- In the Heart of the Sea spent more than 4 months on The New York Times bestseller list and was a Boston Globe, New York Daily News, New York Newsday, New York Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller
Called a definitive account when first published in 1980 and the winner of several book awards, this revised and expanded edition is available now for the first time in paperback. Tyrone G. Martin, the author, was captain of the USS Constitution during the nation's bicentennial celebrations. After decades of research and study, Martin was able to confirm that the innovative diagonal riders which ensured the frigate's long life were present at the ship's launching. He also provides details about the famous ship's participation in battles that have long been ignored or glossed over in official reports. Pictorial battle diagrams are included.
The book not only tells Constitution's complete story, but also presents a picture of life in the U.S. Navy during the nineteenth century--its proud moments as well as its concerns, attitudes, and tensions. Fascinating details are presented on the organization, care, feeding, and disciplining of the crew, and on events that involved such famous names in early American naval history as Edward Preble and Stephen Decatur. Just as previous editions were sought-after as sources of pleasure and information, this new edition will appeal to everyone who enjoys a good sea story and to serious students and sailing ship buffs seeking a reliable reference.
Where there's an ocean, there are always adventure tales to be told. In the good old-fashioned tradition of story-telling, S.O.S. collects 19 intriguing tales--both fictional and true, classic and contemporary. From the depths of H. G. Wells's The Abyss to the tempest in Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, these spine-tingling stories are as varied as the moods of the sea itself. A sturdy book with rounded corners and large type, S.O.S. is perfect for a week-long sail or an afternoon adventure in the armchair. Selected Contributors: Joseph Conrad, Stephen King, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Sebastian Junger, Paul Theroux, Ernest Hemingway.
A Boston Globe Best Non-Fiction Book of 2007
Amazon.com Editors pick as one of the 10 best history books of 2007
Winner of the 2007 John Lyman Award for U. S. Maritime History, given by the North American Society for Oceanic History
"The best history of American whaling to come along in a generation." --Nathaniel Philbrick
* Written by the granddaddy of the river running world
* Completely updated, with new text and photos
* Sidebars describing real-life river running situations threaded throughout First published in 1975, River Running inspired a whole generation of river runners. Now this classic text is back in print in a completely rewritten and updated guide. Reflecting changes in the regulations, equipment, and popularity of the sport, River Running introduces the modern river runner to craft and gear, technique, planning and preparation, health and safety, environmental issues, and basic river sense. Long-time expert Verne Huser shares his insights on the nature of rivers-how they act, why they flood, and what to look for when scouting out rapids, holes, and other obstacles-and discusses how to choose from the many types of craft, from traditional wooden canoes to inflatable kayaks and catarafts. Also covered are the different means of propulsion and the latest in safety equipment. All information is presented in the context of running rivers safely, with as little impact on the river environmental as possible.
This is an extraordinary tale of life aboard what may be one of the last American merchant ships. As the story begins, Andy Chase, who holds a license as a second mate is looking for a ship. In less than ten years, the United States Merchant Marine has shrunk from more than two thousand ships to fewer than four hundred, and Chase faces the scarcity of jobs from which all American merchant mariners have been suffering.
With John McPhee along, Chase finds a job as a second mate aboard the S.S. Stella Lykes, captained by the extraordinary Paul McHenry Washburn. The journey takes them on a forty-two day run down the Pacific coast of South America, with stops to unload and pick up freight at such ports as Cartagena, Valparaiso, Balboa, Lima, and Guayaquil--an area notorious for pirates. As the crew make their ocean voyage, they tell sea stories of other runs and other ships, tales of disaster, stupidity, greed, generosity, and courage. Through the journey itself and the tales told emerge the history and character of a fascinating calling.
She was a ship of destiny. Sailing across the Pacific, the battle scarred heavy cruiser U.S.S. Indianapolis had just delivered a secret cargo that would trigger the end of World War II. As she was continuing westward, her captain asked for a destroyer escort. He was told it wasn't necessary. But it was. She was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. In twelve minutes, some 300 men went down with her. More then 900 others spent four horrific days and five nights in the ocean with no water to drink, savaged by a pitless sun and swarms of sharks. Incredibly, nobody knew they were out until a Navy patrol plane accidentally discovered them. Miraculously, 316 crewmen still survived. How could this have happened -- and why? This updated edition of Abandon Ship , with a new introduction and afterword by Peter Maas, supplies the chilling answer. Originally published in 1958, Abandon Ship , was the first book to describe, in vivid detail, the unspeakable ordeal the survivors of the Indianapolis endured. It was also the first book to scrutinize the role of the U.S. Navy in the Indianapolis saga, especially in the cruel aftermath of the rescue when Captain Charles Butler McVay III was courtmartialed and convicted of "hazarding" his ship.
The bitter controversy over the Navy's handling of this case has raged for decades, with the survivors leading a campaign to set the record straight and exonerate Captain McVay. Peter Maas, the author of the New York Times bestseller The Terrible Hours, reveals facts previously unavailable to Richard Newcomb and chronicles the forty-year crusade to restore the captain's good name, a crusade that started with the publication of this book. He also pays tribute to its author, who dared, ahead of his time, to expose military malfeasance and cover-up, and to inspire a courageous battle to correct a grave miscarriage of justice.
