'What a fun book! Reading Sea Fever is enticing and intriguing, like watching floating treasure bob past your nose.' Tristram Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator Can you interpret the shipping forecast? Do you know your flotsam from your jetsam? Or who owns the foreshore? Can you tie a half-hitch - or would you rather splice the mainbrace? Full of charming illustrations and surprising facts, Sea Fever provides the answers to all these and more. Mixing advice on everything from seasickness to righting a capsized boat with arcane marine lore, recipes, history, dramatic stories of daring-do and guides to the wildlife we share our shores with, even the most experienced ocean-dweller will find something in these pages to surprise and delight.

The complete story of the tragic loss of the passenger steamer City of Columbus. In the early hours of January 18th, 1884, the majestic steamship ran aground on the treacherous Devil's Bridge rocks and reef off the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah, Massachusetts near Martha's Vineyard. Of the 45 officers and 87 passengers, only 17 crew and 12 passengers made it back to land, making this shipwreck one of the worst ocean disasters of all time. Reporter George Hough spent years following this story, tracking down survivors and witnesses to piece together the horrific details and tragic mistakes to uncover the mystery of the disaster on Devil's Bridge.

On July 4, 1991, the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers, the most powerful surface combatants in naval history, was commissioned. It was the culmination of a century-and-a-half evolution of the destroyer—an evolution captured in this vivid and timely history of the world's most popular warship. Destroyers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact tells the story of one of the most-recent, most-rapidly evolving additions to the world's navies. Coverage ranges from the 1882 launch of the first destroyer, through the nonstop technical and strategic innovations of the world war eras, to the current high watermarks of destroyer design such as the Arleigh Burke class (named for the navy's most-famous destroyer squadron combat commander). With its ship-by-ship analysis, this masterful volume shows how destroyers have continually met the challenge of protecting naval and land operations from ever more dangerous attacks. The book also captures the flavor of shipboard life for officers and crew and looks at the crucial role of the destroyer as a standard-bearing status symbol of naval might and political intention.

This new addition to the best-selling Conway pocket-book range features Admiral Nelson’s fully preserved flagship HMS Victory, the most tangible symbol of the Royal Navy’s greatest battle off Cape Trafalgar on October 21st 1805. In the HMS Victory Pocket Manual, Peter Goodwin adopts a fresh approach to explain the workings of the only surviving ‘line of battle’ ship of the Napoleonic Wars. And, as Victory was engaged in battle during only two per cent of her active service, the book also provides a glimpse into life and work at sea during the other ninety-eight per cent of the time. This volume presents answers to questions such as: ‘What types of wood were used in building Victory?’; ‘What was Victory’s longest voyage?’; ‘How many shots were fired from her guns at Trafalgar?’; ‘How many boats did Victory carry?’; ‘What was prize money?’; ‘What was grog?’; ‘When did her career as a fighting ship end?’, and ‘How many people visit Victory each year?’. It gives a full history of the world's most famous warship through a highly accessible pocket-book format. The book includes a pertinent and varied selection of contemporary documents and records to explain the day-to-day running of a three-decker Georgian warship. The leading historian of the sailing man of war, Peter Goodwin was technical and historical advisor to HMS Victory in Portsmouth for more than 20 years, and is in a unique position to investigate and interpret not only the ship’s structure but also the essential aspects of shipboard life: victualling, organisation, discipline, domestic arrangements and medical care.

Over many centuries, wars have been lost due to lack of food and proper supplies for the troops. Without a way to survive, the troops had to retreat rather than stay and fight. The same need applied to ships at sea. "New York to Okinawa Sloooooowly" is the true story of a soldier who served on one of the supply ships that were vital to the survival of the troops in battle during Wolrd War II.John Barnes graduated from high school in 1941. While many of the kids in his class headed off to college, that was not John's plan. He wanted to join the marines, but when he discovered that his mother would not sign the papers, he set his sights on the US Coast Guard, the same service as his favorite cousin, Frank. After his basic training, he and his shipmates headed out on a journey that would ultimately take them to Okinawa. Through the severe storms, typhoons and enemy aircraft attacks, they got the job done come hell or high water.

This guide is a wonderful addition to Conway’s best-selling pocket book series that examines this famous ship from a refreshingly different angle. Launched in May 1911, the triple-screw steamer Titanic was the pride of the White Star Line and at that time the largest passenger ship in the world. Built to carry passengers in comfort and luxury on the lucrative transatlantic route, her design, fittings and on board facilites epitomised the spirit of the age in terms of elegance and style. Titanic: A Passenger's Guide is a unique guide to all aspects of the ship, incorporating authentic period literature – from sources including White Star Line themselves, Harland & Wolff shipyards, and important publications from the time.

Mainers on the Titanic traces the stories of passengers on that fateful ship who had ties to Maine. Many of them were wealthy summer visitors to Bar Harbor, but there were other residents of state aboard as well. Their tales are retold, along with what was occurring in the state at the time. Meticulously researched, this book reveals the agonizing day-to-day wait of Mainers for news of what really happened and tells the stories of Maine passengers from their boarding to the sinking and rescue, and, for those who survived, of their final coming ashore in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It's a unique and fascinating addition to the Titanic story.