For the naval historian
The Complete Scrimgeour
– From Dartmouth to Jutland: 1913–16
by Alexander Scrimgeour
Review by Jason Hughes, Inshore Lifeboat Crew Member at RNLI Cowes Released to coincide with the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, this is a compilation of diary extracts and letters written by young Midshipman Alexander Scrimgeour.
It details his time as a naval cadet at Dartmouth through to the days before the battle commenced. The hidden gems in the text give a glimpse of life for a teenage boy in Edwardian, middle-class England, and how this genteel lifestyle gives way to the harsh reality of being in the Royal Navy during the First World War.
Published by Bloomsbury
Hardback ISBN 9781844863105
Price: £20

For the gambler
Gordon Bennett and the First Yacht Race Across the Atlantic
by Sam Jefferson
The 1866 transatlantic yacht race started out as a drunken bet in pursuit of a prize worth millions of dollars. It ended with the death of six men, and changed the perception of yachting from a slightly effete gentlemen's pursuit into something altogether more rugged. Absolutely brimming with scandal, humour, legendary characters and adventure.

Published by Bloomsbury
Hardback* ISBN: 9781472916747
Price: £16.99 (£14.99 on eBook)
*Paperback due for release in
February 2017

For the sociologist
The Swordfish and The Star
– Life on Cornwall’s most treacherous stretch of coast
by Gavin Knight
Review by Rory Stamp
Tough fishermen, ex-miners and eccentric artists rub shoulders – and sparks fly – in this raw account of Cornish characters and culture on the Penwith Peninsula. Named after two of the pubs frequented by many of them, this book trawls the seaside communities so often seen as idyllic holiday destinations. What it reveals is emotional, unexpected and sometimes shocking. Like a deepwater fishing trip in the Atlantic, it’s a memorable journey – andnot for the faint hearted.
Published by Penguin
ISBN: 9781784740153
Price: £16.99

For the ecologist
The Last Fisherman – Witness to the Endangered Oceans
by Jeffrey L Rotman with Yair Harel
Underwater photographer Jeffery Rotman’s 40-year passion for documenting sealife took a dramatic turn when he found a pile of dead, de-finned sharks discarded at the bottom of the sea, left to die by fisherman. In his stunning collection of photos, he now captures our changing oceans and the people who rely on them as hunting grounds. The author is a masterful storyteller, who uses this work of art to show the bleak consequences of ecological decimation.
Published by Abbeville Press
ISBN: 9780789211910
Price: RRP unconfirmed at the time
of writing.
From around £25 + P&P online

For the lifeboat enthusiast

Barmouth, Bembridge, and Torbay Lifeboat Station History Books
by Norma Stockford and David Baily,
Martin Woodward, and Alan Salsbury
Three new instalments in the RNLI
Station History Book series are now available, written, as always, by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. All the books have been released to coincide with special station anniversaries: Barmouth’s rapidly approaching bicentenary, Bembridge’s 2017 celebration of 150 years, and Torbay’s 150th, which is celebrated this year.Available from local outlets (including
the respective lifeboat station shops)
and online at RNLISHOP.org.uk.
Published by the RNLI
Price: All £8.95 each

For the loner
The First Indian
by Dilip Donde
‘I’m not exactly sure what it involves,’ Naval Commander Dilip Donde said to his mother, shortly before he volunteered for a 21,600-nauticalmile solo circumnavigation voyage in 2010. When he finally sailed the INSV Mhadei back into Mumbai Harbour 9 months after he set off, he had become the first Indian national to achieve such a feat of seamanship and endurance. This is the second title in the publisher’s Making Waves series, which is subtitled ‘real lives of sporting heroes on, in and under the water.’
Published by Fernhurst Books
ISBN: 9781909911499
Price: £10.99