Books for Review

A message from Book Reviews Editor Rebecca Murray

Book Reviews - not just for Oprah or the New York Times

Reviewing books may sound like a job for authors or magazine literary critics – but we all have perspectives to share and readers are eager to hear what their peers think about recently published works from fields of shared interest.

Since becoming the book reviews editor I have already learned SO much about maritime affairs and oceanic history, going down rabbit holes I could never have imagined – even as a girl who grew up on the east coast and studied history. From the lives of noted individuals to social and environmental issues, to naval history and studies of vessels and beyond, there’s a little something for everyone in the book review section of The Northern Mariner. No matter the topic, authors bring their passion to the page and share stories, some very well known and others less well known, to audiences far and wide.

Reviewing these books is an important part of the journal – lifting up voices, perspectives and stories – sharing work from across the field and helping readers make that all important decision – what to read next!

The history of book reviews in the journal is a rich and continued one with over 30 years of publication and wide distribution. And to further our goal of continuing to reach readers we need your help! Every issue of the journal includes twenty or more book reviews – ensuring a variety of topics are tackled and with the hope that every reader can identify something of interest to them. And perhaps of most importance, we care very much to include and reflect the perspectives and interests of the journal’s readership. This means we need your help.

Can you, sometime this year, commit to reading one book (of varying length), write 750 to 1,200 words about it and send us that text within 4 to 6 months of receiving the book? We’re very happy to work with you on editing and style and encourage you to look at our most recently published issue as an example. You can also take inspiration for your text from questions like these:

- What is the book about?
- How did the author approach the telling of this story (narrative construction/arc, research, writing etc.)?
- Was anything missing that you think should have been included?
- What did the author do really well?
- Who do you think should or would like to read this book?
- How does this book contribute to the wider literature on this topic?

You can choose a book from our list (https://nasoh.org/books-for-review) or make a suggestion based on your particular interests! If you have lots of ideas but only time to read and review one book, we can add other titles to the list – we appreciate the variety of interests of journal readers and hope that those can be reflected in the titles available for review.

We are always happy to receive your questions via email – cnrsbookreviews@cnrs-scrn.org – please do not hesitate to write to us – we endeavour to respond to written requests within the week.

Very best,
Rebecca

Rebecca Murray

Book Reviews Editor

The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord

Books for Review

These books are available to review. Please fill out the form below to request one!

We suggest that you request a back-up title or two just in case!

Eric Takakjian. Yarmouth Castle Burning: The Deadliest Passenger Ship Disaster off the Coast of the United States Since 1934Schiffer: 2025. 224pp., CDN $23.99, ISBN 9781507305829.

Ian D. Copestake. Madness and the Sea: A Literary History Springer, 2026. 269pp., US $129.00 (hardcover), ISBN 9783032165923.

Jon S. Middaugh and Tyler A. Pitrof, Editors. Case Studies in Damage Control Naval History and Heritage Command, 2025. 137 pp., ISBN 9781943604401.

Andrei Romanov. Masters of the Ocean Sea: The Epic Saga of the Portuguese Explorers Who Redrew the Map of the World Sagres Heritage Press, 2026. 392pp., CDN $27.45, ISBN 9789893391020.

Stephen R. Wilk. Mystery Ship: The Long, Strange Odyssey of Submarine S-49 McFarland, 2026. 268pp., ISBN 9781476698359.

Eric J. Perinovic, Ed. Navy Force Planning and Design, 1939 – 2019 Naval History and Heritage Command, 2025. ISBN 9781943604999.

Trey Morriss. Doom 34: A Firsthand Account of the Top-Secret Mission that Launched Operation Desert StormLyons Press, 2026. 248pp., US $29.95, ISBN 9781493093618.

John Johnson-Allen. The Dido Papers The Letters of a Victorian Midshipman Porto Press: 2025. 192 pp., £18.99 GBP, ISBN 9781849956031.

Claire Elizabeth Campbell. Cities by the Sea Urban Coastlines in Atlantic Canada UBC Press: 2026. 288 pp., photographs, maps, CDN $39.95, ISBN 9780774873376.

Caryn C. Vaugh. The Functional Ecology of Freshwater Mussels Johns Hopkins University Press: 2026. 216pp., illustrations, CDN $97.95, ISBN 9781421453521.

James K. Rindfleisch, F. Samuel Bauer, and Stanton R. Daywalt. SS United States : An Operational Guide to America's Flagship Schiffer: 2023. 215 pp., photographs, US $45.00, ISBN 9780764366550.

Robert Blackmore and Craig Lambert. Kent and Europe, 1450-1640 Merchants, Mariners, Shipping and Defence Boydell Press: 2025. 206 pp., US $120 (hardcover), ISBN 9781837651504.

Paul Martinovich. Sailors of Varied Fortune: The Schombergs afloat and ashore Foresail Press, 2025. 397 pp., CAN $63.23 ISBN 1069713406.

Peter Clancy and Mario Levesque. Environmental Governance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence UBC Press, 2025. 406 pp., CAN $49.95 ISBN 9780774870948.

Graeme J. Milne. Making Men in the Age of Sail: Masculinity, Memoir, and the British Merchant Seafarer, 1860–1914McGill Queens Press, 2024. 270pp., CAN $39.95 ISBN 9780228021308 (paperback).

