Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals

Julian Dutton

ISBN 10: 0750995599 / ISBN 13: 9780750995597

Published by The History Press, 2021

About this Item

Used like new softcover in printed wraps. Text is clean and free of marks or underlining. Includes bibliography, index, and B&W photographs throughout. 174 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. For centuries, living afloat on Britain's waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond. Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history. In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton - who was born and grew up on a houseboat - traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain. Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history. .

Seller Inventory # 2423

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Water Gypsies: A History of Life on Britain's Rivers and Canals
• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0750995599
• ISBN 13: 9780750995597
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Used like new
• Seller catalogs:
  • Ecology: Water

About this title

Synopsis

For centuries, living afloat on Britain’s waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond.

Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history.

In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton – who was born and grew up on a houseboat – traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain.

Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history.

About the Author

Julian Dutton was born and grew up on a Chelsea houseboat. He has worked as a writer & actor for over 30 years, mainly in TV & Radio script-writing and performing, and has won a BAFTA, a British Comedy Award, and a Radio Academy Gold Award. Among his credits is the BBC2/Netflix comedy Pompidou, which he created & performed with Matt Lucas. He has written articles for the Sunday Times, the Independent on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard.