Biography of John Paul Jones, sea captain in the American Revolution.

For men on destroyer-class warships during World War I and World War II, battles were waged "against overwhelming odds from which survival could not be expected." Those were the words Lieutenant Commander Robert Copeland calmly told his crew as their tiny, unarmored destroyer escort rushed toward giant, armored Japanese battleships at the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944. This action-packed narrative history of destroyer-class ships brings readers...

Fourteen-year-old Josiah dreams of joining the crew of whaling ship, like his father and grandfather. A sailor brings news that his father has died, and that his crew was doomed by the mad Captain Ahab and the white whale, Moby Dick. Josiah and his loyal dog, Zeke, set sail to find out the truth of his father's death.

Over the course of twenty years of delivering sailboats to far-flung quaysides, John Kretschmer has had innumerable adventures, both humorous and terrifying. in Flirting with Mermaids, he recounts the most memorable of them. He crosses the Western Caribbean with a crew of eccentric Swedes researching ancient Mayan mariners, lands in Aden at the outbreak of civil war, and endures a North Atlantic crossing during which he discovers the existence of...

"A Regency romance set on the high seas"-- "As a young girl, Georgana Woodall dreamed of beautiful dresses, fancy balls, and falling in love. However, when her mother dies, she cannot face a future under the guardianship of her abusive grandmother and instead chooses to join her father on his ship disguised as his cabin boy, 'George'. Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love, not with his dedication to His Majesty's Royal Navy claiming...

Kit Faulkner is a young vagrant orphan, but his life changes forever when two gentlemen spot his potential and he is taken aboard their merchant ship, the Swallow, to be trained for a life at sea. As he rises through the ranks, he risks all in encounters with pirates and French corsairs. Meanwhile, England edges ever closer to civil war, and very soon Kit must chose which side he will fight for .

"On 16 September 1945, Elmer Renner and thirty-one shipmates aboard a U.S. Navy minesweeper off the coast of Okinawa endured one of the worst typhoons in recorded history. Named Makurazaki by the Japanese, the storm capsized Renner's ship and sent many of the crew to the bottom of the Pacific. Built for coastal waters, YMS-472 simply could not withstand the huge seas. Renner and eight others, however, managed to ride out the final fury of the typhoon...

Tristan Jones vividly and colorfully describes his childhood as a Welsh boy growing up by the sea. The story of his boyhood in pre-World War II England is strikingly charming and nostalgic. The challenges and adventures he encounters will have you seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and tasting the sea as you travel with him through this coming-of-age story.

As the lone "young lady" on a transatlantic voyage in 1832, Charlotte learns that the captain is murderous and the crew rebellious. The "Seahawk" looms against a darkening sky. Manned by an angry, motley crew at the mercy of a ruthless captain, the ship reeks of despair and mutiny! It is no place for the lone passenger, 13-year-old Charlotte Doyle, yet for her there is no turning back. But from her seemingly powerless position, Charlotte dares to...

Traces some of the metaphors and colloquialisms commonly used in contemporary English speech to their nautical origins, documenting the history and meaning of words and phrases from A1 (the best) to wishy-washy (inconstant).