There is a fascination that haunts crumbling shipwrecks, whether they be stranded in the depths of the sea or sitting preserved in the Bob Bullock Museum. What these wrecks say about moments of history, of the people who build and break them, can be enlightening as one strives to not only learn but understand those who came before us. It can’t be contended–our society has an obsession with shipwrecks! This is illustrated frequently, with the success of books like David Grann’s THE WAGER (DB 113965, LB 14399, BR 25435 IN PROCESS) and the recurrent cultural fixation on the RMS Titanic grasping our collective consciousness in turn. It can be hard to be sure what it is about these beautiful disasters that draws us to them so strongly, but as we remember the anniversary of the wreck of the USS Indianapolis this month, here are a few selections in the TBP collection about shipwrecks and ocean disasters.
| ADRIFT: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, LOSS AND SURVIVAL AT SEA by Tami Oldham Ashcraft (DB 93382) First, we’ll start off with something a little more intimate than many of the selections on this list. Adrift is a story about two individuals, the hurricane they found themselves struck by, and the harrowing 41-day journey to safety. It’s a nonfiction story of survival that will keep you on the edge of your seats and, should you want to find it, there was a movie made out of it too! |
| BOUNTY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY by Caroline Alexander (DB 57656) Next, a story of rebellion, intrigue, and revisionist history as Caroline Alexander works to correct the records on the legendary mutiny of the crew of the Bounty! Alexander shines with her research and dedication to the truth in this breakdown of the events and following efforts to obfuscate them. As an added bonus, television rights are now in development! |
| DEAD WAKE: THE LAST CROSSING OF THE LUSITANIA by Erik Larson (BRG 03809, DB 80936, LB 08677) For those fascinated by World War I or the history of safety regulations, this could be your next eye-opening read. Many talk about the Lusitania and its impact on World War I, but few explore it in as much detail as Larson. With a fast, narrative style guaranteed to entertain as well as educate, this book is a thorough examination of the Lusitania by an author whose books keep sailing right to the top of the NYT Best Seller list. |
| ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON’S INCREDIBLE VOYAGE by Alfred Lansing (DB 119061, LB 03857) A perennial classic, Lansing does a phenomenal job of exploring every moment of Shackleton’s voyage, from concept of the voyage itself to the months of grueling survival and teamwork. This is a great story of triumph and courage at the ends of the earth! Plus, it’s one of the happier-ending stories on this list by far. |
| FIVE AGAINST THE SEA: A TRUE STORY OF COURAGE AND SURVIVAL by Ron Arias (DB 32880) 142 days at sea and 4,000 miles traveled could be enough to drive many men mad, but this was not the case for five Costa Rican fishermen who, in 1988, got caught in a vicious storm and cast out to sea. What’s more, they survived this venture largely unscathed! This is a fantastic story of victory, ingenuity, and perseverance, as well as another surprisingly happy ending for a list largely about doom and destruction. |
| HALSEY’S TYPHOON: THE TRUE STORY OF A FIGHTING ADMIRAL, AN EPIC STORM, AND AN UNTOLD RESCUE by Bob Trury (DB 66099) Set in World War II, this book explores the terrible mistake ordered by Admiral William “Bull” Halsey that led almost 200 ships right into the path of a major storm. Follow the survivors of this disaster as they fight every natural enemy you could imagine and witness the incredible courage of those who rescued them. |
| IN HARM’S WAY: THE SINKING OF THE U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS AND THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ITS SURVIVORS by Doug Stanton (DB 52097) The belle of the ball, the wreck of the hour, and the inspiration for this list – the USS Indianapolis! This recount of one of the most famous wrecks of all time will have you on the edge of your seat as you engage with not only the stories of those brave men who made it out, but the ones who lost their lives in those hazardous waters. It’s an engaging read that will keep you hooked as you learn that sometimes it’s not just loose lips that sink ships. |
| IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: THE TRAGEDY OF THE WHALESHIP ESSEX by Nathaniel Philbrick (BRG 03656, DB 50271) This is another one of the most fascinating and well-known wrecks of all time. Serving as one of the primary inspirations for the great American classic Moby Dick; or, The Whale, this novel provides incredible context for the tail end of the Nantucket whaling industry and the community that built around it. It has everything, from freak whale attacks and turtle roasting to deeply personal stories of trials and triumph, and we cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a fantastic entry to the subgenre and one that has broad, cinematic appeal—and hey, there’s a movie for it as well! If you’re a fan of the classics or looking for a book to ease you in, give this one a go. You won’t regret it! |
| IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE: THE GRAND AND TERRIBLE POLAR VOYAGE OF THE USS JEANNETTE by Hampton Sides (DB 79535, LB 08615) You might notice a bias towards Antarctic exploration on this list. Well, here is something for those of you wanting something a little more northern! IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE follows the devastating and, as the title notes, terrible journey of the ship and her crew. It’s cold, it’s treacherous, and it’s a fantastic read for any and all who have ever found themselves with a fixation on those icy deserts! But beware, you might never think of polar bears the same. |
| ISLAND OF THE LOST: SHIPWRECKED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Joan Druett (DB 66506) Serendipity is the theme of this book as a twist of fate leads two completely different ships to be wrecked on the same hazardous patch of land. Follow these crews to a frigid and hostile island locale 285 miles south of New Zealand (also known as Aotearoa) as they each handle the isolation and desperation differently. With a conclusion part Robinson Crusoe and part Lord of the Flies, you’ll cheer, you’ll despair, and you’ll love every second of this incredible story of humanity at its finest and worst. |
| MADHOUSE AT THE END OF THE EARTH by Julian Sancton (LB 13462) Many of these books explore stoic competence in the face of great adversity – adventures of the best of humanity facing the mightiest of foes. Well, this one definitely has foes! This book explores one of the most ill-fated and disastrous Antarctic expeditions in history, doomed by incompetence at almost every level and a heaping serving of plain rotten luck. It is a comedy of errors in most regards, and one that went so incredibly poorly that NASA has studied it to better understand the effects of isolation on the human mind (it’s true! You can find the author of this book talking about it here). But despite it all, this is the first expedition to successfully winter in Antarctica, a dubious honor given the conditions that the crew had to survive. Sometimes it can be fun to take a break from the sheer might of the titans on this list, and if you still want to keep in that nautical wheelhouse, I would definitely direct you here. |
| MIGHTY FITZ: THE SINKING OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD by Michael Shumacher (DB 62656) You might know this ship from the effervescent ballad by Gordon Lightfoot, but if you have ever wanted a good examination of the wreck itself, look no further! This book strives to sketch out the tragedy, examining why it happened and what the fallout was. It’s incredibly precise in its scope as it breaks down what some refer to as The Titanic of the Great Lakes, but I say this wreck stands all on its own as a disaster every person with even a passing interest should know. |
| PERFECT STORM: A TRUE STORY OF MEN AGAINST THE SEA by Sebastian Junger (BRG 00962, DB 44751) Rounding out this list is a look at the disastrous, infamous Hurricane Grace. Read all about the lost Andrea Gail, a fishing trawler caught and destroyed by this horrifying storm, in equal parts speculation and cultural context. This book brings a perspective of the ocean that few can rival, and if you want a great look at not only the impact of these cataclysmic storms but the reality of those deadly waves, give this book a go! And if you’re interested and wanting more, there’s a movie adaptation too. |
Did we find your next nautical reading pick? Is there a shipwreck you love that we completely missed (or even got wrong)? Do you have any similar recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!