This book literally changed my life.

In the eleventh grade in Greenville, South Carolina, i had an English teacher who designated Thursday as "Free Reading Day" and encouraged the entire class to read anything they wanted to (well, within limits -- "Playboy" would have been Right Out, i'm sure.) -- and, in case you had nothing of your own, she laid out an assortment of magazines and books on a table at the front of the room.

On that table, one Thursday, was a copy of "The Cruel Sea". Since i've always been at least a bit interested in sea stories, and it looked interesting, i picked it up. From the first i was hooked solidly.

In the next three or so years, i reread it twice at least, possibly more than that.

And then i joined the Navy -- and i am sure that it was because of what i read in this book, and what i sensed behind it, in what Monsarrat -- who, like his viewpoint character, Lockhart, was there from the beginning, working his way up to command his own ship before the end of the war -- didn't so much say as assume about the sea and the Navy -- *any* Navy.

Monsarrat presents us here with a brotherhood of the sea, corny as that idea may sound. Sailors, more than the other Armed Forces, tend to regard other sailors -- even enemy sailors -- as brothers in arms, and, as Monsarrat says, the only true enemy is the cruel sea itself.

As he shows us here, the sailor who was your enemy five minutes ago, who was trying to kill you as you tried to kill him, is merely another survivor to be rescued from the cruel sea once you've sunk his ship.

And, even more so, as Monsarrat portrays it, there is a kind of brotherhood that binds sailors in the same Navy together in very mcuh a family manner -- you may not like your cousin, but you want to know what's happening to him and, when all is said and done, he IS your relative.

The best summation of this sort of attitude (which i felt to some extent myself during my time in the US Navy) comes when Ericson, the Captain, is touring his new ship as she stands under construction in a Glasgow shipyard; he meets one of his future officers, and mentions the name of his previous ship, which was lost with over three-quarters of her crew, and realises that

"He's heard about 'Compass Rose', he probably remembers the exact details--that she went down in seven minutes, that we lost eighty men out of ninety-one. He knows all about it, like everyone else in the Navy, whether they're in destroyers in the Mediterranean or attached to the base at Scapa Flow: it's part of the linked feeling, part of the fact of family bereavement. Thousands of sailors felt personally sad when they read about her loss; Johnson was one of them, though he'd never been within a thousand miles of 'Compass Rose' and had never heard her name before."

To be part of a band of brothers like that is a proud thing, and Monsarrat captures it perfectly.

He also captures the terrified boredom of being in enemy territory with nothing happening as you wait for the enemy to make the first move, and the shock, confusion and horror of combat (particularly sea combat, in which the battlefield itself is the deadly, patient enemy of both sides).

And he captures the glories and rewards of life at sea, the beauty of a glorious clear dawn at sea, the stars and the moon and the wake at night and so much more.

This is the book that made a sailor out of me.

It will tell you what it is to be a sailor.

Although written for the Royal Navy corvette duty of World War II it brings the adventure of the sea to life for anyone. As a U.S. Navy veteran, I found this book to be outstanding in its reality of the sea, the ships, the men, and the tensions of war. The Cruel Sea is difficult, if not impossible, to put down. I'm ready for other books by Nicholas Monsarrat, he is a powerful and enlightened writer.

The Cruel Sea is perhaps the finest novel written out of World War II. It is drawn on the actual service in the Royal Navy of the author. It is the story of two ships, maybe 200 men, German submarines and the constant relentless ocean. Even when there is no combat action, the sea is always there in all its forms - just waiting for a small defect to occurr and then it will claim another victim - be it man or ship.

The sailors of the Compass Rose are a dramatic cross section. The captain is a reservist from the merchant navy while his officers are all volunteers from the civilian sector. One officer's only sea going experience is crossing the channel in a small yacht with a one woman crew. Not the best of material.

The crew is even more diverse. The senior ratings, coxswain, signalman, engineer and several others, are all professional Royal Navy and it is one these men the captain will lean the most. The remainder of the crew is drawn from all walks of life from clerks to vet assistants. Together they are all molded into a working crew.

