This is the astounding story of HMS Wager, driven ashore in foul weather onto the inhospitable coast of Patagonian Chile in 1741. Shipwreck was followed by murder, starvation, mutiny, and the fearful ordeal of 36 survivors out of about 140 men. Some were enslaved, some defected; many drowned. The captain shot one of his officers. There was an epic open-boat voyage of 2500 nautical miles through the world’s most hostile seas, probably the greatest castaway voyage in the annals of the sea, a...

#1 New York Times Bestseller: The definitive book on the sinking of the Titanic , based on interviews with survivors, by the author of The Miracle of Dunkirk ."Absolutely gripping and un-put-downable." —David McCullough, author of John AdamsAt first, no one but the lookout recognized...

A highly decorated Royal Navy officer recounts his experiences at the command of a motor torpedo boat in the North Sea during WWII.In 1942-43, Captain Peter Dickens commanded the 21st MTB Flotilla, mainly in the North Sea and the English Channel. In Night Action, he vividly recounts his experiences performing daring missions amid storms of gunfire, usually under the cover of darkness. Dickens and his crew managed to closely engage enemy convoys and escorts...

The remarkable true story of Dudley “Mush” Morton, the most admired—and feared—submarine commander of World War IIMush Morton was a warrior without peer. At the helm of the USS Wahoo he completely changed the way the submarines fought in the Pacific War. He would relentlessly attack the Japanese at every opportunity, burning through his supply of torpedoes in record time on every patrol. Over the course of only nine months and five patrols, Morton racked u...

The most important and dramatic carrier battle of World War II, which completely changed the fortunes of both Japan and America.In less than one day, the might of the Imperial Japanese Navy was destroyed and four of her great aircraft carriers sank burning into the dark depths of the Pacific. Utilizing the latest research and detailed combat maps, this book tells the dramatic story of the Japanese assault on Midway Island and the American ambush that changed the fa...

Fascinating, lesser-known facts about the Titanic and details on the ship, the passengers, and the sinking. The book also explores aspects of the wreck today and salvage operations. Although the main events of the Titanic disaster are well known, significant facts and tidbits remain obscure. Who were the thousands of men who built the giant ship? How were the bodies of the victims collected and buried? What were the conclusions of the investigative hearings into her sinking? Answers to the...

On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began when shots were fired on an unfinished fort in Charleston Harbor. From that thunderous opening salvo, the naval battles to control the Atlantic coast that followed–daring, savage, and often deadly–were not only crucial in determining the outcome of the war and the fate of a nation, but would change the face of naval warfare forever.GUNSMOKE OVER THE ATLANTICHistorian Jack D Coombe, author of the critic...

How were medieval navies organised, and how did powerful rulers use them? Medieval Naval Warfare, 1000-1500 provides a wealth of information about the strategy and tactics of these early fleets and the extent to which the possibilities of sea power were understood and exploited. This fascinating account brings vividly to life the dangers and diffic

Through dramatic incidents tells for the first time the full story of the development of Cold War naval intelligence from the end of WWII to the breakup the Soviet Union in 1991, from both sides, East and West. Unlike other accounts, which focus on submarine confrontations and accidents, the authors cover all types of naval intelligence, human collection (racing with the Soviets to capture Nazi subs, successful and losing spies and defectors), signal intelligence (surface, air, satellite a...

The loss of the Costa Concordia in 2012 shocked Europe when thirty-two passengers died on a luxury liner. Yet in mid-Victorian times, more lives than this were lost in shipwrecks every week. This book will tell the story of one particularly notorious Victorian wreck that the author has been researching for over ten years. The sinking of the SS London in 1866 provoked incredulity because of the especially heavy death toll: a large, new, luxury liner en route to Australia went down shortly a...

“A first-person view of submarine under-ice operations that appears in very few other works.” —Gary E. Weir, author of Rising Tide: The Untold Story of the Russian Submarines that Fought the Cold WarUnknown Waters tells the story of the brave officers and men of the nuclear attack submarine USS Queenfish (SSN-651), who made the first survey of an extremely important and remote region of the Arctic Ocean. The unpredictability of de...

The U.S. Naval Institute Chronicles series focuses on the relevance of history by exploring topics like significant battles, personalities, and service components. Tapping into the U.S. Naval Institute's robust archives, these carefully selected volumes help readers understand nuanced subjects by providing unique perspectives and some of the best contributions that have helped shape naval thinking over the many decades since the Institute’s founding in 1873. Meeting the challenges of gende...