Books by Nic Compton

This beautifully produced compendium gives you a knot challenge for every day of the year. With hundreds to choose from, all colour coded by use, you can work through the book from start to finish, gradually building on your knowledge as you go, or alternatively dipping in and out for your daily knotting fix.Covers:- all the essential knots- useful hitches, bends, whippings and splices- handy knots for making outdoor items: plant hangers, harnesses, tree swings, rope ladder- mini knot craft projects: cool keyrings, friendship bracelets, belts, mats - magic 'trick' knots: escapology knots, vanishing knots, travelling knots- freestyle knots: have a go at the 'thrown bowline' (an old cowboy trick) - everyday fashion knots - new ways to tie your shoelaces, scarf, or even your tie!You won't escape this book without learning something, and you won't put it down without picking up an interesting fact or useful technique. Give it a month and you'll be a knot tying fanatic; give it a year and you'll be a knotting supremo!

The rhythmic lullaby of North Utsire, South Utsire has been lulling the nation s insomniacs to sleep for over 90 years. It has inspired songs, poetry and imaginations across the globe as well as providing a very real service for the nation s seafarers who might fall prey to storms and gales. It has inspired everyone from Seamus Heaney to Radiohead, and from Radio 4 announcers to the writers of Keeping Up Appearances. In 1995, a plan to move the late-night broadcast by just 12 minutes caused a national outcry and was ultimately scrapped.Published with Radio 4 and the Met Office, The Shipping Forecast is the official miscellany for seafarers and armchair travellers alike. It features fascinating facts alongside lyrics from Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy, Radiohead and more. From the places themselves how they got their names, what s happened there through the ages to the poems and parodies that it s inspired, this is a beautifully evocative tribute to one of Britain's and Radio 4's best-loved broadcasts.

Why will a sailor never go to sea on Friday 13th?Why are boats always referred to as ''she''?How do you navigate the ocean without a compass?Does the Bermuda Triangle really exist?Why do sailors wear earrings?Did Blackbeard actually exist?Did Nelson really say ''Kiss me, Hardy''?What is the correct way to bury a body at sea?Why is a rope never called a rope? This fascinating collection of maritime folklore and trivia delves into the history, science and culture of the sea, and is packed full of entertaining, surprising and insightful facts, from the delightfully obscure to the amusingly quaint, including everyday expressions that have their origins on board ship. It is a complete treasure trove for young and old alike. Topics include: sailors and superstitions; ships and shipbuilding; navigation and seamanship; pirates and smugglers; fish and fishermen; coasts and oceans; tides and weather; art and literature of the sea.

In the words of those who survived the sinking, this is the story of the Titanic'sfinal hours, taken from the transcripts of the US and British inquiries, andspecially rearranged into chronological order to present the disasteras a real-time narrative.