Jim Lad

Britain and Colonial Maritime War in the Early Eighteenth Century: Silver, Seapower and the Atlantic By Shinsuke Satsuma Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press 2013 6-1/2” x 9-1/2”, hardcover, xii + 284 pages Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $115.00 ISBN: 9781843838623 Britain and Colonial Maritime War in the Early Eighteenth Century is adapted from the author's PhD research at the University of Exeter. Satsuma identifies an argument used in Britain to promote the idea of war at sea (particularly in the new world) during the War of Spanish Succession and traces its origin, its deployment, and its evolution. Satsuma claims that this argument affected policy and helps explain some of the decisions made by various political factions, but that it is distinct from actual or ideal government policy as explored by other historians, such as Daniel Baugh's 'blue water policy'. The text relies on early eighteenth-century political writing, including letters, pamphlets and government documents, to trace the argument and understand the political attitudes towards colonial maritime war in the early eighteenth century. The pro-maritime war argument that Satsuma identifies was historical grounded in the English experience of conflict, especially privateering, in the West Indies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It promoted war with Spain as economically advantageous: profits from the capture of Spanish prizes, especially the Flota ships, could pay for other operations, limiting the financial burden on the nation. Additionally, war could provide an opportunity to create new trading opportunities with Spanish colonies, either through treaty or by establishing new British colonies in Spanish territory. Proponents of the argument were not unified in their approach or in their broader political ideologies, but only in their support of the idea. During the War of Spanish Succession, successful deployment of the pro- maritime war argument resulted in some expeditions, including to Quebec in 1710, and plans for expeditions to the West Indies and the South Seas (particularly the Pacific American coast) that were ultimately mired in political and bureaucratic issues and never carried out. Satsuma argues that the political negotiations at the end of the war appeared to offer alternative routes to securing goals similar to those advanced by supported of the pro-maritime war argument, such as the government's control of the Spanish Asiento trade, and that war began to appear less attractive. During the War of the Quadruple Alliance and Anglo Spanish Conflict of 1726-1729 the pro-maritime war argument resurfaced in a slightly different form, and by the end of the period of conflict it had changed from a tool of the government to a tool of the opposition. Satsuma uses the discourse surrounding war at sea to explain the decisions and actions of the government and people in power. The pro-maritime war argument examined is defined very broadly, and as such it is not surprising to find that it persists. Satsuma's more interesting contribution is revealing how the promotion of this argument persistently affected actual policy, legislation, and, in some cases, practice in terms of Britain's maritime warfare and international relations in the period. Heather Hatch Texas A&M University

Passage to the World: The Emigrant Experience 1807-1940 By Kevin Brown Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing, 2013 6-1/4” x 9-1/2”, hardcover, xii + 243 pages Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $45.95 ISBN: 9781848321366 Distributed in the United States by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland Man’s history is one of travel and exploration. In Passage to the World: The Emigrant Experience 1807-1940, author Kevin Brown emphasizes that everyone is a migrant. This book focuses on emigration via ocean liners. Brown presents an informative account that successfully demonstrates that the journey was not without peril by reflecting on the firsthand experiences of emigrants. The trip across the ocean was more than just a planned voyage; it was instead, a rite of passage that emigrants first needed to survive. The history depicted is collective; it acts as an amalgamation of emigrant experiences by inspecting a broad spectrum of anecdotes from various travelers. This history draws on emigrants from Eastern and Western Europe and Asia; it tells of them venturing predominately to America and Australia. The book’s time span is meant to show the highest influx of emigrants in the modern world. Emigration boomed when the slave trade ceased and continued until travel by sky became predominate in post war years. Brown’s broad interpretation may leave some readers desiring more specifics about an experience, yet readers are not neglected as the author offers comprehensive endnotes. Brown efficiently relies on primary sources, such as parliamentary and congressional papers, to support firsthand experiences on the perilous ocean voyage. To develop the argument that crossing the ocean was a rite of passage for emigrants, Brown organized his book with themes; they are the facets of the journey, which include: parting the homeland, becoming human freight, the life of convicts on a voyage, the risks at sea, which occasionally met with death, and feeling like a stranger in the emigrants’ new home. Brown interweaves colorful descriptions of many of Charles Dickens’ popular contemporary fictions when describing conditions in steerage, utilizing literary and cinematic references to illustrate emigrants’ ocean journeys. The author takes his readers from port of departure through port of entry. This includes the significant reasons for leaving a homeland where one is comfortable with the language and customs; it also encompasses the towns where booming emigration ports first appeared. Development is seen on vessels as conditions improve. Passage to the World touches his audiences’ empathy to convey the humility emigrants faced relegated to the status of human freight. Food preparation and hygiene are not taken lightly, and Brown smartly draws on his specialty in medicine to outline that while ocean liners fully stratified social classes, viruses and infections indiscriminately struck all people. This history successfully molds the conglomeration of emigrant histories into a streamlined explanation that highlights the perils and livelihoods of steerage to first- class cabin passengers on ocean liners. Passage to the World cleverly shines as a welcomed addition to the general public for the collective experiences and trials faced on ocean liners. Brown’s interpretation represents the current stance on emigration; it offers a well-researched look into the risks at sea while offering a comprehensive biography for those looking to delve deeper in the studies of ocean travel. Sara C. Kerfoot East Carolina University