The contacts with the German submarines are numerous but the end result is disappointing to some in that only two submarines are sunk between the two ships. Lots of survivors are pulled from the sea though as the submarines whittle away at the convoys chugging across the sea.

One gets a sense of the unending grind that the men endure as the ships make thier rounds from Liverpool to New York with a side trip to Russia for variety. Even shore time is not enjoyed as the local Liverpool area is pounded by German bombers and wives and girlfriends are not willing to endure the constant seperation.

Compass Rose is sunk and the crew, once more, is held together by the captain. Some men are heros and die a heros death and others are simply freightened men trying to stay alive which few do. It is a sobering time for the survivors as they look back at their life in Compass Rose.

The captain and one officer move on to another ship and finish the war in her. Again, it is a return to the grind of fighting the sea and occassionally fighting the Germans. One submarine is sunk by the new ship and the war ends.

There is little glory to be earned in this story, rather it is a tale of survival, hanging on to make it through the day or night. Everyone is a hero in this story from the junior sailor to the captain. It is a story that is being remembered less and less as the survivors of World War II diminish in numbers. It is a story to be read and remembered - when there was no array of electronic weapons and nuclear energy to draw upon to destroy an enemy; rather it was skill, patience, persistance and a willingness to endure that saw a successful outcome from a combat between corvette and submarine. Sometimes the corvette won and sometimes the submarine won. Many times it was a draw.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the war at sea during World War II. It should be in every naval officer's personal library regardless of nationality. Once read, it should never be forgotten.

I had unknowingly admired Doubilet's work in many National Geographic articles over the years. The recent Great White cover photo was fantastic although a little untimely as it had to be hidden from my girlfriend who I was going diving with for 2 weeks a month later.

I was proud of a few photos I took on that holiday but when I saw this book I almost threw my camera away. Doubilet takes underwater photography to another level altogether. This book displays Doubilet's talent and dedication to the full with a diverse portfolio taken over many years from all over the world. The light in his trademark above & below water photo's is so perfectly balanced my friends assumed it was manipulated.

Buy this book for anyone who appreciates natural beauty. My Mother and girlfriend were first on my list and just as impressed.

This book contains exceptionally beautiful underwater photographs. Most images are in colour, but there are also some remarkable black white shots, taken by the photographer at different locations throughout the world. The photographer presents the reader with images that are rare and unforgettable. Congratulations to the author David Doubilet for sharing with the world such an exceptional work of art.

This book rivals, and in many instances surpasses, the great underwater photography works of Chris Newbert (Within A Rainbowed Sea, In A Sea Of Dreams). I never thought I'd live to see a work of underwater art more stunning than Newbert's, but Doubilet has certainly raised the bar. The black and white work is haunting (especially the manta shots) and his use of light is mindbending. If you love the ocean and its sea-peoples, buy this book -- you won't regret it!

Donald Lynch and Ken Marschall are considered two of the world's foremost experts on Titanic history. While Lynch is more the historian, Marschall's talents also lie in his magnificent maritime artwork. These men are so good and know their subject so well, that director James Cameron used both as consultants on his movie "Titanic," even to calling them in the middle of the night! Lynch even made a cameo in the film (the first class dad watching his son spinning a top). Both say to this day that they still refer to the movie set as "Titanic" and not "the set" because the details were so exact it was like being on board her in reality. I have met both Lynch and Marschall twice at Titanic Historical Society conventions, and they definitely know their subject as is revealed in this book. (Thanks to Lynch, I became interested in the black family who travelled second class. Now THERE'S a fact Cameron regretted he didn't get to use because he knew critics unfamiliar with Titanic history would have ignorantly screamed "That never happened.")

