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Ship Ahoy! Nautical Adventures
Nautical adventures in books and on film.
TIP: For sea adventures in the Napoleonic Era, see our "If You Like Patrick O'Brian" list.
All titles shelved in Fiction collection, except as noted: M=mystery, SS=short story collection.
Fiction
- Benchley, Peter
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(originally published in 1974)This classic thriller about a man-eating shark made millions of beachgoers afraid to go in the water.
- Bond, Larry
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(2005)Searching for nuclear fuel containers in Russian waters aboard a dilapidated submarine, a tyrannical commander runs roughshod over a mixed bag of crew members.
- Campbell, Broos
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Matty Graves Series
(2006)The Matty Graves novels chronicle the adventures of a young officer during the early years of the U.S. Navy. The first three books take place in the Caribbean and involve snatching up France's merchantmen and suppressing privateers. - Clancy, Tom
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(1984)In this gripping military thriller, a new Soviet sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast. Government experts think it is planning to attack--all the experts but one. He thinks the sub's commander is planning to defect, but he has only a few hours to find the sub and prove his theory.
- Druett, Joan
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(2004)MIn 1838, Wiki Coffin, a Maori-American linguist, joins a naturalist expedition setting sail from Virginia. Just before the ship sails, however, Coffin is accused of murder. He is exonerated, but deputized to identify the killer thought to be aboard one of the expedition ships.
- Fender, J. E.
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(2002)A veteran of the China trade, Geoffrey Frost becomes a privateer during the American Revolution. He is aided in his nautical adventures in this series by his mute friend, Ming Tsun.
- Fullerton, Alexander
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The Everard Navel Series
(2001)This series starts with sub-lieutenant Nick Everard during WWI and continues his adventures in the British navy into WWII. - Furst, Alan
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(2004)A tramp freighter docking in Lisbon in May, 1941, isn't what it appears to be. Under the command of Captain Eric DeHaan, it sails for the Intelligence Division of the British Royal Navy, and the cargo will be detection equipment for a clandestine operation on the Swedish coast.
- Golding, William
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(originally published in 1991)Told through the pages of Edmund Talbot's journal, it records the mounting tensions and growing misfortunes aboard a warship's troubled journey to Australia in the early 1800s.
- Hemingway, Ernest
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(originally published in 1952)In this classic story of man against nature, Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who encounters a giant marlin in the Gulf Stream. The battle for his catch becomes one of survival against a band of marauding sharks.
- Hough, Robert
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(2004)The container ship Maersk Dubai is one day into its passage across the Atlantic Ocean when two stowaways come out of hiding. To the horror of the crew, the captain orders the men to be put overboard onto a flimsy raft, which in an instant disappears in the frigid water, with both men apparently lost. Over the next few weeks, the crew is increasingly divided between those loyal to the officers and those who cannot accept what they have seen. When another stowaway is discovered, the crew is forced to come to terms with the earlier incident.
- Kneale, Matthew
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(2000)Narrated by 20 different characters, this is the story of a voyage to look for the Garden of Eden in Tasmania and the rapid decline of an island's indigenous population.
- London, Jack
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(originally published in 1904)A soft intellectual named Humphrey van Weyden is forced to become tough and self-reliant by exposure to cruelty and brutality at the hands of Wolf Larsen, captain of a seal hunting schooner. At the center of this exciting sea adventure lies the battle between Van Weyden and Larsen to determine who is the fittest to survive.
- Masiel, David
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(2005)The captain of a rusting chemical tanker has to deal with a brutal chief mate, hurricanes, corrupt officials, revolutionary tropical ports and crew members who try to get away before the ship falls apart.
- McCarthy, Tom, Ed.
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(2007)SS GHOSTPirates, ghost ships, murder and revenge make a winning combination of exciting stories.
- McCutchan, Philip
- Halfhyde series
(1977)This series features British Lieutenant St. Vincent Halfhyde's naval adventures set in the decades around 1900, when coal-fired, steam-driven steel battleships ruled the waves, torpedo boats were new and the diesel-electric submarine was still on the drawing board. (Multnomah County Library does not own all the novels in this series.) - Melville, Herman
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(originally published in 1851)Captain Ahab's obsession for revenge on the great white whale that got away once before spells destruction for his ship and crew.
- Monsarrat, Nicholas
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(originally published in 1951)During World War II, two British ships try to avoid being hit by U-boats in the North Atlantic.
- Perez-Reverte, Arturo
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(2002)Coy's Seaman's license is suspended and he has no ship. He meets Tanger, a beautiful woman obsessed with finding the wreck of a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates in the 17th century. Coy is quickly drawn into her search and finds himself falling in love as they seek their fortune together--or do they?
- Rovin, Jeff
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(2004)A top-secret experimental U.S. submarine with a propulsion system five times faster than traditional drives is to be tested in the remote south polar waters. Chinese intelligence learns of the test and they send their own submarine to observe. When disaster strikes and both vessels become trapped under tons of Antarctic ice, they must work together to survive.
- Smith, Martin Cruz
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(2007)Investigating a number of deaths aboard a Russian factory ship working in the Barents Sea, Arkady Renko discovers more than he bargained for.
- Wouk, Herman
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(originally published in 1951)A combat-weary, paranoic Captain Queeg loses his nerve during a typhoon and is relieved of command by his first officer. In retaliation, Captain Queeg has the first officer court-martialed.
