Caliban's Shore: The Wreck of the Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors

( 1 )

Overview

"The Grosvenor was one of the finest East Indianmen of her day, a grand three-masted square-rigger of 741 tons bristling with cannon. When she ran aground on the treacherous coast of south-east Africa, an astonishing number of her crew and passengers, including women and children, reached the shore safely. But the castaways were hundreds of miles from the nearest European outpost - and utterly ignorant of their surroundings and the people among whom they found themselves." Stephen Taylor pieces together this saga with narrative flair. Drawing on
... See more details below
Available through our Marketplace sellers.
See All Options
Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (63) from $1.99   
  • New (11) from $2.46   
  • Used (52) from $1.99   
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 11 (2 pages)
Note: Marketplace items are not eligible for any BN.com coupons and promotions
$2.46
GreenBound
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(92)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

New
2004 Hardcover Brand new book. Publisher's overstock. Satisfaction completely guaranteed and we have the fastest, most reliable shipping. Free tracking number for all domestic ... orders. Read more Show Less

Ships from: McDonough, GA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.95
Shomco, inc. TX
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(402)

Condition: New
New No Remainder Mark, No Damage, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Ship twice daily.

Ships from: Plano, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.95
Lee Books MN
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(427)

Condition: New
2004-07 Hardcover First Edition New Brand New with Dustjacket-No Remainder Mark-Same or next day shipping.

Ships from: Saint Paul, MN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$5.99
Book Sales Inc.
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(10)

Condition: New

Ships from: Appleton, WI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$11.41
Poverty Hill Books IL
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(73)

Condition: New
2004-07 Hardcover New HARDCOVER, BRAND NEW COPY, Perfect Shape, No Black Remainder Mark, 400-209.

Ships from: La Grange, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$11.41
Poverty Hill Books IL
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(73)

Condition: New
2004-07 Hardcover New HARDCOVER, BRAND NEW COPY, Perfect Shape, No Black Remainder Mark, 415-209.

Ships from: La Grange, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$17.00
ed conroy books
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(287)

Condition: New
1st Edition, Fine/Fine Clean, tight & bright. No ink names, tears, chips, foxing etc. Price unclipped. ISBN 0393050858

Ships from: Troy, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$30.01
Lyric Vibes
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(147)

Condition: New
Hardcover New 0393050858 New Condition ~~~ Right off the Shelf-BUY NOW & INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE...

Ships from: Geneva, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$31.99
Books Revisited
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(97)

Condition: New
Brand New Item.

Ships from: Chatham, NJ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
$45.00
bluehouse
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(39)

Condition: New
Brand new.

Ships from: acton, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 11 (2 pages)
Close
Sort by
Caliban's Shore: The Wreck of the Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

This digital version does not exactly match the hardcover displayed here.
NOOK Book (eBook)
$10.31
BN.com price
(Save 31%)$14.95 List Price

