Passed down in the oral tradition and sung traditionally as working songs, sea shanties tell the human stories of life at sea: hard graft, battling the elements, the loss of ships or pining for a lady on shore. Acclaimed shanty devotee Gerry Smyth presents the background to each shanty alongside musical notation.

Celebrates and explores the historical, musical and social history of the traditional sea song through 40 shanties, which are linked to the BL Sound Archive, allowing readers to hear the song through their phone or tablet as they read.