Cutty Sark ― The Last of the Tea Clippers

An updated and expanded edition to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the iconic Cutty Sark. The narrative spans the ship's construction at Dumbarton in 1869; her famous tea voyages as well as those with other cargoes; her career under a Portuguese flag; her subsequent return to the Thames, Greenwich; and the dramatic fire, painstaking restoration, and glorious reopening in April 2012.

The book has been developed from the outset with the Cutty Sark Trust. It presents a chronological career narrative but includes detailed features on crew accounts, log entries, pieces on seamanship, ports and cargoes, and broader tall ship culture, as well as an opportunity to focus on artifacts and the fittings of the ship. This unique opportunity allows the first publication of specially commissioned photography created as part of, and subsequent to, the clipper's restoration as well as the findings of resulting research.

Dr Eric Kentley was formerly a curator at the National Maritime Museum, in a variety of roles from ethnographer to Head of Ship Technology and Corporate Planner. After 16 years he moved to London's Design Museum as Assistant Director, responsible for the museum's curatorial and education programming. Since going freelance at the end of 2001, he has specialised in interpretation projects. His involvement with Cutty Sark began in 2003 when he assisted with the development of the plans for the conservation of the ship and he went on to play a major role in the interpretation of the ship, including authoring the exhibition content. Eric is the author of several books, including Eyewitness Boat, Cornwall's Bridge and Viaduct Heritage and Discover the Titanic. He lives in south London.