Review: The Levelling Sea by Philip Marsden

As I mentioned in my last post I received The Levelling Sea as a Christmas present. Or possibly a birthday present. I’m not sure as they both sort of merge into one to be honest. Anyway I wanted the book for a number of reasons. One as it will come in handy for a Uni thing and secondly because it is about Falmouth, the town I call home. I feel now having finished it I’ve learnt so much and have a better understanding of the place I live.

Written by Philip Marsden it focuses on Falmouth’s growth and explosion as one of the most important ports in the country, ending just as the railway reaches the town and inevitably changes things. I felt like I had quite a good knowledge of the history of the town but really what I knew only scratched the surface. At school we were told the famous fact of Falmouth having the third deepest natural harbour in the world, and that the Killigrews lived in Arwenack House but this book went further than that.

Marsden weaves together a colourful selection of characters. There are a string of Killigrews, a musician named Joseph Emidy, and a few Packet Ship captains. Through these the stories of Falmouth’s expansion are told, but also the wider history of Britain and its relationship with the sea. Yes it is a history book, but it isn’t all dates and chronology. The reader is invited into the world of the characters and gain a real sense of these people. I could almost imagine them walking through the streets of Falmouth looking for an inn to visit.

There is a real passion for the subject which comes through in Marsden’s writing. At the beginning he ties his interest to his own personal memories of sailing as a child with his grandfather. Even though the main part of the book isn’t focussed on this aspect, it allows the reader to understand Marden’s credibility as the author. He has been on the waterways of the Fal for many years and so appreciates the way people in the past may have felt. It drew me further into the book and made me want to keep reading.

I love the way the sea becomes a force which offers so much opportunity but which can be so damaging. The expansion of Britain’s seafaring gave birth to Falmouth, and without it I’m not sure if this town would exist. Living by it really does change your perspective, and I think this comes across in the book. At the end Marsden talks about moving inland and how he misses being by the water, but by accident discovers a small dock at the end of his garden. You feel his joy at not being cut off from the water anymore, and I genuinely felt quite emotional by this.

The Levelling Sea is a great page turner, and the more I read the more I wanted to know. It brings together the rich and varied history of Falmouth in a way which is engaging and interesting. Philip Marsden clearly has a passion which comes out in ever single page of this book. Even though I’m not much of a water-type person (I feel a bit nervous on the St Mawes Ferry) I know now, more than ever, that I just couldn’t live away from the sea. That’s what this book taught me the most. Read it, read it, read it!

Tall Ships gliding away from Falmouth in 2014