Naval maverick Admiral Claude Lionel Cumberlege was one of his kind and a man who lived his life to the full.
The senior Royal Navy officer was seconded to the Royal Australian Navy during the First World War and recorded his lively lifestyle in 1936, but it has taken until 2024 to be published.
Former foreign correspondent, turned author, Robin Knight has used his knowledge to expertly edit the manuscript, Salt Horse, into a book which will be welcomed by a modern audience.
An author of eight books, Knight has international experience, and his work has widely appeared in the US and British publications.
Salt Horse is a great read for the enthusiast, with chapters on Cumberlege’s naval career and also when he lived all year round on two large sailing crafts, cruising the coasts of France and Spain.
A larger than life character, Cumberlege wrote with energy and enthusiasm about his incredible time. A popular man who had strong views, he made friends wherever he and his second wife Nora went and lived a spirited, irreverent and fortunate life in war and peace.
Some of his stories (for instance, about WW1 in New Guinea, or about his 1905 lunch in Gibraltar as a young officer with Kaiser Wilhelm II) are historic and eye-catching.
In many ways, the book describes a world, and a way of life, that has disappeared forever. The book is aimed at all those interested in British naval and maritime history, social change in the UK, Europe and Australia in the first half of the 20th century, the development and history of the Royal Australian Navy and anyone seeking an alternative lifestyle.
Salt Horse is complemented with a timeline, family tree and Introduction which trace Cumberlege’s background.
The many black-and-white images and short footnotes bring the people mentioned in the text to life and in tribute to Cumberlege’s standing, a comprehensive forward is given by Falklands War hero, Rear Admiral Michael Harris.
Published: 26th April 2024
UK Price: £18.99
ISBN: 978-184995-572-0
Format: 240 x 170mm, Paperback
Pages: 240 pages with c. 100 b/w photographs
Salt Horse: Memoir of a Maverick Admiral, Claude Lionel Cumberlege
Edited by Robin Knight
Foreword by Rear Admiral Mike Harris
Published by Whittles Publishing
Salt Horse is available to buy via the Whittles Publishing website, Browns Books, Waterstones and on Amazon.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Images courtesy of Whittles Publishing
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