Sailors have used ditty bags to carry sewing equipment, toiletries, and other small items for centuries, and now The Ditty Bag Book teaches modern-day sailors the art form of hand-making ditty bags to use on their own seaward travels. Master sailor Frank Rosenow provides complete, step-by-step instructions in the making of a ditty bag—from cutting material to size to decorative touches—and emphasizes the proper maintenance of rigging and sails using the items stowed in the ditty bag. Included in this handy, portable guide is additional information about the essential tools any sailor should have aboard ship, such as a clasp knife, a hand-seeming palm, beeswax, and a serving mallet. Rosenow also offers an array of advice on repairing sails, splicing, palm-and-needle whippings, chafing gear, and much more! Complete with hand drawings by the author, The Ditty Bag Book is essential for any modern-day sailor.

Originally published in 1824, this firsthand account describes how, in June 1822, young English seaman Aaron Smith was taken captive by Cuban pirates when his ship was boarded en route from Jamaica to England. A skilled navigator, fluent in Spanish, and regarded as what was then acceptable as a ship’s surgeon, he was an attractive candidate for conscription. Forced to work as a navigator and participate in pirate boarding parties for ten months, he suffered mightily and witnessed unspeakable acts of murder and torture. He struggled between resisting the orders of the cruel pirate captain and acting against his conscience to preserve his own life from the wrath of the pirates. After failed attempts to get away, he managed to narrowly escape with his life, but was arrested as a pirate upon arrival in Havana. Smith was jailed in Cuba and then sent back to England in chains, where he found himself on trial for his life at the Old Bailey courthouse. The attorney general himself led the prosecution, with the captains of the ships boarded by Smith and the pirates as the principal witnesses.

Sailors have used ditty bags to carry sewing equipment, toiletries, and other small items for centuries, and now The Ditty Bag Book teaches modern-day sailors the art form of hand-making ditty bags to use on their own seaward travels. Master sailor Frank Rosenow provides complete, step-by-step instructions in the making of a ditty bag—from cutting material to size to decorative touches—and emphasizes the proper maintenance of rigging and sails using the items stowed in the ditty bag. Included in this handy, portable guide is additional information about the essential tools any sailor should have aboard ship, such as a clasp knife, a hand-seeming palm, beeswax, and a serving mallet. Rosenow also offers an array of advice on repairing sails, splicing, palm-and-needle whippings, chafing gear, and much more! Complete with hand drawings by the author, The Ditty Bag Book is essential for any modern-day sailor.

What else needs to be said about knots? Almost 650 pages of incredible knowledge, presented in a truzly unique manner. This is not a book of knots, it is the BOOK OF KNOTS. Was muss noch über Knoten gesagt werden? Fast 650 Seiten unglaubliches Wissen, präsentiert in einer wahrhaft einzigartigen Weise. Dies ist kein Buch über Knoten, es ist das BUCH DER KNOTEN.

“Mr. Petit is the perfect teacher” in this fascinating, educational volume on knot-tying—an art and science that has held civilization together (The Wall Street Journal). Philippe Petit is known for his astounding feat of daring when, on August 7, 1974, he stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City. But beyond his balance, courage, and showmanship, there was one thing Petit had to be absolutely certain of—his knots. Without the confidence that his knots would hold, he never would have left the ground. In fact, while most of us don’t think about them beyond tying our shoelaces, the humble knot is crucial in countless contexts, from sailing to sports to industrial safety to art, agriculture, and more. In this truly unique book, Petit offers a guide to tying over sixty of his essential knots, with practical sketches illustrating his methods and clear tying instructions. Filled with photos in which special knots were used during spectacular high-wire walks, quirky knot trivia, personal anecdotes, helpful tips, magic tricks, and special tying challenges, Why Knot? will entertain and educate readers of all ages. “In reading Philippe’s book we are cogently reminded that without the ability to secure a rope, or tether a goat, or make fast the sheets of a galley, much of the civilization that we take for granted would disappear as easily as a slipknot in the hands of a Vegas conjuror.” —Sting, musician and activist “His descriptions are clear, he deploys humor frequently and he makes his points with anecdotes that are colorful and memorable. Explaining the purpose and creation of knots and thanks to those flawless drawings Mr. Petit earns perfect marks.” —The Wall Street Journal