The sea has been an endless source of fascination, at once both alluring and mysterious, a place of wonder and terror. The Sea Journal contains first-hand records by a great range of travellers of their encounters with strange creatures and new lands, full of dangers and delights, pleasures and perils.In this remarkable gathering of private journals, log books, letters and diaries, we follow the voyages of intrepid sailors, from the frozen polar wastes to South Seas paradise islands, as they set down their immediate impressions of all they saw. They capture their experiences while at sea, giving us a precious view of the oceans and the creatures that live in them as they were when they were scarcely known and right up to the present day. In a series of biographical portraits, we meet officers and ordinary sailors, cooks and whalers, surgeons and artists, explorers and adventurers. A handful of contemporary mariners provide their thoughts on how art remains integral to their voyaging lives.Often still bearing the traces of their nautical past, the intriguing and enchanting sketches and drawings in this book brilliantly capture the spirit of the oceans and the magic of the sea.

In this remarkable collection of illustrated private journals, log books, letters, and diaries, The Sea Journal follows the voyages of intrepid sailors. This captivating book contains firsthand records by a great range of travelers of their encounters with strange creatures and new lands—full of dangers and delights, pleasures and perils. The Sea Journal includes historical figures like Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian who sailed with Magellan; Tupia, a Tahitian who joined Captain Cook's first voyage; buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp, who menaced the Spanish Main; and Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. • With 60+ biographical portraits accompanied by colorful sketches and maps, each story unfolds in an exciting way. • Explore adventures from the frozen polar wastes to the South Seas paradise islands. • Readers meet a fascinating cast of real characters: officers and crew, cooks and whalers, surgeons and artists, explorers and adventurers. A collection of rare and exquisite firsthand records of ocean voyages around the world and in different ages, The Sea Journal provides a fascinating insight into exploration and adventure at sea. The records—sourced from libraries, archives, and private collections, as well as family heirlooms, and assembled together for the first time—evoke the thrill of discovery and the spirit of the sea. • A gorgeous compilation of sketches by travelers and explorers of many nationalities and eras • A wonderful gift for history buffs, map enthusiasts, artists, journal-keepers, coastal tourists and residents, people interested in the sea and exploration, and anyone with an adventurer's spirit • Great for those who enjoyed Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World by Julia Rothman; Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery by David Attenborough, Susan Owens, Martin Clayton, and Rea Alexandratos; and Breverton's Nautical Curiosities: A Book Of The Sea by Terry Breverton

Sea ice, which covers up to 7% of the planet’s surface, is a major component of the world’s oceans, partly driving ocean circulation and global climate patterns. It provides a habitat for a rich diversity of marine organisms, and is an extremely valuable source of information in studies of global climate change and the evolution of present day life forms. Increasingly sea ice is being used as a proxy for extraterrestrial ice covered systems. Sea Ice provides a comprehensive review of our current available knowledge of polar pack ice, the study of which is severely constrained by the logistic difficulties of working in such harsh and remote regions of the earth. The book’s editors, Drs Thomas and Dieckmann have drawn together an impressive group of international contributing authors, providing a well-edited and integrated volume, which will stand for many years as the standard work on the subject. Contents of the book include details of the growth, microstructure and properties of sea ice, large-scale variations in thickness and characteristics, its primary production, micro-and macrobiology, sea ice as a habitat for birds and mammals, sea ice biogeochemistry, particulate flux, and the distribution and significance of palaeo sea ice. Sea Ice is an essential purchase for oceanographers and marine scientists, environmental scientists, biologists, geochemists and geologists. All those involved in the study of global climate change will find this book to contain a wealth of important information. All libraries in universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught will need multiple copies on their shelves. David Thomas is at the School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK. Gerhard Dieckmann is at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany