No one knows when the first sail was raised to propel a boat on the River Mersey, but much speculation abounds. Theoretically, sailing ships could have used this stretch of water in as far back as pre-Roman times, but the oldest proven vessel was that of the Middle Ages. In this volume, Michael Stammers tells the history of the many Liverpool sailing ships from 1565, the year of the first list of Liverpool Shops - there were twelve, ranging from the bark Eagle, of 40 tons to the boat Good Luck of 6 tons - through the age of slavery and into the 1930s.

Even after the advent of stream propulsion, sail still ruled in many parts of the world and Liverpool was no exception. Four-masted barques such as Olivebank and Celtic Glen were a common view in the dock system and were a stunning sight to behold.