Buy new:
$22.95
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$22.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
$$22.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$22.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$12.62
The book is nice and 100% readable, but the book has visible wear which may include stains, scuffs, scratches, folded edges, sticker glue, torn on front page,highlighting, notes, and worn corners. The book is nice and 100% readable, but the book has visible wear which may include stains, scuffs, scratches, folded edges, sticker glue, torn on front page,highlighting, notes, and worn corners. See less
$3.99 delivery Monday, May 20. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$22.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$22.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by GoodwillVSB.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Suzanne J. Stark
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Female Tars: Women Aboard Ship in the Age of Sail Paperback – September 1, 2017

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$22.95","priceAmount":22.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"22","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"kXdC3nDdwxexthRaFC%2FzR63FYIhHtvyD0AROB0LnhQMSc0PpDkBJIZF%2BpSJUh5MOmFml%2F4CVTcEGg%2F950CDZciL5JLzCCyF8VVrPmUk3WB%2BY5KEllQ91tYt39%2Fzj3InmUEMEv8EyL3gpxr2zoQZLDQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$12.62","priceAmount":12.62,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"62","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"kXdC3nDdwxexthRaFC%2FzR63FYIhHtvyDBFq%2BnjPKFj%2BNA4HZs4cx2AenuLue3GYi3gRFm0917ZOACPMSBE%2FudRhOKRLQGrqGdhdco6FVcjGsigP63nBWc15AlsmW49%2FtA9Yv1iO8frtmeC9K0FPfPHYYD%2B8InpYzQQ%2FlGusfc%2BiQkzch6akvpLU1zMO0CoI%2B","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“For a very long time now I have delighted in histories, letters, records, and memoirs to do with the Royal Navy in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century; but Suzanne Stark's book has told me many, many things I did not know, and I shall keep it on an honored shelf.”-Patrick O'BrianThe wives and female guests of commissioned officers often went to sea in the sailing ships of Britain's Royal Navy in the 18th and 19th centuries, but there were other women on board as well, rarely mentioned in print. Suzanne Stark thoroughly investigates the custom of allowing prostitutes to live with the crews of warships in port. She provides some judicious answers to questions about what led so many women to such an appalling fate and why the Royal Navy unofficially condoned the practice. She also offers some revealing firsthand accounts of the wives of warrant officers and seamen who spent years at sea living-and fighting-beside their men without pay or even food rations, and of the women in male disguise who served as seamen or marines. Now available in paperback, this lively history draws on primary sources and so gives an authentic view of life on board the ships of Britain's old sailing navy and the social context of the period that served to limit roles open to lower-class women.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Naval Institute Press
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.4 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1591145724
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1591145721
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Despite its age, Female Tars remains an interesting and insightful work about a still little known aspect of life at sea, a subject needing more research." ―Strategy Page “Female Tars is well-written, and accessible to both academic and casual readers. This study expands our understanding of life aboard Royal Navy warships during the age of sail. In doing so it brings into context the social and economic situations women faced during the long eighteenth century with the wartime pressures faced by the Royal Navy to keep warships manned. The Naval Institute Press should be commended to bring such an important work back into print.” ―Naval Historical Foundation “Stark has successfully provided us with a rich glimpse into a fascinating era and this material is presented in an engaging manner. This book has wide appeal for anyone with an interest in marine history and/or gender studies.” ―The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord “Stark masterfully disentangles the myths and facts about women of the lower deck of warships. She also enlightens us as to why they chose this harsh life. Finally and perhaps most importantly, she illuminates the social context of these lower-class women and the limited roles open to them. Female Tars is an invaluable addition to any collection dealing with the Royal Navy, women at sea, women’s history, and life during the Age of Sail.” ―Pirates and Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracyand Goodreads “For a very long time now I have delighted in histories, letters, records, and memoirs to do with the Royal Navy in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century; but Suzanne Stark’s book has told me many, many things I did not know, and I shall keep it on an honored shelf.”―Patrick O’Brian

About the Author

Suzanne J. Stark (1926–2015) was an artist, teacher, editor and freelance writer.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591145724
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591145721
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Suzanne J. Stark

Suzanne J. Stark

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
30 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

