The Press Gang: Naval Impressment and its opponents in Georgian Britain [Hardcover]

The press gang, and its forcible recruitment of sailors to man the Royal Navy in times of war, acquired notoriety for depriving men of their liberty and carrying them away to a harsh life at sea, sometimes for years at a time. Nicholas Rogers explains exactly how the press gang worked, whom it was aimed at and how successful it was in achieving its ends. He also shows the limits to its operations and the press gang's need for cooperation from local authorities, who were by no means prepared to support it.
Written by an expert in the social history of eighteenth-century Britain, it is both well-researched and highly readable.

IntroductionImpressment and the Law Resisting the Press gang: Trends, Patterns, Dynamics Spotlight on Two Ports: Bristol and Liverpool Manning the Navy in the Mid-century Atlantic The Navy and the Nation, 1793-1820 Epilogue