A devastating disaster at sea . . . an officer who refuses to hide the truth. . . a courtroom confrontation with far-reaching implications . . . "The Perfect Storm meets "A Civil Action in a gripping account of one of the most significant shipwrecks of the twentieth century.
In 1983 the "Marine Electric, a "reconditioned" World War II vessel, was on a routine voyage thirty miles off the East Coast of the United States when disaster struck. As the old coal carrier sank, chief mate Bob Cusick watched his crew-his friends and colleagues-succumb to the frigid forty-foot waves and subzero winds of the Atlantic. Of the thirty-four men aboard, Cusick was one of only three to survive. And he soon found himself facing the most critical decision of his life: whether to stand by the Merchant Marine officers' unspoken code of silence, or to tell the truth about why his crew and hundreds of other lives had been unnecessarily sacrificed at sea.
Like many other ships used by the Merchant Marine, the Marine Transport Line's "Marine Electric was very old and made of "dirty steel" (steel with excess sulfur content). Many of these vessels were in terrible condition and broke down frequently. Yet the government persistently turned a blind eye to the potential dangers, convinced that the economic return on keeping these ships was worth the risk.
Cusick chose to blow the whistle.
"
Until the Sea Shall Free Them re-creates in compelling detail the wreck of the "Marine Electric and the legal drama that unfolded in its wake. With breathtaking immediacy, Robert Frump, who covered the story for the "Philadelphia Inquirer, describes the desperate battle waged by the crew against the forces ofnature. Frump also brings to life Cusick's internal struggle. He knew what happened to those who spoke out against the system, knew that he too might be stripped of his license and prosecuted for "losing his ship," yet he forged ahead. In a bitter lawsuit with owners of the ship, Cusick emerged victorious. His expose of government inaction led to vital reforms in the laws regarding the safety of ships; his courageous stand places him among the unsung heroes of our time.

"From the Hardcover edition.

From special duties selection to an earthquake on the side of Mount Everest, from a gunfight in Afghanistan to a year of endurance challenges, Tim Bradshaw has had to develop a robust toolkit and mindset to enable him to overcome serious challenges in hostile circumstances. What's remarkable is that he achieved these feats in the face of imposter syndrome and depression. Tim's mantra is 'Because I can', because whatever you're facing, you can do so much more than you think. This is a toolkit to help you take on any challenge. Whether you're making an attempt on Everest or taking the next big career step this toolkit will make you more effective. Tim attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst aged just 19. His first job was to lead 37 soldiers. Since then, he has served as a surveillance and target acquisition patrol soldier and covert human intelligence officer. In 2015 he attempted to climb Mount Everest to persuade mental health sufferers to ask for help. After a year of physical endurance challenges, he is now a Director of Sandstone Communications, an international leadership and team building consultancy.

A genuinely new Second World War story, The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram is a riveting account of the wartime exploits of Alastair Cram, brilliantly told by the American author, David Guss. Cram was taken prisoner in North Africa in November 1941, which began a long odyssey through ten different POW camps and three Gestapo prisons. He became a serial escapee – fleeing his captors no fewer than twenty-one times, including his final, and finally successful, escape from a POW column in April 1945.

Perhaps the most dramatic of his attempts was from Gavi, the ‘Italian Colditz’. Gavi was a maximum-security prison near Genoa for the pericolosi, the ‘most dangerous’ inmates because of their perpetual hunger to escape. It was here that Alastair met David Stirling, the legendary founder of the SAS, and cooked up the plan for what would become the ‘Cistern Tunnel’ escape, one of the most audacious but hitherto little-known mass escape attempts of the entire war.

A story of courage in the face of extraordinary odds, it is a testament to one man's dogged determination never to give up.

The True American tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him, maiming and nearly killing him. Two other victims, at other gas stations, aren t so lucky, dying at once.

The True American traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter. It follows them as they rebuild shattered lives one striving on Death Row to become a better man, the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country.

Ten years after the shooting, an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole, he must reenter Stroman's life. He longs to confront Stroman and speak to him face to face about the attack that changed their lives. Bhuiyan publicly forgives Stroman, in the name of his religion and its notion of mercy. Then he wages a legal and public-relations campaign, against the State of Texas and Governor Rick Perry, to have his attacker spared from the death penalty.

Ranging from Texas's juvenile justice system to the swirling crowd of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca; from a biker bar to an immigrant mosque in Dallas; from young military cadets in Bangladesh to elite paratroopers in Israel; from a wealthy household of chicken importers in Karachi, Pakistan, to the sober residences of Brownwood, Texas, The True American is a rich, colorful, profoundly moving exploration of the American dream in its many dimensions. Ultimately it tells a story about our love-hate relationship with immigrants, about the encounter of Islam and the West, about how or whether we choose what we become."

