Book reviews
Latest book reviews
Featured titles - literary leanings
Fiction debut with humour and insight
Something in the Blood by Phillip MessingerPhillip Messinger spent 24 years at sea, first as a navigating officer in the Merchant Navy then as a captain of chemical tankers.
Spooky thriller dredges the demons of the deep
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart TurtonAuthor Stuart Turton crashed onto the scene in 2018 with his debut novel The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. That uniquely positioned 'manor house murder mystery' became an international bestseller, so his follow up novel was much anticipated.
The Merchant Navy in vibrant verse
A Bucket of Steam by Captain Joe EarlA Bucket of Steam is both a memoir and a work of the imagination – a little gem of a book where the author reflects on his own seafaring life and tells other maritime stories, all through the medium of poetry.
Captain vs captain in a Titanic novel
Deep Sleep by Paula AstridgeDescribed as the 'novel for the thousands of those who can’t get enough of all things Titanic', Deep Sleep is a gripping read of fact-based fiction.
Buy our books in the Nautilus Bookshop!
Did you know that there's an online bookshop just for maritime books? What's more, any retailer profits from selling the books go to the maritime educational charity Marine Society rather than being scooped up by big business. Hosted by the Marine Society Shop, the Nautilus Bookshop stocks all the books reviewed on these pages - some of which aren't available anywhere else. Take a look now to buy or just browse.