We not only find details of the White Star Line and the famous ship's history -- from her design as one of the three "Olympic" sisters (Olympic, Titanic, Britannic), but the few photographs taken on-board; charts; deck plans; and numerous anecdotes. But often, it is Marschall's recreations in his wonderful artwork that will take your breath away, especially when read alongside Lynch's narrative. To see paintings of her slowly sinking into the Atlantic; the details of her stern high in the air and the sight of tiny figures throwing themselves into the icy water; even his art based on Dr. Robert Ballard's photographs of the wreck site...you would have to be heartless to not be affected by these. To also read the words of many of those few hundred who survived is particularly touching, especially as they watched Titanic go down, most with loved ones still on-board. This is a wonderful book for anyone who -- like me -- fell in love with her at some point in their lives, whether as a child or thanks to Cameron's movie. This book -- along with Marschall's own "Art of Titanic" (which includes work he even did as a young boy) -- will make great additions to your collection of the real life of the true "ship of dreams" and all who were touched by her.

If you buy only one book about the Titanic, this should be the one! I bought it over a year ago primarily as a visual supplement to "A Night to Remember," because of the great Ken Marschall paintings and the many pages of photos of Titanic and related artifacts. However, I became enthralled by the superb book-length text by historian Don Lynch, which is well worth the price all by itself. Walter Lord's book focused primarily on the night of the sinking, but this book tells the whole story of Titanic, from her conception and construction to the post-disaster inquiries and recovery efforts and the discovery of the wreckage, in addition to an engrossing minute-by-minute and lifeboat-by-lifeboat account of the sinking itself. By James Cameron's own account, this is the book that inspired The Movie. Buy the hardcover if you can, since you'll want to look at it over and over again.

If you are looking for a beautifully illustrated, wonderfully arranged and truly awesome book, this is it. Ken Marschall is the gratist Titanic artist ever! His paintings, mixed together with real photos, seem to bring you back to the Titanic. the way Don Lynch gose in depth explaning her maden voyege, you won't need any other Titanic books, Titanic an Illustrated History has it all.

As I read this account of the patrols of the U.S.S. Tang, I was there with the gallant skipper and the crew. A powerful story,gripping;filled with the tension that goes with tracking the enemy.You soon realize how courageous the entire crew was and you are also filled with admiration for Commander O'Kane's leadership and seamanship.The ending is so tragic.For several days after finishing the book I was filled with a deep sense of tragedy for its own defective torpedo sank this magnificent sub.A great tale that ends in sorrow.

"Clear the Bridge" is an outstanding look at WWII submarine warfare conducted by one of the greatest of combat crews. RADM Dick O'Kane constructs a scintillating look at combat thru the eyes of a veteran Navy skipper. The obvious love for Tang and her many fine sailors shines through, as well as the respect of and devotion to his former skipper on Wahoo, "Mush" Morton, and that fine boat. This book is a great read, and is a worthwhile addition to any library.

After proving his metttle as the Executive Officer on the USS Wahoo, Dick O'Kane revolutionised submarine warfare in his own way on USS Tang. During its limited lifetime, Tang sank more ships than any other US submarines and would have sunk more except for its demise by one of its own torpedos. A great read and a thorough description of life in a US WW2 submarine.

I liked this book because it taught me about the story of the Titanic. About how Robert Ballard found the Titanic. I will tell you this if you ever have to do reserch on the real Titanic. This is the book for you! It has information information and TONS of information!!!!!!!!! I really liked this book

Children will enjoy this book and the illustrations clearly depict TITANIC's sinking and discovery. My daughter pointed this book out to me in 1991. I was surprised to see my picture in it! ( I was one of the US Naval officers to accompany Dr. Ballard on his 1986 expedition to the site.)

I have been a Titanic Lover for life. I first read this book when I was 6 (I am 14 now) it is a great book if you are looking to start studying the Titanic or if you just want to know the more basic facts about her and her finding. But if you are really deep into the studies of her already then I would get "The Discovery of the Titanic". but there are many, many other great books on her (I should know I have enough to start my own Titanic bookstore ;). For the beginning Titanic studier this is the best book you can buy.

This book is a MUST for any Titanic fan! Even if you've read numerous other accounts of the sinking to the Titanic, you will learn something new from Lord's account of that fatefull nignt in 1912. Lord did his research well and wrote this book in a way to make you feel as though you were on the ship, not just on April 14th, but from the time it sailed. I enjoyed this book very much! Please read it.

