Voyages from the Past: A History of Passengers at Sea

A social history of sea travel from the passengers’ perspective, encompassing all walks of life and vessels departing from a variety of UK ports. Simon Wills tells the stories of ordinary people who traveled by sea between 1600 and 1940, from early American pioneers to GI brides.

Each chapter focuses on a detailed account of a single voyage from a passenger's perspective, alongside an overview of what sea travel was like in the period. Wills uses their varied experiences to illustrate what life on board ship was like for passengers, from lighthearted stories – the captain who smelled so foul that he put passengers off their food – to darker memories, including those of the man who watched dozens of his fellow travelers die of fever, during one perilous voyage.