The Press Gang

The British Empire was based on sea power and on a navy that controlled the shipping lanes of the world. To man its ships large numbers of trained seamen were needed, above all in times of war. To make up the needed complements, the press gang seized men, usually those with sailing experience, from merchant ships and from ports, tearing them instantly and forcibly from their jobs and homes, sometimes for voyages that lasted years. Nicholas Rogers examines the history of the press gang and how it operated, with the tricks used both by the gangs and those trying to escape them. Operating often on the fringes of legality, the press gang's activities were resisted both physically and in the courts. The Press Gang also paints a picture of life aboard men-of-war, showing just how well advised men were to try and avoid impressments.