This is a perfect book for anyone looking to learn more about the official determinations about the Titanic and the events of that fateful night. Walter Lord once again outdoes himself in details, going step by step over the controversial issues of the night, and giving the reader the official version, as well as the most widely believed version, and includes many of his own ideas of what may have occured where there is still mystery. A must read for all serious Titanic fans!

A spell-binding, moment-by-moment review of the sinking of the White Star Liner, Titanic, on April 12, 1912. The author reviews all the evidence of that fateful night, including eyewitness accounts of survivors and testimony at both the U.S. Senate subcommittee on the disaster and at the court of the Board of Trade in England. The recent controversy of the discovery and photographing of the Titanic by Robert Ballard is also discussed. This is a remarkable book, written almost like a novel, following the events of that night very closely, but also with much respect given to the conflicting stories of survivors. Walter Lord pieces everything together, and comes up with startling, well-researched conclusions. The era, the people, and the entire tragedy are brought to life as if it had just occurred yesterday.

Baricco has written a tremendous story of the truth of our human condition - individuals with a variety of obsessions - revenge, art, science, sensual experience - who are seemingly unrelated come together for the healing of the sea. They come together in a small ocean inn run by fay children. At the center of the book stands a horrofic story of humanity at its worst. . . .

The structure of the book is a difficult one but one Baricco has fashioned into the absolutely correct form for his story. The prose ranges from very lush, descriptive prose to very taciturn conversation, from art catalogue entries to poetic prayers. Occasionally a sentence or two will misfire, but Baricco has exquisite control over his medium.

This book belongs on any must read list.

I think this is probably the best book I have ever read. Actually, I have read everything by Baricco more than once (in Italian, since this is my mother language), but Ocean sea is by far his most impressive work. I mean, it is poetry turned into prose. That's not easy to explain. At the very beginning, the reader seems to be wandering in the middle of nowhere, but then he starts understanding that he's following a hidden path. It's like a puzzle, you never see anything clear until you get to the end, but when you do, it is just as if you had found a treasure. While reading, you are under the spell of something quite strange, something that puts you in touch with yourself, with your life somehow. The feeling is the one of being in the middle of a painting by Dalì or Magritte: something seeming supernatural, superreal, but that is in fact incredibly true and near. It touches you so deep within that it takes you to a higher level, where everything gets meaningful and where one's rediscovers his sensitivity. Baricco's style is perfect, too. The fact is that he's really good at telling stories, and I am sorry for those who couldn't listen to him live on TV or in theatres. As for the book anyway, it would be a pity to miss it. Most people think it has been written after Silk (a masterpiece, too, but completely different). I just wanted to point out this is untrue, since he wrote it later. But worth reading as well.

Some never see it. The sea in their heart. But never mind, those who see it still have books. But they also have troubles sometimes. And as I, you have never seen Ocean Sea of this fabulous Italian author of whom you've never heard, until a handsome woman, your teacher Drama at the local Academy, tells you they are going to bring on stage some novel called Ocean Sea, written by a certain Baricco (who ? never heard of ? very difficult, shakespeare-like I presume, everyone yells). And then you read it, and you really see the sea. Experiencing it on scene makes it even worse : escaping this yearning feeling to tell everyone you meet they absolutely must read this book becomes impossible. And in every letter you write to your many pals, you can't stop mentioning Plasson, the painter who wants to leave his canvas white but not blanco, or others. This story is all about puzzles : pieces coming together and breaking up. It's about leaving things undefined. It's about the sea : you can dive in it, you get a little bit wet, but you can't breath under the sea, unless you wear an O2-mask, and even then. Some books take you up in the air and leave you there. Some put you down to the ground and under it. This one makes you feel alive and you keep reading it. This one you want to share with your best friends. And you would even want to e-mail on it. But you will never give it away. I promise !

"Hostile Waters", by Peter Huchthausen, Igor Kurdin and R. Alan White. Thorndike Press, Thorndike, Maine, Large type edition, 1997.

