Sea Voyages: Maritime Tales of Courage and Endurance
By The Bookshop on the Green
By The Bookshop on the Green
Man has attempted to conquer oceans since time immemorial, pitting wits, ingenuity and courage against the cruel sea. Here are our favourite voyages...
Erebus: The Story of a Ship
Michael Palin
£9.99 £9.49Michael Palin tells the fascinating history of a ship from its launch in 1826, glory in the Antarctic and ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic.
This Thing Of Darkness
Harry Thompson
£10.99 £10.44This is my absolute favourite adventure book. It's about Darwin's journey on The Beagle, captained by Fitzroy, across the Atlantic, around the treacherous Cape Horn and up the Pacific coast. The peril of Georgian sea travel and heroism of the sailers is utterly compelling, and the real story behind Darwin's scientific discoveries was a real education. Fitzroy emerges as an amazingly talented, thoughtful figure. A fast-paced and jaw-dropping historical novel. Highly recommended by Sala on the BookShop Team.
Darwin's Odyssey: The Voyage of the Beagle
Kevin Jackson
£7.99 £7.59The Beagle's journey from Darwin's perspective.
The Young Hornblower Omnibus
C.S. Forester
£12.99 £12.34The pitch-perfect fictional stories of young Hornblower's ascent through the ranks of the Royal Navy. Brilliant, insecure, scared of heights and very brave, he's no two-dimensional hero and these books are enormous fun to read.
The North Water: Now a major BBC TV series starring Colin Farrell, Jack O'Connell and Stephen Graham
IAN MCGUIRE
£8.99 £8.54A ship sets sail with a killer on board . . . 1859. A man joins a whaling ship bound for the Arctic Circle. Having left the British Army with his reputation in tatters, Patrick Sumner has little option but to accept the position of ship's surgeon on this ill-fated voyage. But when, deep into the journey, a cabin boy is discovered brutally killed, Sumner finds himself forced to act. Soon he will face an evil even greater than he had encountered at the siege of Delhi, in the shape of Henry Drax: harpooner, murderer, monster . . . 'A tour de force' Hilary Mantel 'Riveting and darkly brilliant' Colm Tóibín
Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
£5.99 £5.69For the icy descriptions of Frankenstein's journey to escape his monsters in the Arctic north.
Gulliver's Travels: and Alexander Pope's Verses on Gulliver's Travels
Jonathan Swift
£6.99 £6.64One of the first novels ever written, at a time when it was dawning on Englishmen what a wide world existed beyond Europe. Swift's satire still stings.
Shackleton's Journey
William Grill
£15.99 £15.19A really beautiful book that tells the story of Shackleton's journey using understated graphic pictures which contrast sharply with the complexity of the operation. A lovely addition to any child's bookcase.
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Man Against the Sea
Sebastian Junger
£9.99 £9.49The book which inspired the George Clooney film about a fishing boat which meets its end in an appallingly violent storm.
Every Man For Himself: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, 1996
Beryl Bainbridge
£9.99 £9.49The story of a rich American orphan and his adventures on the doomed Titanic. First published in 1996 the novel won the 1996 Whitbread Prize, and was a nominee of the Booker Prize.[1] It also won the 1997 Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Europe and South Asia).
Homer's Odyssey
Simon Armitage
£12.99 £12.34The journey of a sailor who attempts to return home from war, but is thwarted by cannibals, nymphs, monsters, drug addicts and the capricious gods.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst: Now Filmed As The Mercy
Ron Hall and Nicholas Tomalin
£9.99 £9.49
How To Read Water: Clues & Patterns from Puddles to the Sea
Tristan Gooley
£10.99 £10.44A thought-provoking and fascinating guide for mariners.
Swallows And Amazons
Arthur Ransome
£7.99 £7.59Not so much a voyage, but a great preparation for a voyage. Adventures on the lakes.
Titanic
DK
£7.99Children are frequently fascinated by the fate of the Titanic. Here's a factual guide to the structure of the ship, the ambitions of the owners, the passenger list, the conditions, menus ...and finally the disaster itself.
Voyage of the Sparrowhawk: Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2020
Natasha Farrant
£7.99 £7.59This voyage featuring children and dogs made every "Best Childrens Book" list at the end of 2020.
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo
£7.99 £7.59A really exciting adventure story about a boy who goes on a round-the-world trip with his parents ..until disaster strikes. Thrilling, with a tearjerking end.
Oxford Children's Classics: Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
£6.99 £6.64Shiver Me Timbers! This classic tale captures the excitement and perils of sea travel.
