Synopses & Reviews
Long before women had the right to vote, earn money, or have lives of their own, "she captains" -- bold women distinguished for courageous enterprise on the high seas -- thrilled and terrorized their shipmates, performed acts of valor, and pirated with the best of their male counterparts. From the warrior queens of the sixth century b.c. to the female shipowners influential in opening the Northwest Passage, andlt;Iandgt;She Captainsandlt;/Iandgt; brings together a real-life cast of characters whose audacity and bravado will capture the imagination. In her inimitable style, Joan Druett paints a vivid portrait of real women who were drawn to the ocean's beauty -- and danger -- and dared to captain ships of their own.
Review
Donna Seaman andlt;Iandgt;Booklistandlt;/Iandgt; Druett is as valued for her jaunty storytelling as she is for reclaiming the forgotten lives of seafaring women....Maritime lore has always been rich in romance and suffering; Druett's revelations increase its fascination tenfold.
Review
David Hays coauthor of andlt;Iandgt;My Old Man and the Seaandlt;/Iandgt; Joan Druett's andlt;Iandgt;She Captainsandlt;/Iandgt; sweeps across the decks as a gale of tales -- saucy and surprising, always seaworthy. A sparkling voyage.
Review
Donna Seaman
Booklist
Druett is as valued for her jaunty storytelling as she is for reclaiming the forgotten lives of seafaring women....Maritime lore has always been rich in romance and suffering; Druett's revelations increase its fascination tenfold.
Review
"Riveting history."
-- Michelle Green, The Wall Street Journal
Review
Karin Winegar andlt;Iandgt;Minneapolis Star Tribuneandlt;/Iandgt; Great reading, especially for those who love tales of risk, glory, gritty adventure, and action-packed history.
Synopsis
Long before women had the right to vote, earn money, or have lives of their own, "she captains" -- bold women distinguished for courageous enterprise on the high seas -- thrilled and terrorized their shipmates, performed acts of valor, and pirated with the best of their male counterparts. From the warrior queens of the sixth century b.c. to the female shipowners influential in opening the Northwest Passage, She Captains brings together a real-life cast of characters whose audacity and bravado will capture the imagination. In her inimitable style, Joan Druett paints a vivid portrait of real women who were drawn to the ocean's beauty -- and danger -- and dared to captain ships of their own.
Synopsis
Long before women had the right to vote, earn money, or have lives of their own, "she captains" -- bold women distinguished for courageous enterprise on the high seas -- thrilled and terrorized their shipmates, performed acts of valor, and pirated with the best of their male counterparts. From the warrior queens of the sixth century b.c. to the female shipowners influential in opening the Northwest Passage, She Captains brings together a real-life cast of characters whose audacity and bravado will capture the imagination. In her inimitable style, Joan Druett paints a vivid portrait of real women who were drawn to the ocean's beauty -- and danger -- and dared to captain ships of their own.
Synopsis
In an innovative look at maritime history from the female perspective, Joan Druett introduces a remarkable array of characters and re-creates their adventures with a captivating immediacy and wit. There are "pirate queens" armed with cutlasses and pistols who strike fear into the hearts of sailors. There are sea-loving women -- and women eager to be with the men they loved -- who dress as men and join unsuspecting crews where they serve with honor and daring. The brave housekeepers and rescue workers are here too -- including twenty-two-year-old Grace Darling, whose rescue of nine castaways in 1838 inspired a torrent of books, songs, and poems. Finally, "A Woman at the Helm" shines a spotlight on the long line of "she captains" who conquered dangerous seas and commanded rough crews, often displaying fortitude lacking in many of their male counterparts.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-289) and index.
About the Author
Joan Druett has won many prizes, including a PEN award for her first book, Exotic Intruders, the 1992 John Lyman Award for Best Book of American Maritime History for "She Was a Sister Sailor," the New York Public Library's Best Book to Remember citation for Hen Frigates, and, most recently, The Kendall Whaling Museum's 1999 L. Byrne Waterman Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to research and pedagogy in the arts, humanities, and sciences. She lives in New Zealand.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Introductionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;One:andlt;/Iandgt; The Warrior-Queensandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Two:andlt;/Iandgt; The Valkyriaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Three:andlt;/Iandgt; Mistress Cowtie and the Piratesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Four:andlt;/Iandgt; Pirate Queensandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Five:andlt;/Iandgt; Captured by Corsairs andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Six:andlt;/Iandgt; The Widowsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Seven:andlt;/Iandgt; Bonny andamp;amp; Readandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Eight:andlt;/Iandgt; "The Naked Truth"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Nine:andlt;/Iandgt; Ship's Businessandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Ten:andlt;/Iandgt; Fatal Shoresandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Eleven:andlt;/Iandgt; Fatal Impactandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Twelve:andlt;/Iandgt; The Deceit of Dressandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Thirteen:andlt;/Iandgt; Decently Skirtedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Fourteen:andlt;/Iandgt; War Brideandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Fifteen:andlt;/Iandgt; Women of Warandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Sixteen:andlt;/Iandgt; Nelson's Womenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Seventeen:andlt;/Iandgt; Voyages of Discoveryandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Eighteen:andlt;/Iandgt; To the Rescue!andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Nineteen:andlt;/Iandgt; Northwest Passageandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Twenty:andlt;/Iandgt; Ice Queensandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Twenty-one:andlt;/Iandgt; A Woman at the Helmandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Editorial Noteandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Sourcesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Indexandlt;/Iandgt;