Travel
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Harbours and Heroes is the story of a love affair with sailing which gradually developed into a vivid exploration of the history of Europe through its coastlines. From early on in his sailing career Rodney Lord found himself learning not only from experience but also from giant figures of the past—men like the diarist Samuel Pepys, or Robert Fitzroy, the inventor of weather forecasting and saviour of countless lives.
In this compelling travel memoir, we start to appreciate not only the journey but the arrival, and begin to relish the encounters with these local heroes, with their triumphs and tragedies.
The pleasure of travelling, says the novelist Marcel Proust, is to make the contrast between departure and arrival as profound as possible so that one can marvel at the link between two distinct personalities of place. There’s nothing more intense than travelling across the sea in a small boat, entirely dependent on your own skill and experience to ensure you arrive surely and safely, to savour the difference between where you embarked and where you step ashore.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
I found this to be a very enjoyable, relaxed read, which segues effortlessly from describing the Author's sailing exploits into giving a brief history of the people or past happenings of relevance to the places he visits. Good as a gift or to buy for yourself.
Harbours and Heroes is an enriching and beautifully observed travelogue in which Rodney Lord channels the timeless, Magellan-like thrill of arriving at a harbour for the first time. Anyone who has entered a new port by yacht will recognise that unique blend of anticipation, discovery, and quiet awe—feelings Lord captures with remarkable clarity. But he takes the experience further, using each landfall not only as a moment of personal exploration but as a portal into the layered histories of the people and places he encounters. Rather than weaving fiction, Lord offers thoughtful reflections grounded in real locations and real stories. Each chapter blends vivid travel writing with well-researched historical insights, illuminating the “heroes” who shaped these harbours long before modern sailors dropped anchor there. The result is a compelling interplay between present and past: as the yacht approaches a new shore, the reader is invited to consider the generations of navigators, settlers, traders, and adventurers who once stood in the same place. Lord’s prose is warm, engaging, and quietly authoritative. He writes with the curiosity of an explorer and the respect of a historian, creating a narrative that feels both personal and universally resonant. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor, a history enthusiast, or a lover of thoughtful travel literature, Harbours and Heroes offers a richly textured journey that lingers long after the final harbour is left astern. A rewarding, insightful, and wonderfully crafted read—highly recommended.
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