The Busy Narrow Sea
eBook - ePub

The Busy Narrow Sea

A Social History of the English Channel

  1. 224 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Busy Narrow Sea

A Social History of the English Channel

About this book

'Engagingly written, and brilliantly researched, a treasure trove packed with rich nuggets of information. I loved and devoured it.' – Peter James

'A perfectly timed narrative history … No one who crosses the Channel can fail to learn from, and enjoy, this original and absorbing book.' – Patrick Marnham

It was half a million years ago that Britain first parted from Europe. As ice melted, water smashed through the chalky land bridge that separated Britain from the continent of Europe, forming what we now know as the English Channel, and what the French call La Manche. The second parting, far from being a force of nature, was the choice of Britain's islanders disillusioned with continental rule.

In The Busy Narrow Sea, Robin Laurance tells the story of the people whose lives have become entwined over the centuries with this iconic seaway, presenting a broad sweep of carefully researched historical fact lightened with a host of colourful anecdotes. This diverse tale covers artists captivated by its light; writers inspired by its power; tunnellers relishing its challenges; entrepreneurs turning fishing villages into smart resorts; smugglers ruling and adventurers conquering the waves; and much more besides, from Napoleon through the Second World War and into the modern day.

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Yes, you can access The Busy Narrow Sea by Robin Laurance in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Historical Geography. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Map
  6. Introduction
  7. 1 When Britain First Left Europe
  8. 2 The Long Crawl
  9. 3 A Tale of Two Cities
  10. 4 Cawsanders and Smugglers
  11. 5 The Channel’s Islands
  12. 6 The Channel at War
  13. 7 Packets, Balloons and Mal de Mer
  14. 8 Writers, Poets, Painters and Debussy
  15. 9 Just Another Day at the Office
  16. Acknowledgements
  17. Bibliography