Off the deep end : a history of madness at sea

Compton, Nic2017

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Summary

In the 18th century, the Royal Navy's own physician found that sailors were seven times more likely to suffer from severe mental illness than members of the general population. On the no man's land of the high seas, beyond the rule of law, and away from any sight of land for weeks at a time, often living in overcrowded and confined spaces, where anything that goes wrong could likely be fatal, the incredible pressures on sailors were immense. The ever-present fear drove some men to faith in God and superstition, and drove others mad. But that didn't stop as boat technology improved and seamanship evolved in the modern era. 'Off the Deep End' provides a detailed study of the effect on sanity that the vastness, loneliness and inestimable power of the sea has always had on sailors' sanity, confusing the senses and making rational thought difficult.