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Scurvy
- How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentlemen Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail
- Narrated by: Dan Cashman
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
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Publisher's summary
A lively recounting of how three determined individuals overcame the constraints of 18th century thinking to solve the greatest medical mystery of their era. The cure for scurvy ranks among the greatest of military successes, yet its impact on history has mostly been ignored. Stephen Bown, in this engaging and often gripping book, searches back to the earliest recorded appearance of scurvy in the 16th century, to the 18th century, when the disease was at its gum-shred, bone-snapping worst, to the early 19th century, when the preventative was finally put into service. Brown introduces us, among others, to James Lind, navy surgeon and medical detective, whose research on the disease spawned the implementation of the cure; Captain James Cook, who successfully avoided scurvy on his epic voyages; and Gilbert Blane, whose social status and charisma won over the British Navy and saved England.
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By: Rob Mundle
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Farther Than Any Man
- The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook
- By: Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Jack Chekijian
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In the annals of seafaring and exploration, there is one name that immediately evokes visions of the open ocean, billowing sails, visiting strange, exotic lands previously uncharted, and civilizations never before encountered - Captain James Cook. Full of realistic action, lush descriptions of places and events, and fascinating historical characters such as King George III and the soon-to-be-notorious Master William Bligh, Dugard's gripping account of the life and death of Captain James Cook is a thrilling story of a discoverer hell-bent on going farther than any man.
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Sloppy History
- By Kyle P. Dalton on 04-06-18
By: Martin Dugard
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Over the Edge of the World
- Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
- By: Laurence Bergreen
- Narrated by: Laurence Bergreen
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
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In 1519 Magellan and his fleet of five ships set sail from Seville, Spain, to discover a water route to the fabled Spice Islands in Indonesia, where the most sought-after commodities (cloves, pepper, and nutmeg) flourished. Three years later, a handful of survivors returned with an abundance of spices from their intended destination, but with just one ship carrying 18 emaciated men. During their remarkable voyage around the world the crew endured starvation, disease, mutiny, and torture. Many men died, including Magellan, who was violently killed in a fierce battle.
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The Reading IS an Issue
- By mcbeene on 12-26-05
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In the Heart of the Sea
- The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
- By: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The ordeal of the whaleship Essex was an event as mythic in the nineteenth century as the sinking of the Titanic was in the twentieth. In 1819 the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with 20 crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific the ship was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew drifted for more than 90 days in three tiny whaleboats, succumbing to weather, hunger, and disease and ultimately turning to drastic measures in the fight for survival.
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Audio must have been fixed
- By Amazon Customer on 02-11-18
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The Republic of Pirates
- Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down
- By: Colin Woodard
- Narrated by: Lewis Grenville
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In the early 18th century, the Pirate Republic was home to some of the great pirate captains, including Blackbeard, "Black Sam" Bellamy, and Charles Vane. Along with their fellow pirates - former sailors, indentured servants, and runaway slaves - this "Flying Gang" established a crude but distinctive democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which servants were free, Blacks could be equal citizens, and leaders were chosen or deposed by a vote.
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Audible is better
- By CaptainRavick on 01-19-16
By: Colin Woodard
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Erebus
- One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Michael Palin brings the fascinating story of the Erebus and its occupants to life, from its construction as a bomb vessel in 1826 through the flagship years of James Clark Ross’s Antarctic expedition and finally to Sir John Franklin’s quest for the holy grail of navigation - a route through the Northwest Passage, where the ship disappeared into the depths of the sea for more than 150 years. It was rediscovered under the arctic waters in 2014.
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Great storytelling
- By R. Hakaj on 03-03-24
By: Michael Palin
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To the Uttermost Ends of the Earth
- The Epic Hunt for the South's Most Feared Ship—and the Greatest Sea Battle of the Civil War
- By: Tom Clavin, Phil Keith
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 19, 1864, just off the coast of France, one of the most dramatic naval battles in history took place. On a clear day with windswept skies, the dreaded Confederate raider Alabama faced the Union warship Kearsarge in an all-or-nothing fight to the finish, the outcome of which would effectively end the threat of the Confederacy on the high seas.
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Fascinating how these men traveled the world on a ship in the mid 19th century.
- By Jacob Llamas on 03-10-24
By: Tom Clavin, and others
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Struggle for Sea Power
- A Naval History of the American Revolution
- By: Sam Willis
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The American Revolution was a naval war of immense scope and variety, including no less than 22 navies fighting on five oceans - to say nothing of rivers and lakes. In no other war were so many large-scale fleet battles fought, one of which was the most strategically significant naval battle in all of British, French, and American history.
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Fantastic perspective on American Revolution
- By J. Mar on 04-20-21
By: Sam Willis
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Under the Black Flag
- The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates
- By: David Cordingly
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
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For this rousing, revisionist history, the former head of exhibitions at England's National Maritime Museum has combed original documents and records to produce a most authoritative and definitive account of piracy's "Golden Age." As he explodes many accepted myths (i.e. "walking the plank" is pure fiction), Cordingly replaces them with a truth that is more complex and often bloodier.
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Lacks Nuance
- By Joel Langenfeld on 07-02-15
By: David Cordingly
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Sea of Glory
- America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842
- By: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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America's first frontier was not the West; it was the sea, and no one writes more eloquently about that watery wilderness than Nathaniel Philbrick. In his best-selling In the Heart of the Sea, Philbrick probed the nightmarish dangers of the vast Pacific. Now, in an epic sea adventure, he writes about one of the most ambitious voyages of discovery the Western world has ever seen - the US Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842.
