Ever since it was the starting point for voyages of discovery to the New World, the old port of Bristol has boasted a wealth of taverns, inns, alehouses, and public houses. Most of the older drinking establishments that have survived have stories to tell - frequently quirky or surprising, but always interesting and often with nautical links. Some involve real historical figures such as Daniel Defoe and Alexander Selkirk, the model for Robinson Crusoe, while others are connected with fictional characters like Long John Silver. And some were used by smugglers, press gangs, privateers and out-and-out pirates.

Local author James MacVeigh takes the reader on a fascinating journey through some of Bristol’s oldest and most notorious watering holes. He explores their histories and hidden secrets and tells of the many characters that have frequented or run the city’s public houses.