-edge technology

1) 3) People – heroes, heroines, pirates, sailors, captains

2) 4) Disasters, battles, wars

3) 5) Literature – stories, myths, legends, proclamations, acts, orders

4) 6) Nautical sayings and slang


Breverton's Nautical Curiosities is about ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or the downright extraordinary. Thus, someone most of us do not know, Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson. Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist. And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor, the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. Readers will be stimulated to read more about the remarkable men – explorers, admirals and trawlermen – who have shaped our world.

The sea has had a remarkable effect upon our language. We hear the terms ‘steer clear of', ‘hit the deck', ‘don't rock the boat', ‘to harbour a grudge' and the like, and give little thought to them. In the pages of this book, the reader will find the origin of 'bumpkin', a 'brace of shakes', 'born with a silver spoon', 'booby prize', 'to take on board', 'above board', 'bombed' (in the sense of being drunk), the 'blues', 'blind-side', 'blind drunk', 'the pot calling the kettle black', 'reach the bitter end', 'wasters', 'ahoy', 'all at sea', 'to keep aloof', 'piss-artist','taken aback', 'barbecue'' and 'bamboozle'. Other colourful terms, which have passed out of common usage, such as 'bring one's arse to anchor' (sit down), 'belly timber' (food) and 'bog orange' (potato) are also included, as well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles, maritime inventors and ship speed records.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Lyons Press
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1599219794
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1599219790
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

Breverton's Nautical Curiosities: A Book Of The Sea
$17.35
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Breverton's Phantasmagoria: A Compendium Of Monsters, Myths And Legends
$22.46
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items
$11.79
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Terry Breverton is the author of numerous books on the sea and pirates, including The Pirate Dictionary, The Pirate Handbook, and Black Bart Roberts: The Greatest Pirate of Them All, A five-time recipient of the Welsh Books Council's Book of the Month award, he has presented documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, and has appeared on numerous other television programs on pirates and privateers. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lyons Press; First Edition (September 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1599219794
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1599219790
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.46 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 386 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Terry Breverton

Terry Breverton

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Terry Breverton was born in Birmingham in 1946 to Welsh parents, and brought up in Wales before taking a degree in economics and a masters in marketing in universities in England. He worked in over twenty countries before moving to acadaemia, lecturing in Milan, Bologna and Wales and then escaping into full-time writing. When lecturing, he gave papers upon transnational tax avoidance in Paris, Thessaloniki, Seattle and Charleston. He has given the prestigious Bemis Lecture in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and has spoken at the National Festival of Wales in Vancouver and Seattle. Uniquely, he has been awarded the 'Book of the Month' by the Books Council of Wales five times. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Institute of Consulting, the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Historical Society. His works have been translated into Chinese (Simplified and Complex), Japanese, Turkish, Polish, Dutch German and Turkish.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
386 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Erin Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
A great resource with lots of info beautifully presented
Helpful
 Report
St. Augustine Fl
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun nautical stuff
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2022
Verified Purchase
For the sailor who has everything - this has lots of fun items. Open any page and you can be sucked into something you didn’t know or need to know, but your glad you now know about nautical history, legend or terms you probably should be using but never do. Great book to have onboard (if you have a cabin), coffee table or on the shelf. I expect to pull out a few tidbits and ‘shock’ the older salty sailors in my life at some point!!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
swino
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting easy read
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is full of all kinds of obscure facts and tidbits from a maritime past that most people never realized influence us to this day. Mostly in our English language a lot of which we get from things used years ago on ships. Very easy to read a bit and put down without missing a beat.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
JD
4.0 out of 5 stars Great little coffee table book for the beach house.
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great little coffee table book for our beach house. Interesting cover and lots of little factoids you can either pick up and skim or actually sit down and read through.

Not sure if its the accurate answer but the idea that irish step dancing might have originated from sailors was an interesting tidbit.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Samantha Abbruzzi
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and eye opening read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
Outstanding book! I bought it because I’m in the Navy and the history is very rich, informative, and entertaining! Definitely recommend!!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Brian Dufour
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
For anyone with a boat or thinking of going to sea or just a landlubber who wants a good bathroom read. Surprising how many daily phrases arise from older nautical slang. Great time killer!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Antonio Loret de Mola
5.0 out of 5 stars Great useful book
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Ever wonder about the Batavia mutiny, one of the most bloody events in history. Well if you have wondered about that or any other nautical event or items this is the must book for you. Filled with facts. It is a must for anyone who loves the seas!!
Helpful
 Report
T. Porter
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but mostly about pirates and sailing.
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book should have been sold as Bremerton guide to pirates and sailing which makes up about 90% of this book. Not a bad read, but slow. I doubt I would read another of his books.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
AnnieH
5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt service and as described by the seller.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
This purchase arrived in good time and the condition, very good, was as described. I bought it as a birthday present this November for my husband: an ex sailing man. Than you. Anne Hornby
Report
Sarah S
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr informativ
Reviewed in Germany on February 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
Habe es für meinen Freund als Geburtstagsgeschenk gekauft, nachdem ich es in einem Geschenkeshop in England entdeckt hatte. Habe es dann hier bestellt und kam schnell an. Das Cover ist sehr schön gestaltet, super Qualität. Meinem Freund gefällt es auch inhaltlich sehr, sehr gut.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Too Old
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading
Reviewed in Australia on July 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
I like anything to do with nautical sailing slang.
I have tried to more books but it gets expensive living in nursing home.
Thank You
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars full of useful information, especially if you are a trivia fan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
full of useful information, especially if you are a trivia fan. it explains the origins of many phrases and sayings, some of which you might not connect with the sea. If anybody is into pirates there is a wealth of information on these, many of which I had never heard of (plus some lovely gruesome details of what happened to some captured Spanish prisoners)
One person found this helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Facts
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
Fascinating book full of interesting facts about sailors, the sea and ships.
One person found this helpful
 Report