In 2008, twenty year-old Jonny Benjamin stood on Waterloo Bridge, about to jump. A stranger saw his distress and stopped to talk with him – a decision that saved Jonny's life.

Fast forward to 2014 and Jonny, together with Rethink Mental Illness launch a campaign with a short video clip so that Jonny could finally thank that stranger who put him on the path to recovery. More than 319 million people around the world followed the search. ITV's breakfast shows picked up the story until the stranger, whose name is Neil Laybourn, was found and – in an emotional and touching moment – the pair re-united and have remained firm friends ever since.

The Stranger on the Bridge is a memoir of the journey Jonny made both personally, and publicly to not only find the person who saved his life, but also to explore how he got to the bridge in the first place and how he continues to manage his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Using extracts from diaries Jonny has been writing from the age of thirteen, this book is a deeply personal memoir with a unique insight on mental health.

Jonny was recognised for his work as an influential activist changing the culture around mental health, when he was awarded an MBE in 2017. He and Neil now work full-time together visiting schools, hospitals, prisons and workplaces to help end the stigma by talking about mental health and suicide prevention. The pair ran the London Marathon together in 2017 in aid of HeadsTogether. Following the global campaign to find the stranger, in 2015 Channel 4 made a documentary of Jonny's search which has now been shown in 14 territories.

Risen from the Ashes is one man's memoir of hope and survival during the Holocaust. Having cheated death four times through perseverance, hope, faith, and humor, Hans Cohn vividly narrates his experience from the horrors of the past to spiritual renewal.

To reach freedom, the most famous escapers of all time have been willing to endure the most horrific conditions - and the direst consequences if caught. The collection of tales in The Greatest Escape Stories Ever Told is gripping as only true life-and-death struggles can be: Papillon fighting through the jungles of Guiana only to commit himself to the open ocean in a 16-foot boat rather than face a life in exile; Rocky Gause dodging bullets as he swims through shark-infested waters to escape the Japanese at Bataan while those around him simply quit; Latude battling against the dreaded Bastille; Baron Trenck - with chains covering almost every inch of his body - digging and digging to free himself from wrongful imprisonment; Andre Devigny, so weak from starvation and poor treatment that he could barely lift himself, shinnying across a rope only yards above a German sentry during WWII on the eve of his execution. These are just a few of the twenty-five bold and ingenious tales of escape included in this collection. (6 x 9 1/4, 304 pages) Before becoming a freelance writer and editor, Darren Brown was the managing editor of Wilderness Adventures Press. He has edited several short-story collections, including For the Love of a Dog and Brag Dog and Other Stories: The Best of Vereen Bell. He lives in Montana, with his wife and two bird dogs.

From the internationally bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes a dark but ultimately uplifting tale of a woman whose incredible journey still resonates today. Elizabeth Packard was an ordinary Victorian housewife and mother of six. That was, until the first Woman's Rights Convention was held in 1848, inspiring Elizabeth and many other women to dream of greater freedoms. She began voicing her opinions on politics and religion - opinions that her husband did not share. Incensed and deeply threatened by her growing independence, he had her declared 'slightly insane' and committed to an asylum. Inside the Illinois State Hospital, Elizabeth found many other perfectly lucid women who, like her, had been betrayed by their husbands and incarcerated for daring to have a voice. But just because you are sane, doesn't mean that you can escape a madhouse ... Fighting the stigma of her gender and her supposed madness, Elizabeth embarked on a ceaseless quest for justice. It not only challenged the medical science of the day and saved untold others from suffering her fate, it ultimately led to a giant leap forward in human rights the world over.

In this vivid memoir originally published in German, Anne Groschler (1888-1982) recounts her 1944 escape from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to Mandatory Palestine via "Transport 222", an exchange transport of 222 Jews for "Aryan" prisoners of war. In the most detailed contribution of the exchange ever published, Groschler paints an authentic picture of life before WWII amongst the upper echelons of German society, her ultimate persecution and escape to Holland where she was betrayed, the horrors of life in the Westerbork and Bergen-Belsen camps, and her eventual flight via "Transport 222" to Palestine. Written immediately after her liberation in 1944, this unique document captures a little-known chapter of Holocaust history.

'A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters ... A fascinating read' Sunday Telegraph 'Brilliant ... An amazing story, one I hadn't heard too much about' Dan Snow IT IS THE DEPTHS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. The Germans like to boast that there is 'no escape' from the infamous fortress that is Colditz. The elite British officers imprisoned there are determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war. As the war heats up and the stakes are raised, the Gestapo plant a double-agent inside the prison in a bid to uncover the secrets of the British prisoners. Captain Julius Green of the Army Dental Corps and Sergeant John 'Busty' Brown must risk their lives in a bid to save the lives of hundreds of Allied servicemen and protect the secrets of MI9. Drawn from unseen records, The Traitor of Colditz brings to light an extraordinary, never-before-told story from the Second World War, an epic tale of how MI9 took on the Nazis and exposed the traitors in their midst.

