Maritime English

Just past midnight, on February 3, just hours from their destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank, throwing its passengers into the frigid waters and creating the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. Many of the survivors credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Those chaplains would become known as the “Immortal Chaplains” for their heroism in making the ultimate sacrifice.

Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s captivating account of life as a common sailor on board a merchant ship in the early 1830s. Dana captures the cruel conditions on board the ship, the injustices of merchant seamen at the hands of brutally unforgiving captains, and the treacherous icy weather at Cape Horn. An iconic maritime memoir said to have influenced Herman Melville, Two Years Before the Mast remains one of America’s greatest and most vivid seafaring tales.

No one present at the Battle of Cape Lopez off the coast of West Africa in 1722 could have known that they were on the edge of history. This obscure yet fierce naval battle would have a monumental impact on British colonies and the future of slavery in America.

Battle of the Arctic is a wonderfully evocative history and largely unknown saga of World War II. As the Soviet Union played its role in the conflict, Ally convoys from Britain, the United States, and Iceland fought to deliver essential supplies to Russia. In a clash of extreme elements—as well as fierce Axis opposition—the effort demonstrated an unparalleled commitment from Allied nations to supporting the Soviet Union.

After Sir John Franklin and his ships disappeared in the Arctic while seeking the Northwest Passage, thirty-nine rescue missions were launched, including one by the Resolute, the Royal Navy’s finest vessel. In 1854, it became locked in the ice and was abandoned. A year later, a Connecticut whaling ship discovered it drifting 1,200 miles away, a 600-ton ghost ship. The whalers boarded the Resolute and steered it through a ferocious hurricane back to Connecticut.

Experience the Adventures of the Most Fearless Female Buccaneers in History! QUEENS OF THE HIGH SEAS is a captivating anthology of history's most daring and influential female pirates. This collection of legendary tales brings to light the often-overlooked stories of women who not only survived but thrived in the male-dominated world of piracy. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, this book spans the globe, uncovering the lives and exploits of fearsome women like Queen Artemisia of Caria, the first female pirate known to history, and the unyielding reign of Ching Shih, mistress of the ...

In 1819, the 240-ton Essex set sail from Nantucket on a routine voyage. Fifteen months later, in the farthest reaches of the South Pacific, it was repeatedly rammed and sunk by an 80-ton bull sperm whale. Its 20-man crew, fearing cannibals on the islands to the west, made for the 3,000-mile-distant coast of South America in three tiny boats. During 90 days at sea under horrendous conditions, the survivors clung to life as one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease, and fear.

Freedom of expression and individual enterprise have distinguished the societies of powers dominant at sea, and since supreme maritime nations have prevailed over their territorial rivals in the great wars of the modern era, it is they who have created today's world. In this final volume of his masterful trilogy, Padfield carries the theme through the terrible wars of the last century to the present, with vivid descriptions of the naval battles that have shaped our world.

Do you love food and enjoy an excellent dining experience? Whether you're a local or a visitor, this guide to Halifax's top-rated, unique, and authentic restaurants is your invitation to a culinary adventure in our vibrant city! Halifax is a growing city on Canada’s east coast, known for its hospitality, history, world-class seafood, live music, and Maritime charm. Halifax has a dynamic and diverse restaurant landscape; it punches above its weight. The gastronomic scene in Halifax has been changing and expanding rapidly, with chefs and restauranteurs from abroad and other parts of the ...

Come aboard the ship of knowledge with the new eBook "The Maritime Hobbyist's Guide". All aboard? Let's navigate through the chapters! Embark on a voyage through an enlightening introduction to rich maritime activities. Discover the intrinsic value maritime hobbies hold while cruising through the blue, from the ship deck to the ocean depths. You will plunge into the enthralling world of scuba diving and snorkeling, shedding light on essential guides to underwater exploration and critical safety measures. Anchor down your newfound knowledge with the basics of enjoyable fishing techniques, ...

For many, the colonial story of Australia starts with Captain Cook's discovery of the east coast in 1770, but it was some 164 years before his historic voyage that European mariners began their romance with the immensity of the Australian continent. Between 1606 and 1688, while the British had their hands full with the Gunpowder Plot and the English Civil War, it was highly skilled Dutch seafarers who discovered and mapped the majority of the vast, unknown waters and land masses in the Indian and Southern Oceans.

The SS Portland was a solid and luxurious ship, and its loss in 1898 in a violent storm with some 200 people aboard was later remembered as “New England’s Titanic.” The Portland was one of New England's largest and most luxurious paddle steamers, and after nine years' solid performance, she had earned a reputation as a safe and dependable vessel. In November 1898, a perfect storm formed off the New England coast. Conditions would produce a blizzard with 100 miles per hour winds and 60-foot waves that pummeled the coast.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to The Maritime History of Massachusetts and learn about 18th and 19th century Massachusetts history.

In the heart of the 17th century, a time when the high seas were both a realm of boundless opportunity and perilous uncertainty, there emerged figures whose daring exploits would etch their names into the annals of maritime history. Among these, Captain William Phipps stands out as a particularly intriguing character, not only for his audacity but for the intricate tapestry of his life that wove together threads of ambition, adventure, and audacity. Phipps’s story is one of transformation and reinvention. Initially setting out as a shipwright, he soon found himself drawn to the lucrative ...

From 1792 to 1795, George Vancouver sailed the Pacific as the captain of his own expedition and as an agent of imperial ambition. To map a place is to control it, and Britain had its eyes on America's Pacific coast. And map it Vancouver did. His voyage was one of history's greatest feats of maritime daring, discovery, and diplomacy, and his marine survey of Hawaii and the Pacific coast was at its time the most comprehensive ever undertaken.

Enter the terrifying world of history’s most infamous pirate in Sea Horror–Blackbeard by Arthur M. Harris. This vivid, pulse-pounding account captures the monstrous legend of Edward Thatch—better known as Blackbeard—whose reign of terror on the high seas still haunts maritime lore. Harris recounts Blackbeard’s savage exploits, from his gruesome appearance with burning fuses in his beard to his violent battles and twisted alliances.

For most of human history, the seas and oceans have been the main means of long-distance trade and communication between peoples - for the spread of ideas and religion as well as commerce. This book traces the history of human movement and interaction around and across the world's greatest bodies of water, charting our relationship with the oceans from the time of the first voyagers.

In the year 1282, after their daring heroics liberating Sicily, Esmeray and Bastone find a haven on the island of Favignana. But the War of the Sicilian Vespers reignites, dragging them into their prior roles as spies. Finding strength in each other, they once more join the patriots to rid the Angevins from Sicily. They return to their sanctuary in Favignana, sharing the welcome challenge of raising their adventurous daughter, Aspasia. Esmeray and Bastone, however, long for the open sea, and she accepts command of a trading vessel, but questions if the sea is the best home for their ...

This action- and suspense-packed novel by John Winn Miller introduces Captain Jake Rogers, a hardened smuggler transporting contraband through the U-boat infested waters of the North Atlantic in the beginning phases of World War II. He takes on cargo few other captains would be willing to carry—if the price is right. But after witnessing the oppression of Jews in Amsterdam, Rogers agrees to take on the most dangerous cargo he has ever transported.

War at Sea is a dramatic global tour of this remote museum and other formerly lost traces of humanity's naval heritage. It is also an account by the world's leading naval archaeologist of how underwater exploration has discovered these remains, thus resolving mysteries, adding to our understanding of the past, and providing intimate details of the experience of naval warfare.