The Mammoth Book Of Storms Shipwrecks And Sea Disasters

No other natural environment can match the danger of a hostile sea. This remarkable new collection brings together over 60 eyewitness accounts of tragedy, error and survival on the high seas. It includes such modern-day incidents as the high-ocean dismasting of Kingfisher 2, Richard van Pham's 100 days adrift in 2002, the Kursk submarine disaster and the Exxon Valdez, as well as both legendary and lesser-known historical events like the HMS Proserpine catastrophe, the wreck of the Medusa, and the spectacular hurricanes that have buffeted the Caribbean island of Montserrat. The Mammoth Book of Storms, Shipwrecks and Sea Disasters offers white-knuckle accounts of disaster and endurance, evoking the addictive drama of The Perfect Storm.

Here are over sixty stories of piracy, fire, explosions, disappearances, rum running, shipboard mutiny and murder. There are also stories of collisions with whales, icebergs and other ships, as well as wrecks on rocks, islands and sand bars. Vessels, large and small, were struck by lightning, shelled or torpedoed by enemy vessels, crushed by Arctic ice, and even swallowed up whole by unexpected intense gales and hurricanes. These true tales of shipwrecks delve into strange and curious marine disasters. The setting, primarily the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, was the main trading route for passenger steamers and treading schooners plying their way to and from Europe and also the site of the much frequented fishing grounds. It is said to be the "stormiest ocean on earth." The time range in Ocean of Storms, Sea of Disaster is one hundred years, between the 1850s and the 1950s but the stories themselves are timeless.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

For thousands of years, the perils of the sea have claimed uncountable numbers of victims. Bad weather, rocks and icebergs, equipment failures, human error, and many more types of tragedies have all sent ships to watery graves. While modern technology has made sea-going vessels safer and rescues easier, there still are terrible disasters that occur. With dramatic images and eyewitness accounts—plus the latest facts and figures—this book gives you a close-up look at disasters at sea.

Shipwrecks have captured our imagination for centuries. Here acclaimed historian Sam Willis traces the astonishing tales of ships that have met with disastrous ends, along with the ensuing acts of courage, moments of sacrifice and episodes of villainy that inevitably occurred in the extreme conditions. Many were freak accidents, and their circumstances so extraordinary that they inspired literature: the ramming of the Essex by a sperm whale was immortalized in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Some symbolize colossal human tragedy: including the legendary Titanic whose maiden voyage famously went from pleasure cruise to epic catastrophe. From the Kyrenia ship of 300 BC to the Mary Rose, through to the Kursk submarine tragedy of 2000, this is a thrilling work of narrative history from one of our most talented young historians.

Fascinating, never-before-documented stories of the worst shipwrecks on the Pacific Coast during the golden age of coastal transportation, 1854 to 1929 In this intriguing chronicle, author Robert Belyk closely examines ten significant maritime disasters that occurred during one of the most turbulent eras in the history of travel. Discover the real-life drama endured by those caught in the terrifying midst of disaster at sea??and the real causes behind the tragedies. Vividly re-created and painstakingly researched, the shipwrecks accounted for here include: 1854: the Yankee Blade runs aground off Point Arguello, California.Twenty-eight passengers lose their lives. 1875: The old side-wheeler Pacific rams another passenger ship off the coast of Cape Flattery, Washington. Two hundred and seventy-seven people perish when her rotting hull gives way. 1906: The Valencia strikes a reef off the Washington coastline. Before dozens of dazed onlookers on the shore, the ship goes down, taking 117 passengers and crew with her.

Discusses some of the most famous shipwrecks in history.