Ed. Victoria Breham. A Fully Accredited Ocean: Essays on the Great Lakes University of Michigan Press, 2025. 264pp., US $65.00 ISBN 9780472223930 (e-book).

David Kohnen. King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897 – 1947 Schiffer, 2025. 656pp., US $49.99 ISBN 9781476696539.

Car Pelleteri. Montuak 11954, 2ndEdition Schiffer, 2025. 144pp., US $29.99 ISBN 9780764369735.

Hannes Ziegler. Coastal Policing in Eighteenth-Century Britain: The Riddle of the Coast, C. 1660-1822. Boydell Press. 310 pp., $120 SIBN 9781837651924 (hardcover), e-book available.

Iver P. Cooper. Work at Sea: The Evolution of Shipboard Technology. McFarland, 2026. 297 pp., US $49.95 ISBN 9781476696539.

Ken W. Sayers. U.S. Navy Amphibious Warfare Vessels. McFarland, 2026. 250 pp., US $49.95 ISBN 9781576696942.

Walter E. Wilson. William Watson and the Rob Roy: The Advendures of a Civil War Blockade Runner. McFarland, 2026. 244 PP., US $39.95 ISBN 9781476699035.

Tilar J. Mazzeo. The Sea Captain's Wife. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2025. PP., CDN 42 (hardcover), ISBN 9781250352583.

Hubert Sangieres. For Glory, Not Gold: Expeditions through Arctic Lands 1818–1876 Rizzoli, 2025. 400 pp., CDN $110, ISBN 9782080487919.

Judy S. Purcell. The Haddock Family of English Seafarers: Merchant Mariners and Naval Officers 1327–1941 Coracle Group, 2025. 328 pp., CDN $70, ISBN 979-8999039217.

David Doyle. USS Arizona (BB-39): From Keel Laying to Pearl Harbor Memorial, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2025. 144 pp., 310 color and b/w photos, US $24.99, hardcover. ISBN 9780764368868.

Timothy Heck, B. A. Friedman, and Walker D. Mills, eds. On Contested Shores: The Evolving Role of Amphibious Operations in the History of Warfare volume 2. Quantico Virginia: Marine Corps University Press, 2024, 365 pp. ISBN, 979-8-9862595-8-1.

Thomas N. Layton and James P. Delgado. Wreck Divers and Archaeologists: A History of Maritime Archaeology in California Germantown MD: Society for Historical Archaeology, 2024, 409 pp. 26,99$ 978-1-957402.

Daniel C. Marvin. Francis H. Leggett: Unravelling the Mystery Behind Oregon’s Worst Maritime Disaster Astoria Oergon, Samandi Publishing, ISBN 979-8-218-47828-5, 53 pp.

William Washburn Nutting. Foreword by Tim Murphy. The Track of the Typhoon. Essex, CT: Lyons Press, Series: Sheridan House Maritime Classics, 2025. 256 pp,, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. 6 X 9, 86 Photos, $24.95, ISBN: 978-1493090457 (paperback)

Ken W. Sayers, U.S. Navy Service Craft A History and Directory from World War I to Today Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2025.  436 pp., Format: softcover (8.5 x 11), 525 photos, glossary, notes, bibliography, index.  US $35.00, paper; ISBN: 978-1-4766-9006-3.  (E-book available). 978-1-4766-5363-1.

Jeffrey R. Cox. Devil's Fire, Southern Cross: The Conclusion of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign October 1943 - February 1944 Oxford: Osprey, 2025. 494 pp., Index, Bibliography etc. ISBN 9781472864482

Nicholas P. Roberts. A Sea of Wealth: The Omani Empire and the Making of an Oceanic Marketplace Oakland: University of California Press, 2025. 275pp., Index, maps. ISBN 9780520415782.

John Henshaw. Too Many Ships, Too Late: The Emergency Fleet Corporation and its Redundant Armada Jefferson: McFarland, 2025. 240pp., Appendices, figures, illustrations. ISBN 9781476694115.

Ian S. Bertram. On Board the USS Boise in World War II: The Battles and Secret Missions of Light Cruiser CL-47 Jefferson: McFarland, 2025. 229pp., Photos, maps, etc. ISBN 9781476698076.

Iver P. Cooper. Arming the Warship: Naval Weapons Technology and Gunnery from the Spanish Armada to the Cold War Jefferson: McFarland, 2024. 297pp., Index, illustrations, images, etc. ISBN 9781476694993.

Andrew Peters. Ships Figureheads: Famous Carving Families Dunbeath: Whittles Publishing, 2025. 231 pp. Index, photos, illustrations. ISBN 9781849955836.

Eds. Jennifer E. Jones, Calvin H. Mires, Daniel Zwick. Intertidal Shipwrecks: Management of a Historic Resource in an Unmanageable Environment Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2025. 333pp. Index, figures. ISBN (hardcover) 9780813079325

Catherine Ferland and Eric Dussault. Un chantier, une nation. Davie, 200 ans d'histoire Quebec: Septentrion, 2025. 420pp., ISBM 9782897916190 (paperback).

North American Society for Oceanic History

A message from Book Reviews Editor Rebecca Murray

Book Reviews - not just for Oprah or the New York Times

Books for Review

These books are available to review. Please fill out the form below to request one!

Book Request Form