Books reviewed by Paul Talbot

A Nautical Odyssey by David C. BellA Nautical Odyssey

by David C Bell
published by Allen and Unwin
RRP $65.00 (169pp; 270mm x 210mm)
Published on 1 July, A Nautical Odyssey arrived at Afloat among great expectation. Author, David Bell, had made his name as a skilled painter of ships and the sea over many years. His passion for the ‘golden age’ of square-riggers is obvious in this publication.
Lifting this book from its wrapping excited an eager anticipation in its contents. Prominent on the front protection cover is a lovely depiction of what turns out to be a tea clipper under full sail, accompanied in sepia by three other ships. The back cover references Cook’s Endeavour in dry dock. The detailed paintings simply serve to whet the appetite for what might come within.
The sub-title of the book, An Illustrated Maritime History from Cook to Shackleton, further excited the literary juices. Again, the author has developed a reputation as something of a maritime historian, which, together with his artistic ability, promised a magnificent volume.
David Bell explains his rational and purpose in a somewhat rambling introduction, in which he puts forward his provenance as a maritime artist and historian. In the event, he sets out a blueprint for any aspiring artist to follow, emphasising the years of attention to detail of his subject. And in the Preface Bell recalls the major voyages by explorers and their ships – from Heemskerck to Santa Maria, Golden Hind and HMS Centurion – prior to the era to which he dedicates the book.
In the subsequent chapters, starting with James Cook, Bell reproduces his wonderful water colours of the ships, their origins and, in some instances, their modern day references, to support the stories of voyages by their particular commanders. Following Cook come Bligh, Vancouver, Flinders, Nelson and in the final chapter, Shackleton. In the spirit of the time, Bell includes a brief history of the clipper ships of the late 19th century in magnificent display.
You might imagine that after so many beautiful paintings are reproduced, virtually one picture on every turn of a page, one ship might start to look pretty much like any of its companions around it. To some extent that is true, but Bell’s unique talent is in the detail he applies to his painting.
Unfortunately, Bell is not the writer that should have accompanied these illustrations. While the potted stories of each of the subjects may be complete in themselves, the writing, for me, did not demonstrate the level of skill and detail that the paintings do. So I would not suggest that the book be acquired for its historical qualities. Rather, prospective buyers should spend some time reading the text prior to purchase to satisfy themselves that the (relatively) high cost of the book is worth the expense.

Clinker Boat Building by Alan GrahamClinker Boat Building

produced by Alan Graham
Two-disk DVD 2hrs 45 mins
RRP $55.00 (including postage)
Alan Graham is a retired boat builder who could easily have descended from the master craftsman who built the ships that David Bell paints. Alan laments the potential passing of his craft and so produced these DVDs of the construction of recent boat, which he built from scratch in 2009.
Taking the job from drawings to completion, Clinker Boat Building was filmed by Alan, narrated by Alan and celebrated on the water in his new boat by, you guessed it, Alan. Each step is shown in great detail, leaving little to the imagination. And the final product (i.e. the boat) is a work of art and inspiration.
By no means is this an epic film, but if you are remotely interested in the construction of the 16-foot clinker launch depicted in the DVDs, then I suggest you get hold of the set by contacting Alan Graham in Queensland on (07) 5498 8496.