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A good solid voyage of discovery
- By Ken Sundermeyer on 06-18-05
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Barrow's Boys
- By: Fergus Fleming
- Narrated by: James Gillies
- Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins
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Barrow's Boys is a spellbinding account of perilous journeys to uncharted areas under the most challenging conditions. Fergus Fleming captures the passion for exploration that led a band of men into situations that would humble today's bravest adventurers.
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Wow
- By Robert B. Golson on 07-05-17
By: Fergus Fleming
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A Commonwealth of Thieves
- The Improbable Birth of Australia
- By: Thomas Keneally
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
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It was 1786 when Arthur Phillip, an ambitious captain in the Royal Navy, was assigned the formidable task of organizing an expedition to Australia in order to establish a penal colony. With the authority of a renowned historian and the narrative grace of a brilliant novelist, Thomas Keneally offers an insider's perspective into the dramatic saga of the birth of a vibrant society in an unfamiliar land.
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Interesting tidbits, but slow overall
- By Dan on 08-23-07
By: Thomas Keneally
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What listeners say about Scurvy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- John Wurst
- 11-29-17
OUTSTANDING!
Mr. Stephen Brown wrote an excellent book and Mr. Dan Cashman narrated it well. Scurvy is something I thought little to nothing of. Now, it has got my attention. I served in the United States Navy for twenty-one years. I was at sea for 15 months of that. I did not know that scurvy was a disease that could take out the crew. I found this book fascinating. It held me captive from the first word. I will recommend this book to everyone I know especially my Navy friends.
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- Aisha
- 09-18-16
headline
The narrator was not effective in his use of accents of British, French and others whose words were used in the book. Very amateurish and annoying. Distracted from an otherwise interesting book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Patricia Ferrer
- 02-15-18
focused historical look at scurvy
thorough recounting of the history of scurvy, it's affect on the human body, age of discovery, losses and gains of conquering lands and political influences. scurvy seen today with picky eaters, restricted fad diets, and in refugee camps.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Collin
- 02-13-17
Solid
Very solid story but fairly boring narration. Probably would have been better about an hour shorter and with more specific focus on scurvy.
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- Alex McKnight
- 03-06-24
Repetitive but perhaps that is part of the story…
Truly enjoyed the history lesson, so much so wasn’t clear on during the height of the days of sail
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- Pat Newell
- 05-22-21
HANG IN THERE
This book starts out slowly...I had to make myself keep listening because I very much wanted to know how scurvy was conquered. The info was repetitious, the narration rate was slow. I sped up narration speed to 1.2, and kept listening. By an hour or so in I was hooked. It's unfortunate it took so long...normally I wouldn't have bothered. I pass on novels if I'm not into it by page 3 or 4, let alone 2 chapters in. I'm glad I kept at it. The info was exhaustive, if a little exhausting to start. I do know the whole story now, including a good overview of the history of the mistaken, and for centuries very damaging, idea of the four "humors". So in the end worth it.
BTW...BRITISH NAVEL OFFICERS NEVER PURCHASED COMMISIONS...only Army and Cavalry officers did.
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- Kindle Customer
- 04-01-21
Well researched
Scurvy caused ten to 100 times more deaths than sea battles. It is hard to believe anyone would go to sea knowing that. The solution for this disease is presented in this well researched book. Worthwhile reading.
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- T
- 02-20-20
That dag-on Ego always gets N the way!!!
I absolutely love the info N this book! LOVE IT!!! Amazing Vitamin C! I had to put the speed on 1.35 to 1.40% N order to B able to listen to it though! 100% was just way to slow & was putting me to sleep, but after adjusting that speed, it was smooth sailing! I also got lost N all of the dates 1609 this, 1722 that & 1818 lost me! I believe BC I have no visual point of reference! Inspite of those couple minor things, I really like the book & am absolutely GR8ful for what I was able to learned fm it! Gonna buy some more ORGANIC Vitamin C & double up, or better yet, some organic Liposomal vitamin C BC it is combined w/oil (usually soy which I stay away fm) & corn N America is now 90% GMO'd) so I look for organic sunflower oiled liposomal Vitamin C, the oils help the vitamin C stay N the body longer, regular viramin C is water soluble, so it flushes out when we...U know.......pee!
I get my liposomal fm:
The truth behind cancer store.com
I do not know or get paid by them, I am just a customer & buy their products BC some R organic, that is it! Stay Healthy! 🍋🍋🍋
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- D. Frrazier
- 02-06-19
Interesting story, but mildly amateurish recording
The story is interesting, but a bit convoluted. Even after hearing it, it is hard to fully understand the many times people found the cure, then seemingly forgot it, or could not convince others to believe it.
But my biggest gripe is the recording quality. The narrator does a reasonable job most of the time, but the many characters he is called upon to represent seem to overtax his abilities, especially when it comes to creating diverse voices and accents. He is never very convincing with the accents. Fortunately, he usually underplays the voices and accents, rather than overdoing it.
Perhaps worse than the muddled accents is the recording itself. Supposedly, this is "digitally remastered" from audiotape. Well maybe it is. But during the first chapter or two, there is a faint but annoying squeaking that makes me think the hubs of a cassette tape rubbing on the plastic case. Later, in another chapter, I could have swore that I heard faint voices in the background, like people talking in the control room, or perhaps an echo on the tape of an adjacent layer of the recording. Still, despite all this, the story is interesting enough that it seemed to me like a worthwhile listen. In addition to getting a lot about scurvy, you get a kind of introduction to what life was like aboard the sailing ships of old, and meet some interesting characters, including Captain Cook.
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