Captain Ben's Book: A Record of the Things Which Happened to Capt. Benjamin J. Willard: Pilot and Stevedore, During Some Sixty Years on the Sea and Land

Book Description

Portland, ME: Lakeside Press, 1895. First Edition. Hardcover. Light shelf/edge wear, one tip through, light rubbing at hinges, light even soiling, small erasure mark at ffep, inscribed by author, else tight, bright and unmarred. Purple cloth boards gilt lettering and decorative elements, decorative endpages, frontispiece. 8vo. 204pp. Illus. (b/w plates). Willared was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in 1828, and was in fishing, the coast trade, stevedoring and finally was a pilot out of Portland. Much of the work focuses on his experiences as a pilot, with notes on the Civil War and Confederate operations near Portland. Includes much on shipwrecks, the swordfish industry (and even stupid pet tricks (with photos)). Notably, he invented a life jacket and spent his later years searching for a sea serpent. Overall, a handsome copy of this rather uncommon volume.

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