A compendium of fascinating information about the great waters that cover two-thirds of our Earth and the men and women that sailed them. 'Breverton's Nautical Curiosities' is about ships, people and the sea. However, unlike many other nautical compendiums, the focus of this book is on the unusual, the overlooked or the downright extraordinary. Thus, someone most of us do not know, Admiral William Brown, is given equal coverage to Admiral Nelson. Without Admiral Brown releasing Garibaldi, modern Italy might not exist. And without the barely known genius John Ericsson designing the Monitor, the Confederacy might have won the American Civil War. The sea has had a remarkable effect upon our language. In the pages of this book, the reader will find the origin of terms such as 'steer clear of', 'hit the deck', 'don't rock the boat', 'to harbour a grudge', and many more. Other colourful terms, which have passed out of common usage, such as 'bring one's arse to anchor' (sit down), 'belly timber' (food) and 'bog orange' (potato) are also included, as well as important pirate haunts, technical terms, famous battles, maritime inventors and ship speed records.