Holihead's enthusiasm for her subject is evident on every page. She captures forgotten voices and offers engaging 'microhistories' of individual women and their households. She also shows that these resourceful wives and other female dependants of lower-deck seamen made a remarkable contribution to their community and deserve their place in history. In sum, this is a sensitive, scholarly work that can claim to be foundational. It will be required reading for anyone interested in the Navy of the period.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARITIME HISTORY

'This is a splendid study of a much-neglected subject. The women whose lives were tied to naval seamen have largely been studied impressionistically through contemporary media representations. Melanie Holihead has used data from the Navy's pay allotment registers, census, local and personal records to give more balance, shape and colour to our understanding of the lives of these women in Portsmouth around the mid-century. The result is a rich picture of the wide variety of life histories, prospects and daily tribulations that will be welcome to social and cultural historians as well as those who want a fuller understanding of daily life in a naval environment.

JUDGES OF THE SOCIETY FOR NAUTICAL RESEARCH ANDERSON MEDAL