Nonfiction
- Alexander, Caroline
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(2003)996.18 A375b 2003Alexander focuses on the court martial of the ten mutineers who were captured in Tahiti and brought to justice in England. The facts of the mutiny itself are told in Admiralty records, but for the truth behind the story Alexander has ranged further, gleaning details from the wills, diaries and correspondence of seemingly unconnected figures, and from the biographies and family pedigrees others to explain how family connections and special interests play crucial roles at different moments in the story.
- Heyerdahl, Thor
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(1984 (originally published in 1947))910.4 H61 1984In 1947, Heyerdahl and his crew duplicated the legendary voyage of Kon-Tiki, the mythical hero who led the settlement of the South Sea Islands by sailing on a balsawood raft from Peru to the Polynesian islands.
- Junger, Sebastian
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(1997)974.45 J95p 1997Taut with the fury of the elements, Junger depicts the courage, terror and awe of the men of the fishing vessel Andrea Gail as they were caught in the grip of "the perfect storm"—a nor'easter of unparalled strength.
- Miles, Jonathan
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(2007)910.9163 M643w 2007The story of artist Theodore Gericault's painting "The Raft of the Medusa" is also the story of the shipwreck itself. As Gericault tries to determine how to portray the famous disaster, he digs deeper and deeper into how the tragedy unfolded and the social and political turmoil it caused.
- Philbrick, Nathaniel
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(2000)910.45 P545i 2000The wreck of the Essex was Melville's inspiration for Moby-Dick. The 240-ton whaleship was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale and its crew sailed over 4,500 miles in lifeboats to reach land.
- Sjoholm, Barbara, ed.
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(2003)910.45 S799 2003The talented writers in this unique collection spin harrowing adventure yarns and recount quiet moments of revelation surrounded by the vastness of the ocean. Whether commercial fishing in Alaska's unforgiving waters, racing tall ships off the coast of Australia, kayaking in the enchanting Sea of Cortez, navigating the perils of a Mediterranean mooring or learning the antiquated mechanics of a New York City fireboat, these women work and play at sea.
Films
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(1954)DVD Drama CaineA combat-weary, paranoid Captain Queeg, loses his nerve during a typhoon and is relieved of command by his first officer. In retaliation, Captain Queeg has the first officer court-martialed.
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(1935)DVD Drama CaptainDuring a raid on a Jamaican town by Spaniards, plantation slaves escape, commandeer the Spanish Galleon, and become buccaneers under the leadership of Captain Blood.
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(1937)DVD Drama CaptainsWhen a rich brat falls overboard at sea, he's rescued by a Portuguese fishing boat, and eventually forms a bond with one of the crewmen.
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(1952)DVD Drama BritishThe World War II adventures of a British convoy escort ship and its officers.
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(1981)DVD Drama BootThe crew of the U-96, one of the famed German U-boats known as the "gray wolves" is graphically portrayed in a life-and-death struggle with the British Navy.
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(1944)DVD Drama DestinatiTwenty-four hours out of San Francisco, submarine captain Cassidy unseals his top-secret orders and reads two fateful words: Destination Tokyo.
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(1989)DVD Drama RedA new Soviet sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast. Government experts think it is planning to attack- that is, all the experts but one. He thinks the sub's commander is planning to defect, but he has only a few hours to find the sub and prove his theory.
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(1975)DVD Drama JawsA man-eating shark causes havoc off the Long Island coast and three men join together to hunt and destroy it.
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(1944)DVD Drama LifeboatWhen an their vessel is torpedoed in the Atlantic Ocean during WWII, eight survivors find refuge in a lifeboat. Short on food and water, their situation is further complicated when they rescue a crew member from the German submarine that sank their ship.
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(1955)DVD Drama MisterA comedy-drama about life aboard a Navy cargo ship in Pacific waters during World War II. The monotonous non-combat duty of a fun-loving crew is enlivened by a feud between the petty, intolerant captain and an impetuous, highly-respected cargo officer whose continuous efforts to get a transfer to combat duty are blocked by the captain.
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(1935)DVD Drama MutinyIn 1789, the HMS Bounty sets sail under Captain William Bligh. Bligh is the cruelest taskmaster and his cruelties become more than first mate Christian can bear. After the Captain causes the death of the ship's doctor, the crew stage a mutiny, with Christian in charge. Bligh is set adrift in an open boat with a handful of his loyal officers and limited supplies.
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(1972)DVD Drama PosidonA group of passengers struggle to survive and escape when their ocean liner completely capsizes at sea.
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(1958)DVD Drama RunThe realities of submarine warfare during World War II in the Pacific is centered around two submarine officers who are destined to clash with each other from the first moment they meet.
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(1940)DVD Drama SeaA dashing, patriotic pirate raids Spanish ships for England, and finds himself drawn into a conspiracy.
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(1997)DVD Drama TitanicTwo people from different worlds meet and fall in love on the brief, tragic maiden voyage of the grand ocean liner Titanic.
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(1954)DVD Drama TwentyA trouble-shooting 19th century seaman is trying to discover why so many whaling ships have been disappearing of late. Teaming with a scientist and a diver, they set sail to investigate. They are promptly captured by the megalomaniac Captain Nemo, who skippers a lavish, scientifically advanced submarine.