From the age of 14, Caitlin was completely controlled, repeatedly raped, provided with alcohol, given drugs, sold and passed on to new gangs over and over again. The majority of her abusers were Pakistani men, who were blatant in their attacks upon her, often collecting her from school or home, to be taken to flats they owned, family homes, or hotels booked for the day, to be horrifically and systematically abused. At a time when the abuse ring realities of young white women in Rotherham and other major English cities are coming to light, Caitlin's story will appal readers - not just because of the degree of horrific attacks which were perpetrated upon her, but also because of the ways in which the authorities refused to act. Caitlin speaks openly about what she has suffered, and also shows just how unwilling many people are to face up to what is happening in our midst, for fear of being called racist. By bravely speaking out, she will, hopefully prove just how deep these problems are and just how the abusers get away with it in plain sight of the authorities.

On April 30, 1975, the Hanoi government of North Vietnam took control over the South. South Vietnamese, particularly "intellectuals" and those thought to have been associated with the previous regime, underwent terrible punishment, persecution and "re-education." Seeking their freedom, thousands of South Vietnamese took to the sea in rickety boats, often with few supplies, and faced the dangers of nature, pirates, and starvation. While the sea and its danger claimed many lives, those who made it to the refugee camps still faced struggle and hardships in their quest for freedom. Here are collected the narratives of nineteen men and women who survived the ordeal of escape by sea. Today, they live in the United States as students, professors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and craftspeople who have chosen to tell the stories of their struggles and their triumph. Each narrative is accompanied by biographical information.

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival. 'Small children have no say in the direction their lives take. Even before they have learnt to walk and talk, they are trained to obey' Daisy was only four when her parents told her and her older brother that they were moving halfway across the world to Australia for a better life. Leaving everything behind, including her beloved grandparents, she stepped into an unfamiliar world. Daisy's close and unbreakable bond with her disabled brother helped her navigate her new life, until tragedy repeatedly struck the family. After her parents' split and she was introduced to her new stepfather, nothing could have prepared her for what followed. All alone in 300 acres of wilderness, Daisy's only wish was to return home to her grandparents and their love. This is her true story of fear, abuse and, finally, escape.

Inspired by seven photographs of WWII refugees in an old album, the author embarked on a quest to uncover the story behind each portrait. Had the refugees been rescued by the diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust by providing Japanese transit visas? Searching for the identities of the people in the photographs, the author scoured historical records and interviewed numerous fascinating individuals, including Sugihara visa recipients and their descendants. While solving the mystery of the people in the photographs, the author uncovered more hero diplomats and new details about Sugihara visas. This account of the author's investigation supports the legacy of Chiune Sugihara and highlights other WWII saviors, such as the Dutch diplomat Jan Zwartendijk.

"The Third Man Factor" is an extraordinary account of how people at the very edge of death often sense an unseen presence beside them who encourages them to make one final effort to survive. This incorporeal being offers a feeling of hope, protection, and guidance, and leaves the person convinced he or she is not alone. There is a name for this phenomenon: it's called the Third Man Factor.

If only a handful of people had ever encountered the Third Man, it might be dismissed as an unusual delusion shared by a few overstressed minds. But over the years, the experience has occurred again and again, to 9/11 survivors, mountaineers, divers, polar explorers, prisoners of war, sailors, shipwreck survivors, aviators, and astronauts. All have escaped traumatic events only to tell strikingly similar stories of having sensed the close presence of a helper or guardian. The force has been explained as everything from hallucination to divine intervention. Recent neurological research suggests something else.

Bestselling and award-winning author John Geiger has completed six years of physiological, psychological, and historical research on the Third Man. He blends his analysis with compelling human stories such as that of Ron DiFrancesco, the last survivor to escape the World Trade Center on 9/11; Ernest Shackleton, the legendary explorer whose account of the Third Man inspired T. S. Eliot to write of it in "The Waste Land"; Jerry Linenger, a NASA astronaut who experienced the Third Man while aboard the "Mir" space station--and many more.

Fascinating for any reader, "The Third Man Factor" at last explains this secret to survival, a Third Man who--in the words of famed climber Reinhold Messner--"leads you out of the impossible."

"So Others May Live" is the untold story of the U.S. Coast Guard's quiet but resolute rescue swimmers. From deep ocean caves on the Oregon coast to the panicked and chaotic streets of post-Katrina New Orleans, here are their stunningly heroic stories. In startlingly clear and exceptional writing, Martha LaGuardia-Kotite tells twelve heroic stories of the greatest maritime rescues attempted since the program began in 1985. These feats, told through the eyes of the heroes, reveal an understanding of how and why the rescuer, with flight crew assistance, risks his or her own life to reach out to save a stranger. Covering diverse environments--oceans, hurricanes, oil rigs, caves, sinking vessels, floods, and even Niagara Falls--"So Others May Live" is truly a can't-put-it-down collection.