EsmeraldasGoat
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating subject, well told and engrossing.
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Never knew the extent of the female presence on board ships, always thought women on board was the exception. Especially loved the story of Mary Lacy. Would recommend highly.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Feminist slant but fascinating information
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
While I don’t agree with all her conclusions, the author certainly did her research! This is a fascinating read and one I highly recommend. It kept my attention and I learned an incredible amount. This information turns much of what we “know” about life aboard ship on its head.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marguerite Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023
Excellent book and very informative about something I knew very little about.
Helpful
 Report
JD7D
5.0 out of 5 stars A pioneer work in the story of women at sea under sail
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023
This is a really important book for any maritime collection. Suzanne Stark was the first to explore the stories of women under sail, and she made a great job of this one. Inspirational.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mayor
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading about women in the Navy, the old navy.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
I kind of thought that was happening and I was right. We don't seem to be able to get it right about relationships between people or maybe we don't know what the definition of right "is", like Clinton said.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Albert A. Nofi
5.0 out of 5 stars Women at Sea in the Age of Fighting Sail
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2018
A summary of the review on StrategyPage:

'First published in hardback in 1996, Stark’s book is still one of the few to address the role of women aboard warships in the age of fighting sail, concentrating primarily on the experience of the Royal Navy. She divides these women into several groups. The most numerous group were prostitutes, who often lived aboard ship when in port. Occasionally, however, wives of seamen, often with children, would also stay aboard ships in port – the crews being virtual prisoners – in an officially banned but widely tolerated practice to sustain morale. But there were also women who lived aboard even at sea. These included wives of warrant officers, pursers, and even chaplains, who often worked as nurses and occasionally even gunners in battle. Stark also has a few words to say about higher class women, who might at times travel aboard ship as honored guests. But the most interesting of the women aboard were those who passed as men, working as sailors or even marines. Some of these became rather celebrated upon discovery, most notably Hannah Snell, who served as a seaman and then as a marine. Stark covers living conditions, sex, health, and more in this interesting look at a little known aspect of life at sea.'

For the full review, see StrategyPage.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Patricia
3.0 out of 5 stars Quite a nice little book, but you are left wanting for more
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 1998
Verified Purchase
This book is quite a fascinating look at the roles women have played in the British Navy before this century. However, there does seem to be a lack of in-depth study of the women profiled. I found myself wanting to know much more than the author was willing to offer me. I felt too much time was taken re-iterating the social and economic standpoint of prostitutes in this era rather than focusing on the women's contributions to the Royal British Navy. I was mildly insulted when Ms. Stark suggested the reason these women were willing to be "transvestites," or dress as men to serve onboard naval vessels, was basically Freud's "penis envy" theory. This book did sharpen my appetite to find more books on the subject of Women in the Maritime Military.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
lscollison
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't ask, don't tell, pretend they aren't there...
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2012
"Offically, the women living on the lower deck did not exist," Stark writes of the prostitutes and seagoing wives aboard British Naval warships in the Age of Sail. "Even when a woman died at sea, the fact was seldom recorded. Their names were not listed in ship's muster books, and since only those people who were mustered had any official existence, women were not paid and not victualed"(Stark, 49).

The image of a nameless, faceless woman dying at sea (perhaps in childbirth?) and her death not even appearing in the official log was so vividly shocking to me that I wrote about it in  SURGEON'S MATE: Book Two of the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series . Stark's book, one of the few serious studies of women aboard ships during the Age of Sail, was important to my research and completely changed my perceptions of life aboard British Naval warships in former centuries -- especially the eighteenth century, when Britain ruled the seas.

Published by Naval Institute Press, this "seminal" (irony intended) work contains illustrations, an index, and is heavily footnoted. The author has relied on first-hand accounts such as naval hospital musters, sailors' narratives and diaries, captain's logs, letters, Admiralty records and numerous respected secondary sources. This is an important book for anyone interested in naval and maritime history as well as social history and women's studies. It is appropriate for most high school students and should be included in libraries and high school reading lists. Female Tars will open your eyes to the invisibles who indeed were aboard ship, helping to fight battles, care for the sick and injured, and helping to keep the seamen's morale up. Kudos to the Naval Institute Press for publishing it.

Suzanne Stark has revealed part of the story but there is still much more to discover. I, for one, am listening for the voices of women, long dead, who were officially not heard, seen, or remembered.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Mrs B E H Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars Women aHoy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
The book was recommended because in the 1861 Census a female relative was said simply to have been born "at sea". In another census I discovered she was born in the "Gulf of Florida, on board the Emma Eugenie", so now with this book, I might discover what her father, a soldier, and mother were doing out in the Caribbean at that time.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Victoria Price
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy reader on serious topic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
I've only read the first few pages, but this is a well written, digestible tome on an area of history that is often written about in dry prose (or at least, the history of Naval operations and Navy personnel is often a dry read).
One person found this helpful
 Report