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Terrible things happening at sea

34 replies

ApocalypseNowt · 04/05/2026 09:45

My latest type of book to read is historical accounts of terrible things happening at sea. So far I've read:

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Wager by David Grann
In the Kingdom of the Ice by Hampton Sides

All brilliant and very readable. First one is probably my favourite and was the inspiration for Moby Dick.

I'd appreciate any recommendations for books that fit this brief. Thank you!

OP posts:
nothingcangowrongnow · 31/05/2026 23:04

A niche thread that I’m delighted to have joined

Lansonmaid · 01/06/2026 07:17

snurtifier · 31/05/2026 22:58

In Hazard by Richard Hughes is a great novel based on the true story of a ship caught in an Atlantic hurricane.

Sink The Bismarck! by CS Forester is a very gripping account of the pursuit of a German battleship in WW2.

If you want to include the horrors of war under terrible things happening at sea then The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Montserrat is quite good, but Sharks And Little Fish by Wolfgang Ott is much better. It is absolutely brutal though.

Calling The Cruel Sea quite good is like calling the Pope a bit Catholic- it’s a great book in my opinion. Nicholas Monserrat served on corvettes in the battle of the Atlantic and the book reflects his experiences. He also wrote a really good novel called The Master Mariner, about a young sailor, Matthew Lawe, who was cursed by an act of cowardice during the Spanish Armada battles to wander the seas until they ran dry. Matthew sails with Henry Hudson, is a pirate on the Spanish Main, a Newfoundland cod fisherman, sails with James Cooke and Horatio Nelson. you learn a lot about the history of the time as well as the sea. Unfortunately Monserrat died before he could complete book 2, he left a series of notes though so you could see how he planned the ending. Thoroughly recommended.

Corianda · 01/06/2026 07:23

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson is a great book -about Captain Robert Fitzroy

snurtifier · 01/06/2026 08:23

Lansonmaid · 01/06/2026 07:17

Calling The Cruel Sea quite good is like calling the Pope a bit Catholic- it’s a great book in my opinion. Nicholas Monserrat served on corvettes in the battle of the Atlantic and the book reflects his experiences. He also wrote a really good novel called The Master Mariner, about a young sailor, Matthew Lawe, who was cursed by an act of cowardice during the Spanish Armada battles to wander the seas until they ran dry. Matthew sails with Henry Hudson, is a pirate on the Spanish Main, a Newfoundland cod fisherman, sails with James Cooke and Horatio Nelson. you learn a lot about the history of the time as well as the sea. Unfortunately Monserrat died before he could complete book 2, he left a series of notes though so you could see how he planned the ending. Thoroughly recommended.

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If you like The Cruel Sea then it would be interesting to see what you think of Sharks And Little Fish. It's also based on the author's experiences, in this case on minesweepers and U-boats.

Monserrat's style and his characters feel a bit dated to me. Ott's writing is still really vivid and fresh, and it's a surprisingly modern book in terms of its characters' attitudes to the war in general.

Lansonmaid · 01/06/2026 09:24

snurtifier · 01/06/2026 08:23

If you like The Cruel Sea then it would be interesting to see what you think of Sharks And Little Fish. It's also based on the author's experiences, in this case on minesweepers and U-boats.

Monserrat's style and his characters feel a bit dated to me. Ott's writing is still really vivid and fresh, and it's a surprisingly modern book in terms of its characters' attitudes to the war in general.

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Thanks for the recommendation- I’ll give it a go. I’m always interested in books about the war at sea.

Have you read Das Boot? That’s the battle of the Atlantic seen from the perspective of a patrol by a German U boat, but you do need to be careful on which translation you get. My son bought one that seemed to be more translated to American English and it didn’t seem quite right.

PermanentTemporary · 02/06/2026 22:42

Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood isn’t exactly about the sea or that historical but you might like it anyway.

snurtifier · Today 22:20

Lansonmaid · 01/06/2026 09:24

Thanks for the recommendation- I’ll give it a go. I’m always interested in books about the war at sea.

Have you read Das Boot? That’s the battle of the Atlantic seen from the perspective of a patrol by a German U boat, but you do need to be careful on which translation you get. My son bought one that seemed to be more translated to American English and it didn’t seem quite right.

Show quote history

I quite liked Das Boot, but IMO Sharks And Little Fish is better. Interestingly there is a character who may possibly be based on the author of Das Boot -- a journalist who is sent aboard the U-boat to chronicle the trip and completely fails to cope with the experience.

HangryBrickShark · Today 22:29

ApocalypseNowt · 04/05/2026 09:45

My latest type of book to read is historical accounts of terrible things happening at sea. So far I've read:

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Wager by David Grann
In the Kingdom of the Ice by Hampton Sides

All brilliant and very readable. First one is probably my favourite and was the inspiration for Moby Dick.

I'd appreciate any recommendations for books that fit this brief. Thank you!

I've read in the Heart of the Sea. Was a great read.

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