‘I recently became an honorary crew member of the good ship Vital Spark, thanks to Birlinn’s complete edition of Neil Munro’s wonderful Para Handy stories. Never were sea voyages a greater tonic.’ – Robert Goddard, The Times
Para Handy has been sailing his way into the affections of generations of Scots since he first weighed anchor in the pages of the Glasgow Evening News nearly a hundred years ago. The master mariner and his crew – Dougie the mate, Macphail the engineer, Sunny Jim and the Tar – all play their part in evoking the irresistible atmosphere of a bygone age when puffers sailed between West Highland ports and the great city of Glasgow.
This definitive edition contains all three collections published in the author’s lifetime, as well as a new story never previously published which was discovered in 2001. Extensive notes accompany each story, providing fascinating insights into colloquialisms, place-names and historical events. This volume also includes a wealth of contemporary photographs, depicting the harbours, steamers and puffers from the age of the Vital Spark.
A native of Inveraray, Munro was a journalist by profession and for many years was the editor of the Glasgow Evening News. He is best known for his comic tales about Para Handy, but he also produced a number of historical and contemporary novels, as well as poetry and non-fiction.
View cart