George Raven served as a police officer in Essex for thirty years, rising to the rank of Detective Superintendent. In this autobiography he looks back on a colourful career, recounting stories of fascinating manhunts, gruesome murders, violent encounters and heart-rending tragedies - as well as plenty of amusing and not-so-amusing incidents as he worked alongside officers who ranged from the excellent to the incompetent. Raven's conclusion in retirement is that police recruitment standards and performance have deteriorated alarmingly over the years, while public perception and trust now stands at its lowest since the British police force was founded. In this entertaining account of his life in the force, he examines the reasons and challenges politicians to address the serious problems facing the police in the 21st century. 'Politicians pass more and more laws, dream up more and more regulations and issue more and more directives to the police, to tie their hands and make enforcing both the good and the ridiculous laws they pass an almost impossible task.'

Raised to a life of relentless hard work as one of seven children of a single mother, Julie Waterman was married and having her own first child by the time she was 17. At 23 she was running her own cleaning company, making such a success of it that she was soon employing 400 people. But at 35 she gave it all up to buy a second-hand yacht and embarked on the biggest adventure of all - an attempt to sail single-handed round the world. There were parties in every port, along with a string of romances, some hilarious adventures and several narrow escapes from a watery grave. But Julie stuck to her plan - until a tropical storm left her shipwrecked on an island in the South Pacific, where she lived for three glorious years, falling in love with a handsome young French diplomat. Unfortunately her new paramour turned out not to be all he seemed - and Julie's round-the-world adventure was far from over. Shipwrecked in Paradise is Julie Waterman's story of her colourful life, complete with the laughs, the loves, the maritime mishaps and the parties and pink gins.

Honest, heartrending and full of humour, this is an extraordinary memoir about an unconventional childhood and the absurdities of the cancer experience. It is also, most importantly, a celebration of life. When Genevieve Fox finds a lump in her throat, she turns up for the hospital diagnosis in a party frock. I can't have cancer, she thinks. I've done my hair. But there is another reason she can't countenance cancer. She was orphaned by it at the age of nine. Fox's story weaves together past and present as she recalls her rackety, unconventional childhood, while also facing the spectre of being lost to her young boys. Yet she confronts her treatment with the same sassy survival instinct that characterised her childhood misadventures. She takes life's precariousness and turns it on its head. 'Life-enhancing... Original and wonderful' Sunday Telegraph 'Exquisite and tender' SARAH PERRY

The courageous few Zimbabweans who dared to stand up to President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party in the election campaigns of 2008 were persecuted, assaulted and in many cases brutally murdered. Should I Forgive? is based on the experiences of a young wife and mother, Nyasha Gapa, who was raped and beaten for daring to campaign for Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition party MDC (Movement for Democratic Change). While many of the details of the story have been changed to protect Nyasha's family and friends from further violence, all the events related in this tragic story, from the sadistic beating of Nyasha's husband to their flight to South Africa, their exploitation by a white farmer, the racist persecution the refugees experienced there and the catastrophic fire, actually happened. Should I Forgive? is a heartbreaking story of staggering courage, endurance and love.

An extraordinarily brave and moving memoir from one of the world's most famous transparency activists and trans women. In 2010, Chelsea Manning was working as an intelligence analyst for the US Army in Iraq. She disclosed 720,000 classified military documents that she had smuggled out via the memory card of her digital camera. By far the largest leak in history, these documents revealed a huge number of diplomatic cables and footage of atrocities. She was sentenced to 35 years in military prison. The day after her conviction, Chelsea declared her gender identity as a woman and began to transition. She was sent to a male prison, spent much of that time in appalling conditions in solitary confinement and attempted suicide multiple times. In 2017, after a lengthy legal challenge and an outpouring of support, President Obama commuted her sentence. README.txt is a story of personal revolt, resilience and survival. Chelsea details the challenges of her childhood and adolescence in Oklahoma and in her mother's native Wales. She writes revealingly and movingly about a period of homelessness in Chicago, living under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in the US Army, and the experience of coming to terms with her gender identity and undergoing hormone therapy in prison. We witness her Kafkaesque trial and heroic quest for release. This powerful, courageous and observant memoir sheds light on the big themes of today - identity, authenticity, technology, the authoritarian state - and will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age. 'Chelsea Manning is the biggest hero that ever lived' Vivienne Westwood 'Searing ... uplifting ... redemptive' The New York Times 'Electrifying ... an insider confessional turned inside out for the 21st century' Washington Post