Heraldry of the Oceans

Book excerpt: Britain traded with many nations throughout history, and the bulk of that trade was by sea. Their merchant seafarers formed a mighty force which was large throughout the 19th century and reached its peak in the 1960s. Though seemingly one body, it comprised many individual companies, each with its own traditions and identity. This book is a celebration of this and an attempt at chronicling these characteristics that give the industry both corporate identity and an element of individuality. The rapid diminution of the British-flagged fleet in recent years has all but extinguished this structure, and those who had intimate experience of it are now aging and their memories fading. It is disappointing that so little of this story has been recorded and this book will, at least in part, make up for this omission.