America’s Black Sea Fleet: The U.S. Navy Amidst War and Revolution, 1919-1921 By Robert Shenk Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2012 6-1/4” x 9-1/4”, hardcover, xviii + 366 pages Photographs, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $34.95 ISBN: 9781612510538 America’s Black Sea Fleet: The U.S. Navy Amidst War and Revolution, 1919- 1923, by Robert Shenk, offers a rare glimpse of the American naval presence in post- World War I Europe and Western Asia. His holistic representation of the events surrounding the fleet’s activities, from relief work to back-door diplomacy, allows readers to immerse themselves fully in this often-overlooked segment of world history. In particular, Shenk succeeds in his goal of presenting an overarching, non-biased view of American-Turkish relations during this time, particularly concerning the Armenian genocides. In such a heated debate, it is a breath of fresh air to see Admiral Bristol represented, not as a singular ideal, but as a man, capable of good deeds even with his shortcomings. Shenk has certainly proven himself as an historical researcher. In writing this book, he utilized a variety of public and private source material in his attempt to present a well-rounded interpretation, including diaries, ship logs, correspondence, archival collections, photographs, and more. This enterprising appetite for published and unpublished source material is impressive. In particular, his extensive use of the Mark L. Bristol papers for the good of the overall scholarly argument, rather than as propaganda for a one-sided attack, is certainly commendable. His endnotes allow ease for both the casual reader and the serious historian, as the background information and sources are present, but do not interfere with the general flow of the work. Shenk’s organizational scheme, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. Though most social histories are thematic, this one tends to jump across years, continents, and ships, with little to no respect for the reader. Additionally, Shenk discusses individual naval movements without giving them an appropriate context in the history of the area, though he states this as one of his goals in the preface. This is true for the end of World War I as well as the immediate after-effects in Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and particularly post-revolutionary Russia. A more detailed account of the situation, as well as maps to orient the reader, would have been extremely helpful. Both casual readers and naval historians alike might suffer from the lack of historical context. Additionally, the writing was awkward and disjointed in many places. Decisions in word choice, phrasing, and punctuation, should have worked for the storyline, rather than against it. The overuse of parenthetic remarks was particularly frustrating. If the purpose of the endnotes was to allow for readability, Shenk could have also avoided the prolific use of parentheses, most of which he could have worked into the text or relegated to the notes section. This book is certainly more than a naval history. While it examines naval officers, operations, and vessels, it also gives a brief insight into the society of post-World War I Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Shenk focuses on individual ships, but also on the basic human condition during this tumultuous era. This work perhaps would have benefitted from more time in the editing process. It stands, however, as a good example of primary source research and is an excellent addition to the subject literature. Chelsea Freeland East Carolina University

Another fine model finished while I was away on holiday. Congratulations on a job very well done, Bob. John

Bill, As far as I'm aware, the removal of figureheads at sea was a very occasional thing. I don't think I've seen it mentioned in any of the actual accounts of voyages under sail that I have. In fact, I've read a couple of accounts of parts of figureheads being removed while in port to protect them frm damage. John

Hey, Mobbsie, you snuck in the completion while I was away on holiday! Just let me add my congratulations for a job very well done indeed. You should be very proud of her! John

She continues to impress, Danny! John

I agree with Druxey and Mark, mate. Strip off the outer planking and check out the tutorials right here on MSW before you start re-planking. John

Of course you can do it, mate! John

Chuck, that's really nice work on the transom. If she were mine, I think I'd leave it natural. John

I agree with you, Danny - rigging's great fun. John

That''ll make a fine model, Kees - and very special to you as she was your grandfather's ship. Johnb

You say not much progress, Popeye, but you're moving ahead much faster than mine at the moment! John

She's coming along very nicely. John

You've done a lot while I've been away, Chuck - looking good! John

Yep, you've started your build log, Betty! Great to see that you're willing to have a go. Just keep showing us photos and asking questions as you go. We're here to help if we can. John

Ain't it grand when you solve the unsolvable, Mark! John

Looks like you've been having fun while I've been away, Popeye! John

You've ben doing well while I've been away, Augie! John

You've been busy while I've been away, Danny. She's really looking top drawer! John

Chuck, Only one example, and later than yours, but this is a photo of the Harriet (1843) at Greenwich. John

You're sure steaming (sailing?) ahead with this, Danny! John

Now that's a very cleverly thought out windlass design, Chuck! John

Hey, Piet, the 'Musi' will make a beautiful model. I remember the type from when I was sailing around Indonesea. John

Great progress, Popeye. I like your modified bow. John