An excellent book, dealing with the loss of the K-219, a Soviet Nuclear submarine, off the east coast of the United States. This book is non-fiction but it reads like a fast moving, modern day thrill novel, thanks, probably, to the efforts of author R. Alan White. The book also reads like a "you are there!" recitation of the events of the sinking, undoubtedly due to the efforts of Igor Kurdin, of the Russian Navy. Finally, there are some pointed comments about higher-level actions and reactions, probably due to the efforts of Captain Peter Huchthausen, USN, Retired. It is impressive that three different writers from such disparate backgrounds could produce a book that is such a well-written story of the events in the sinking of the K-219. It all comes together in such an interesting fashion that it was difficult to put the book down.

As we watch the world react to the aftermath of September 11 2001, we wonder why the CIA and the FBI did not have better communications with each other agency. The provincialism and secrecy of the USN submarine service is well documented in this book. In some ways, this is a theme of this book; rivalry between service branches and within each service hinders cooperation and communications. On page 225, for example, you can find: the U.S. Navy's "... number one enemy: the United Sates Air Force". Personally, I can recall working as reliability engineer on a small Navy project in 1987, and I referenced an Air Force document as substantiation for my calculations. I was told, "Wrong color blue". Navy Blue versus Air Force blue.

Through my work as Exec. Asst. to the Exec. Dir. of the Navy League of the U.S., I met member Peter Huchthausen when he introduced Igor Kurdin to the NLUS as an associate member. I became their liaison. Through this I have worked with young hero Sergei Preminin's high-school teacher, who created a small museum to his heroism. Then on 8/4/97 at a dinner in his honor at the Officers Club of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, I was privileged to be seated at the head table with and to meet the brave Russian sub commander, Igor Britanov, who saved our East Coast from a Chernobyl, and probably thus headed off WWIII. I was honored to be made a member of the St. Petersburg Club of Sailors and Submariners that evening. Peter Huchthausen did painstaking research, as did his coauthor Igor Kurdin to create this book. It is riveting, utterly compelling, heart-wrenching, and true. Although I have read it three times and highlighted much, plus viewing the HBO slightly-altered and less grippingly true rendition, I still weep for these brave men. This is the sign of a well-written book! It captures vividly the heart and soul of these men, and what they courageously endured. To read of them and meet them in person is to love them for their bravery and decency. I have never seen a face radiate more goodness than Captain Britanov's. I highly recommend this book to everyone I engage in conversation on the subject. I only wish that it had received much more publicity, in hard and soft cover.

"Down three thousand fathoms deep, Deaths of millions in her keep; With her, in eternal sleep -- Sergei Preminin." With these words begins Russell Hoban's poem immortalizing an extraordinary deed of an ordinary Russian submariner. "Hostile Waters" also recounts Seaman Preminin's selfless sacrifice, which saved the lives of countless unsuspecting Americans. But this is only one of the riveting episodes of desperation and courage chronicled in this true story about a doomed nuclear submarine. Authors USN-AWS Capt. (ret.) Huchthausen and Soviet Capt. 1st. Rank Kurdin were participants in the ongoing Cold War events which led to the tragedy of K-219. Written with the assistance of accomplished novelist Robin A. White ("Siberian Light", "Ice Curtain"), their book reads like a spellbinding adventure of disaster and heroism on the sea. In 1986, the Soviet Navy, in its futile attempts to match its superior American counterpart, was sending its fleet of obsolete boomers to patrol the eastern coast of the US. Capt. Igor Britanov knew that his noisy, decrepit boat was being tracked from the moment she left her home port, and that once in American waters, he was being shadowed by a state-of-the-art hunter-killer. Following an unintentional collision by the USS Augusta, K-219 sustained severe damage which left her flooding and burning, with an open missile-hatch, on the surface. In a cascading chain of catastrophe, her nuclear reactor began to overheat. As the US military went on DEFCON alert, K-219 foundered in her desperate and dangerous death-throes. You, the reader, will intimately experience the Soviet crew's minute-by-minute struggle for survival. You will bond with the Russian Captain, whose fatherly affection for his men inspired their loyalty and dedication to the point of personal sacrifice. You will be astonished by the attrocious actions of the American Captain, which alienated his own crew and ultimately cost him his career. You will be disgusted by the competative uncooperativeness between the American armed forces, and the open hostility between individual branches of the Navy. You will be dismayed by the utter callousness of the US and Soviet governments whose disregard for human life imperilled the world. And you will never forget Sergei Preminin, who voluntarily entered the hot reactor and manually cranked down the stuck baffle-plates, thus preventing a meltdown mere miles off the American coast. For an eye-opening and disturbing view of US Cold War politics, and an even-handed and compassionate portrayal of the Opposition, read this "ten-star" story!

