[John Gurton]

try "A Love of Ships", autobiography of George King (BP Chairman)
Seaspray and Whiskey by Norman Freeman
A Merchant Seamans Survival by Edward J Sweeney

[G0SLP]

Ronald Johnston's 'Disaster at Dungeness' has already been mentioned. He wrote "Sea Story" too. He was a Master with George Gibson, & based that book on the small gas carriers built at Brand Werft in the early 1970s that Gibsons operated.

C.S. Forester's "The Ship" was quite a good read.

'Supership', previously mentioned, was a book that we all had to read when I started my cadetship at Saudi Shields. I forget the reason now...

[Mr-Tomcat]

Eight Bells and Top Masts by Christopher Lee part fiction in so much as names have been changed, follows the voyage of a 17 year old boy on an old tramp steamer well written and sometimes very witty.

Andrew.

[Varley]

Originally Posted by tonypad

What a fantastic collection of fact and fiction has been presented, one of my favourites is The Wreck of the Mary Deare by Hammond Innes, also enjoyed Eight Bells and Top Masts by Christopher Lee, not quite fiction but a very good read. Regards Tony

I am glad to have found one started already on the Wreck of the Mary Deare.

For the umpteenth watching (as a favourite film it comes out quite often) I noticed an anomaly for the first time last night.

Aficionados will know that Sands (Charlton Heston) is seen stoking the boilers and investigating the coal bunker (where Capt. Patch has hidden the body of his predecessor). A coal burner then, obviously?

Last night I noticed a scene in which we are show a soundings chalk board. It is painted up for "FUEL OIL".

(I know that there were some ships tankers in particular I think that could burn both, coal outward bound and 'cargo' oil on the return. Those that had the pleasure of having pilot Ted Eales (spelling) aboard will know his youth included sailing on one that also had sails although then unused and rotting in tween deck storage!. Can't think one of those would have been deliberately intended in the 'cast' - would have stolen the show for most of us I guess).

[Barrie Youde]

Have we had Masefied's "Bird of Dawning" yet?

Marvellous.

[Varley]

Not one I have read Barrie. As a poet I would not have gone near him between the ages of 7 and 30. I had a clever and much loved English teacher who made us read well and enthusiastically without us knowing he was. And we had others not as well loved who tried to force down verse to learn by rote.

I now carry Palgraves Golden Treasurey when I travel (the edition with Fittzgeralds first version of the Rubyait) but until 30ish I only 'did' verse if it was pornographically oriented (Pa could do several verses of the Grand Farting Contest at Shitem-on-Peas as well as numerous other adult snippets and limericks ).

[holland25]

Out of curiosity I looked up Percy Westerman's the Wireless Officer,its available on Project Gutenberg. I lasted about 2 chapters,it was incredibly dated both in style and content. I understand he was a very successful writer in his day, and I am sure that if I re-read any of the Wilson,the wonder athlete of the Wizard, I would wonder why I enjoyed them so much when I was a boy. Some writers and books are best just left as fond memories and not revisited.
However I still enjoy the Caine Mutiny and the Cruel Sea.Other books I still read are the The Cruiser by Warren Tute,The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich, and as somebody else mentioned, Doctor at Sea and the Captain's Table by Richard Gordon.

[point fortin]

master mariner,by captain rentell,one of the best books by a master mariner,telling you the true story of how its done,regarding shiphandling.

[vickentallen]

Originally Posted by Santos

The best ever sea book in my mind is " HMS Ulysses " by Alistair McLEAN. I have read it and re read it many times, a super book.

Chris.

Alistair McLean was my English teacher at Gallowflat JSS in Rutherglen Glasgow in 1954 when he was writing HMS Ulysses and used to read out chapters to the class before it went into print. not a nice man, still got the blisters on my hand to prove it..... lol

[Engine Serang]

Most books on air conditioning are a work of fiction.

[Harry Nicholson]

Recently read: 'Endangered Species' by Richard Woodman (one-time bridge officer). A saga of one of the last cargo liners on her final voyage to the breakers. He does a splendid job, catching the closing days of the MN that many of us knew.

[jonesboat]

The Adventures Of Lieut. Lawless - Rolf Bennet - About a WW1 destroyer
The Captains Table - Classic comedy by Richard Gordon
The Riddle Of The Sands - Erskine Childers Classic
Just three of many that I read and enjoyed during my misspent youth