Herring: A History of the Silver Darlings

The story of herring is entwined in the history of commercial fishing. For over two millennia, herring has been commercially caught and its importance to the coastal peoples of Britain cannot be measured. At one point tens of thousands were involved in the catching, processing and sale of herring. They followed the shoals around the coast from Stornoway to Penzance and many towns on Britain’s east coast grew rich on the backs of the ’silver darlings’.

Fishing historian Mike Smylie looks at the effects of herring on the people who caught them, their unique ways of life, the superstitions of the fisher folk, their boats and the communities who lived for the silver darlings.

With a wealth of illustrations, this fascinating book reveals the little-known history of the herring. And for those who’ve neglected the silver darlings for lesser fish such as cod and haddock, there are a number of mouth-watering recipes to try.

MIKE SMYLIE is a maritime historian who specialises in the fishing industry and has written numerous books and articles on the subject, including Thomas Summers & Co. and Voices from the Shoreline for The History Press. He is also a founder member of the 40+ Fishing Boat association, which was founded to promote and preserve British fishing traditions and vessels, and edits their thrice-yearly newsletter Fishing Boats.