From Cabin ‘Boys’ to Captains: 250 Years of Women at Sea

Revealing the hidden history of women on ships, from early cabin ‘boys’ to modern cruise ship captains This lively yet scholarly book reveals an unsuspected history of women at sea, from women pirates and daring cabin ‘boys’ under sail to today’s rear-admirals and weapons experts on nuclear submarines. Historically, women wanting to sail in their own right faced many challenges. They were rejected as nuisances and outsiders, trespassing into the male maritime tribe. Today they command cruise ships and are becoming commodores. This comprehensive work looks at both the merchant and royal navies, explaining women’s progression from outsider to ‘master’
with male shipmates as obstacles and helping hands. Using interviews and sources never before published, Jo Stanley vividly reveals the incredible journey across time taken by women at sea. AUTHOR: Jo Stanley comes from a Liverpool seafaring family, and wrote her Ph.D on stewardesses, the main women seafarers. She is a former journalist and adult education teacher who has, since the 1970s, published a wide range of books and journal articles on gender issues and seafaring. This will be her first book for The History Press.
SELLING POINTS: . First book to cover comprehensively the maritime role of women over the past 265 years . A pioneering topic yet to be widely written about . Introducing many of the bold and authoritative women to carve out careers at sea . This vast topic is British in focus but places events in their global context . Author is an authority on the subject 80 b/w illustrations