merchant mariners

"It was April 1, 1873. In the middle of the night, Sarah Jane spotted flares off the coast of her island home. She woke her father, who quickly gathered their neighbors. Over the next several hours, rescuers pulled 429 traumatized survivors out of the wreckage of the SS Atlantic. But 535 people didn't survive, including Bill, a sailor. . . Swapping out their dress for a pair of pants, Bill had run away from New Jersey in search of adventure, anonymity, and a place in the world. Everything seemed to fall into place when they were hired to work on a cargo steamer; but it didn't take long for Bill to discover that they weren't quite as anonymous as they thought. [This book] . . . explores the history behind the worst maritime disaster of the 19th century, and uncovers the remarkable life story of a tenacious adventurer called Bill"--Provided by publisher.

The German U-Boat war against American merchant men was deadly. In World War II, the U.S. Merchant Marine had twice the fatality rate of the U.S. Navy. William Geroux tells the tale of Mathews County, Virginia, caught in the thick of the fight, as it sent its men to sea, as it had for generations. It is a common mistake to believe that the Nazis did not come near America during World War II. The truth is that German U-boats patrolled the east coast constantly, waiting for ships to leave with supplies for the Allies. Until America's Air Force became stronger, the U-boats were difficult to destroy and the men of the Merchant Marine were often the only defense.

A photo essay describing the various types of cargo ships, how they operate, and the jobs of the crew that maintains them.

Harold Lowe, fifth officer of RMS Titanic, was described by a surviving passenger as the real hero of the Titanic. Lowe took command of a flotilla of lifeboats, distributing passengers among them so he could return to the wreckage and look for survivors. He was the only officer to do so and succeeded in raising a sail, rescuing the drenched inhabitants of a sinking lifeboat, and towed another boat to safety. Not only did he survive the sinking of the Titanic but as a fifteen-year-old runaway went to West Africa and saw action in Siberia during the Russian Revolution.

Tells the dramatic life-and-death tale of Vermont native, Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk Alabama (a U.S. flagged cargo ship) who, in April of 2009, was held captive by pirates in a tiny lifeboat off Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.

Presents a comprehensive history of the African slave trade and of the suffering and tragedy of millions of Africans who were kidnapped and brought aboard slave ships to be sold in the Americas.

Jack Sparrow, living as a clean-cut merchant seaman, is promoted for his negotiating skills when his ship is attacked by some familiar pirates and Jack's captain is killed, and in route to recover some treasure hidden on a magical island, Jack comes up with an alternative plan to keep the natives free from enslavement, but if a certain East India Trading Company official finds out, Jack could lose both his ship and his freedom.