This children's book is a story of an Indian boy in Canada near Lake Nipigon (just north of Lake Superior) who carves a model of an Indian sitting in a canoe. In addition, he carves a name on the bottom of the canoe: "Paddle-to-the-Sea." The boy then sets it in the late winter snow and watches as the canoe follows the melting snow on its way to Lake Superior. The book then follows the canoe all the way to France. Children of all ages seem to love this book. And, it doesn't seem to matter what decade it is when they first read it. The book was a 1942 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a children's book.

Paddle-To-The-Sea was one of the first long books my mother read to me [early 60's] and one of the first long books I read on my own. Many elements make this a fantastic book for elementary school-age children: it is an excellent geography lesson, teaching the reader about the Great Lakes region; it shows a character being creative and sending his creation out into the world without knowing if there will be a return for his actions; the payoff for the carver of Paddle-To-The-Sea comes only after a long period of time. When I spent the summer of 1966 in Minnesota with my family, we visited many of the places in the book including Lake Superior. I remember how much the book informed that summer. Several years ago I revisited Lake Superior for the first time since '66 and the images of a small carved Native American in a canoe were still on my mind. Give this book to a young person so they can take its literary journey and have it leave them with a lasting impression.

I first came across this book while looking through my father's collection of childhood books, and started reading it because he recommended it so enthusiastically. I've read it many times since -- some books are richer the more you return to them -- and even now, I think of Lake Superior as a wolf's head and Lake Huron as a fur trapper. When, as an adult, a business trip took me to Detroit (my first time in the Great Lakes region), I drove eight hours at night after my meetings to see Sault Ste. Marie, because my impressions of "The Soo" were so vivid from having read Paddle-to-the-Sea twenty years before. This is a terrific book that stays with you.

"H.M.S. Surprise", the third installment in Patrick O'Brian's magnificient Aubrey/Maturin series is set aboard Aubrey's favorite ship, the slender ex-French frigate Surprise, during a mission to Indian waters. Here O'Brian demonstrates again his great affinity for natural history, portraying Maturin as a fictitious predecessor to the likes of Charles Darwin and Alfred R. Wallace. Meanwhile both he and Aubrey must ponder how they can thwart a French flotilla from seizing the China fleet. Readers will treasure O'Brian's elegant prose and mesmerizing descriptions of natural history and sea battles.

"H.M.S. Surprise" is Patrick O'Brian's third book in his epic 20-volume 19th-century maritime series. Captain Jack Aubrey, on blockade duty along France's southern coast, must extricate his friend, ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, from a delicate situation. Then, aboard the H.M.S. Surprise they sail to South America, India and beyond, weathering storms, battling enemies, and stewing over their respective romances.

Once again O'Brian delivers an excellent book, spare prose and nautical realism sweep the reader on deck. And, of course, the ending is a cliff-hanger, so you'll have to read the next book.

I read the first two in the Aubrey/Maturin series (Master and Commander and Post Captain) a few years ago and liked them. In an idle moment, I recently picked up HMS Surprise and glanced at the first page. Thirty minutes later I was still reading and within the week I had finished the book. Unfortunately my vocabulary cannot do justice to describing just how good this book is. The characterizations are sympathetic and acute, the descriptions of seafaring are hypnotic and the battle scenes are wonderful. These books are not pulp fiction, but finely wrought and accurate depictions of the world nearly two centuries ago. Some of O'Brian's observations are so good, I felt like applauding at times. These books require some patience and discipline, but the pay-off is immense. I'm only sorry that it looks like I'm on the slippery slope that will lead to reading the 17 or 18 other novels in the series. I'm just too busy to read them right now, but there may not be anything I can do about it. If you want books to truly transport you somewhere else, this is the series.