The definitive work on the subject, this Dictionary - available again in its eighth edition - gives a full account of slang and unconventional English over four centuries and will entertain and inform all language-lovers.

Workers who loaded and unloaded ships have formed a distinctive occupational group over the past two centuries. As trade expanded so the numbers of dock labourers increased and became concentrated in the major ports of the world. This ambitious two-volume project goes beyond existing individual studies of dock workers to develop a genuinely comparative international perspective over a long historical period. Volume 1 contains studies of 22 major ports worldwide. Built around an agreed framework of issues, these 'port studies' examine the type of workers who dominated dock labour, their race, class and ethnicity, the working conditions of dockers and the role of government as employer, arbitrator and supporter. The studies also detail how dockers organized their labour, patterns of strike action and involvement in political organizations. The structure of the port city is also outlined and descriptions given of the waterside environment. These areas of investigation form the basis for a series of 11 thematic studies which comprise Volume 2. Drawing on the information provided in the port studies, these essays identify important aspects and recurring themes, and explain how and why particular cases diverge from the rest. The final chapter of the book synthesizes the various approaches taken to offer a model which suggests several configurations of dock labour and presents suggestions for future research. This major scholarly achievement represents the most sustained attempt to date to provide a comparative international history of dock labour. An annotated bibliography completes this essential reference work.

Courage and faith in the face of danger The Doctor’s Newfound Family by Valerie Hansen Sara Beth Reese has vowed to clear the name of her murdered father, and she’ll face any obstacle to achieve her goal. Orphaned and alone in San Francisco—except for the three younger brothers in her care—she needs Dr. Cole Hayward’s protection, whether she’ll admit it or not. And as danger escalates, Cole will do everything necessary to make this newfound family his to love and protect for a lifetime. Mission of Hope by Allie Pleiter Witnesses throughout San Francisco report a masked man in black is bringing supplies—and badly needed hope—to homeless earthquake survivors. He could be a man of wealth or a working-class man with courage as great as his faith. But the masked messenger will need more than a miracle to escape those on his trail and win the spirited society belle risking everything to save him…