by John Masefield

Written in 1933, this is a reissue of John Masefield's classic sea adventure.

The tea-clipper 'Blackgauntlet' is homeward bound in a tea-race from Foochow, China, to London, England. Disaster strikes when the becalmed ship is struck at night by a passing steamship. Half of the crew manage to escape by lifeboat, the rest perish. Cruiser, the 22 year-old second mate who has always longed to be captain, takes command. The plan is to sail 700 miles to the island of Fayal in a leaking boat with few provisions.

Sharks, potential mutiny, and the most unpredictable threat of all, the sea herself, are the challenges for Cruiser and his crew. Will they survive against all odds? Masefield, who spent his early career at sea, writes a taut, sparse narrative that is haunted by the constant fear of death and skilfully portrays the growing tension among the crew.

John Masefield (1878-1967) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain from 1930 until his death. He is famous for writing about the sea, but also for children's classics such as The Box of Delights. He wrote the oft-quoted lines 'Give me a tall ship to sail, and a star to steer her by'.

A National Maritime Museum Publication.

• Hardback
• 288 pages
• ISBN: 9781906367244