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Who Wants their own copy of Patrick O'brians Red Sailor?

This is the fictional story about Able Seaman Varn serving in His Majesties Imperial Navy just as the Korean War is kicking off. He's a typical Jolly Jack as sailors used to be when Royal Navy sailors were sung about feted and admired, had hearts of gold, were irreverent of authority, lewd, funny and hard as nails.

Quite evocative reading for any who have served during the sixties and before - unfortunately to today's serving sailors, ham strung as they are with political correctness, health & safety, dignity at work, lord knows what else and who go on operations listening to an iPod then bursting into tears when it’s taken away - it is a totally unrecognisable Navy. This book is ideal for ex-Royal Navy personnel.

The jargon in it is pure navy speak – have The Pusser’s Rum publication “Slanguage” to hand if you haven’t served, as much of it will not be understood by "landlubbers!" The story however is an excellent pastiche of naval life in the fifties and early sixties. The main character, Able Seaman Varne is also a typical Jack-me-hearty of the period. This was the post war golden age of the Royal Navy when the navy was a worldwide force and a tot of rum was gold dust, used almost as currency and imbibed on a daily basis.

The story is set aboard a destroyer HMS Homage on the Far East Station. There is action, and graphic details of life aboard a warship, and runs ashore a plenty.

In one particular scene, Varne, forever "in the rattle” for one misdemeanour or another, has the opportunity to have all forgiven, redeem himself and to shine in his senior officers eyes by winning a boxing match and also a prestigious cup for the ship. In a boxing match well described with all the sweat and snot reminiscent of any of The Rocky series, he does win, then sells the cup in a backstreet and spends the money on a Japanese woman.

O'Hara was obviously either in the R.N., or had firsthand experience of a sailor's life. A superb read!
 
Interesting in that its a reprint of the 1903 edition

Its a facsimile of the original book which had an error stating that it was printed in 1903, should have stated 1963.
See:
The description in the one for sale on Ebay item number
351463628253
 
My copy of the "Red Sailor2 Arrived today, pretty quickly as it had to come from India.
Looks like the book has been photocopied rather than set in type or scanned and text recognition software used.
However for the price it is certainly readable and I am looking forward to reading it.
 
Just finished reading it. Good dits, but not worth the price asked for the original. My copy was £14 from Amazon, hard back with dust cover. Sent from India.
Geoff:)
 
Well I am half way through reading the book and I have a couple of questions.
I joined in 1963 and never heard of women referred to as pushers. I also never heard of the mob being referred to as the Imperial navy.
Can anyone enlighten me?
 
Well I am half way through reading the book and I have a couple of questions.
I joined in 1963 and never heard of women referred to as pushers. I also never heard of the mob being referred to as the Imperial navy.
Can anyone enlighten me?
"Pushers", yep, along with "Parties". I was in also in the 60s and it was a common description for a bird. :cool:
 
Best I can come up with, it indeed was a service slang word for a prostitute but became obsolete (??) when the use for a drug pusher overrode it. There was also a "Square pusher" who was a girl of good reputation. Probably a word shrouded in the mists of time. From my own experience, as I remember, it was simply a term used to describe a girl/woman. :cool:
 

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