Simon Wills: 8 books

What was a merchant seaman’s life like in the past, what experiences would he have had, what were the ships like that he sailed in, and what risks did he run? Was he shipwrecked, rewarded for bravery, or punished? And how can you find out about an ancestor who was a member of the long British maritime...

What were the principal causes of death in the past? Could your ancestor have been affected? How was disease investigated and treated and what did our ancestors think about the illnesses and the accidents that might befall them? Simon Wills fascinating survey of the diseases that had an impact on...

Photographs of your seafaring ancestors may tell you more about their lives than you realize, and Simon Wills’s helpful and practical guide shows you how to identify and interpret the evidence caught on camera. Since maritime roles have been so vital to Britain’s prosperity and military might,...

“Intriguing stories from the history of the human relationship with birds, including their symbolism in art, literature, religion, and folklore” (Booklist).   Even the most well-informed wildlife enthusiast will be entertained by the stories and fascinating facts in this beautifully illustrated...

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 travelled by sea between 1600 and 1940, from early Ameri

Make Arbor Day every day with little known and intriguing facts about the plants that populate our forests, give us shade, and clean our air.   Have you ever wondered how trees got their names? What did our ancestors think about trees, and how were they used in the past? This fascinating book will...

The loss of the Costa Concordia in 2012 shocked Europe when thirty-two passengers died on a luxury liner. Yet in mid-Victorian times, more lives than this were lost in shipwrecks every week. This book will tell the story of one particularly notorious Victorian wreck that the author has been researching...

Featuring essays by world-renowned scholars, Diasporas charts the various ways in which global population movements and associated social, political and cultural issues have been seen through the lens of diaspora. Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, this collection considers critical concepts shaping...