The Argus campaign

"The Cruise of the Argus, by Alan Villiers, is a classic of world maritime literature. In clear and engaging prose, this Australian Navy officer, a frequent contributor to National Geographic Magazine in the post-WWII era as a reporter on 'things of the sea,' wrote a travel narrative about one of the most beautiful sailing ships of the Portuguese cod-fishing fleet, the Argus. The book's international reach was such that it was translated into over a dozen languages. Reissuing it more than fifty years after its first publication is a cultural event of great importance. In addition to being a beautiful and meticulous memorial to single-man dory cod fishing, The Cruise of the Argus allows us to understand the multiple meanings of this unique maritime heritage and to uncover the vested interest of the Estado Novo regime and its propaganda apparatus in the epic drama of cod fishing."