More About This Book

Overview

"The Grosvenor was one of the finest East Indianmen of her day, a grand three-masted square-rigger of 741 tons bristling with cannon. When she ran aground on the treacherous coast of south-east Africa, an astonishing number of her crew and passengers, including women and children, reached the shore safely. But the castaways were hundreds of miles from the nearest European outpost - and utterly ignorant of their surroundings and the people among whom they found themselves." Stephen Taylor pieces together this saga with narrative flair. Drawing on much new research, he sifts the myths that became attached to the Grosvenor from a reality that is no less gripping. Taking the reader to the heart of what is now the Wild Cost of Pondoland, Caliban's Shore reveals the misunderstandings that led to tragedy, tells the story of those who escaped, and unravels the mystery of those who stayed.
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Sara Wheeler
Caliban's Shore is a fragmentary story but a powerful one, and Taylor has diligently glued the pieces together. Like all good histories, it opens a window onto the past -- in this case the exotic, pestilential and perilous world of those doughty men and women who braved the high seas more than 200 years ago.
— The New York Times
Deirdre Donahue
With the success of The Perfect Storm and other maritime stories, accounts of disasters at sea have felled many a tree. What sets this superb history apart comes from Taylor's extensive knowledge of Africa. He describes the endless tribal wars, the emerging tensions with the Dutch and, especially, the Wild Coast terrain.
— USA Today
Publishers Weekly
The Grosvenor's passengers and crew feared shipwreck and death, but "shipwreck and survival was not a possibility that anyone had much considered." When the England-bound mercantile ship ran aground in heavy seas off Africa on August 4, 1782, death would have been easier for the 125 who made it ashore. Drawing primarily on two contemporary reports, British historian Taylor reassembles the Grosvenor's story with precision and vision, making each passenger a character and each incident a fate twist. Merchants and children, Anglicans and Muslims, officers and gentlewomen were stranded without weapons or food on shores inhabited by the Pondo tribe in present-day South Africa. Fearful that the peaceful natives would turn hostile, the survivors struck out along the coast for known European settlements. But the bad decision-making that had resulted in shipwreck produced more disaster, and, by the end, only 13 survivors of the wreck are accounted for. Over the years, as news of the fate of the Grosvenor and its passengers drifted back to Britain, the ship and its fate became legendary, even Dickens contributing. The book may not resonate for Americans as much as for more direct descendants of the British Empire, but Taylor has brought the ship and its survivors to modern eyes with this commendable work. Photos. Agents, Caroline Dawnay and Peter Matson. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
KLIATT
Looking at a map, one wouldn't think that a ship sailing southwest from India to round the Cape of Good Hope would encounter any great navigational hazards. The Indian Ocean is vast, islands and hidden reefs are few, and you could hardly expect to bump into the immense landmass of southern Africa. Nevertheless, one calm night in 1757, the sailing watch of the Grosvenor contrived to do just that. Travel writer Stephen Taylor delved into the archives of the East India Company to pull together not only an exciting shipwreck story, but the tales and conditions of most of the souls who were on board that night. The most interesting part of the story, however, comes after the Grosvenor pounded herself to pieces in the surf. Taylor specializes in Africa, and it is here that he really hits his stride. The huddled survivors had but to walk along a sandy beach for several hundred miles in order to reach safety in South Africa. However, native tribes, if not actively hostile to helpless white people, were certainly willing to strip them of their few possessions. The hardiest survivors soon broke up into several groups straggling southward while the weak gradually fell behind and the unlucky died along the way. What had begun as a routine passage to England soon became an epic survival story. The author's skill at portraying personalities at all levels, from nabob to barefoot seaman, makes this especially interesting. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2004, Norton, 297p. illus. notes. index., Ages 15 to adult.
—Raymond Puffer
Library Journal
Raised in South Africa, British and U.S. newspaper correspondent Taylor (Shaka's Children) acts on his lifelong interest in the famous 1783 wreck of the 741-ton Grosvenor, an East India Company trade ship, off the far southeast coast of Africa. The result is an engrossing account of the truth behind the event. Most of those on board reached the shore safely, including 91 crew and 34 wealthy passengers, among them women and children. Once ashore, the tale takes intriguing twists and turns, and Taylor digs deep into formerly unpublished material and newfound stories left by some of the survivors to reveal their fate. Taylor nicely pieces together the various parts of this story, providing a solid analysis of the origins of the tragedy, relating the full story of those who returned, and unraveling the mystery of those who stayed. In the end, he provides more background on those who came to grief in the disaster than found in Percival R. Kirby's The True Story of the Grosvenor. Highly recommended for all nautical and South Africa history collections in academic and larger public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/04.]-Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780393050851
  • Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc
  • Publication date: 6/19/2004
  • Pages: 288
  • Product dimensions: 5.96 (w) x 9.74 (h) x 1.13 (d)

Meet the Author

Stephen Taylor is a former journalist and foreign correspondent. He is the author of Storm and Conquest and Caliban’s Shore. He lives in England.

Read More Show Less

Table of Contents

Maps x
Prologue xiii
1
1 'A Man of High Character' 3
2 Lord Macartney's Displeasure 20
3 Island of Oak 33
4 A Light in the Dark 53
5 'Nothing but Confusion and Dismay' 67
2
6 The Caliban Shore 79
7 Pondo's People 94
8 A Fatal Dread 104
9 'Never After Together Again' 115
10 Faultlines 125
11 Habberley's Mission 135
12 'A Sacred Charge' 145
13 Caliban Transformed 157
14 The Fate of William Hosea 170
15 'The Vilest Brutish Prostitution' 180
3
16 African Crusoes 195
17 The Quest 207
18 'Our Fathers Are Come' 219
19 Gquma's Tribe 230
20 'When the Long Trick's Over' 243
Epilogue 253
Acknowledgements 261
Sources 263
Notes 269
List of Illustrations 285
Index 287
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 1
( 1 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 4, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)