Description

‘A rollicking, surprising, often moving personal history’ ANDREW MARR
‘Wonderfully descriptive, knowledgeable and concise’ Scotsman
‘The first full account of the North Sea, above the waves and below’ GORDON BROWN

This is the epic, sweeping history of our shores and our relationship to the sea. It’s a story of newcomers and the mark they left. It is a story of warring tribes, foreign invaders, lost civilisations and holidaymakers. But it is also a story of huge technological advancement and industry: of submarine engineering and weather forecasting, of whaling expeditions, fishing trawlers and offshore wind farms. From renowned historian, Alistair Moffat, this is the story of how the North Sea shaped us and will continue to do so; it is above all a story of insistent, inescapable change.

Publisher Review

A rollicking, surprising, often moving personal history of a big part of the British story that has long needed its own narrative. Page-turningly entertaining — ANDREW MARR The North Sea is a rich and adventurous exploration of one of the great arenas of British history — MICHAEL PALIN I enjoyed this enormously, the first full account of the North Sea, above the waves and below. It lends itself to the unique storytelling ability of Alistair Moffat — GORDON BROWN Wonderfully descriptive, knowledgeable and concise . . . History has become so specialised that we sometimes lose sight of its sweep. This has always been one of the great strengths of Moffat’s writing and this book is no different. Sociable polymaths like him are a rare breed, but for books like this, an indispensable one * * Scotsman * * Moffat’s thesis is that the North Sea made modern Britain, and he ranges widely in arguing for it. We’re swept from the earliest migrations to our shores to Thatcher’s privatisation of oil; along the way, there’s swashbuckling, fish, nostalgic fun and plenty of interesting trivia [ . . . ] Moffat shows real literary skill * * Telegraph * * A fascinating account of invasions and citadels, of whaling, oil booms and wind farms * * Sunday Post * * [Moffat] blends cultural, social, military and religious history with his own self-effacing and wryly humorous narrative voice * * Herald, ‘Best Scottish Non-Fiction Writers of 2025’ * * My favourite kind of travel writing: lyrical prose but also endlessly fascinating stories that reminds us of the rich and deep history of our east coast and waters beyond. The North Sea is a beautiful book — JAMES HOLLAND Alistair Moffat’s The North Sea perfectly pitches itself against that awesome body of water as a humble, expert travelogue – and entirely succeeds as such. A pungent evocation of that coastal experience – a salty, vinegary, saintly book. I felt as though I was there — TOM NANCOLLAS Deftly weaving together his travels along the North Sea coast of Britain with the history of its peoples, from the Picts and the Saxons to the youthful heroes who piloted Lancaster bombers eighty years ago, this is a marvellously readable and highly original account of the role of the North Sea in the making of England and Scotland — DAVID ABULAFIA