Sensitive stories of the world's wrecks
The 50 Greatest Shipwrecks, by Richard M. Jones
Historian Richard M. Jones delivers a wide-ranging overview of disasters at sea in this book, from the very familiar – Titanic, Mary Rose – to those that ought to be better known, like the ferry Le Joola, which sank off Senegal in 2002 with the loss of more than 1,500 lives.
Naval vessels are included alongside other ships, both those sunk due to enemy action and those lost in peacetime.
Each wreck takes up only a few pages, so the accounts have more pace than detail. Unfortunately, the prose is quite clumsy sometimes, but the stories are interesting and Jones treats them with sensitivity. There is heroism as well as horror to discover here.
The 50 Greatest Shipwrecks
By Richard M. Jones
Pen & Sword, £19.99
ISBN: 978 13990 08006
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Scottish city's maritime heart
Glasgow Harbour By Graeme Smith and Mike McCreeryFew places are as closely tied to maritime heritage as Glasgow. In this richly illustrated guide, Graeme Smith and Mike McCreery trace the history of the city's Clydeside harbour from its beginnings in the 17th century to its present-day redevelopment.
Standing the test of tide
Piers of England and Wales By Steve EdmundsIn this richly illustrated guide, Steve Edmunds takes readers on a tour of the iconic structures that blend land and sea – home to all manner of amusements and amenities.
Maritime mystery tour
Irish Sea Lime Trade, by David JohnsonIn his attractively-presented book, David Johnson takes us on a tour of historical sites in the Irish Sea lime trade, from South Pembrokeshire up to the Solway Firth, and across to the Isle of Man and Ireland.
From seafarer to force of nature
Gale Force 10, by Nicholas CourtneyFrances Beaufort was born in Ireland to a family of Huguenot descent, and first went to sea in 1789 onboard the ill-fated British East India Company vessel Vansittart. In a fascinating career, he is best known for creating the Beaufort Wind Scale.