In April 1998 an ageing fishing boat left Cape Town for Antarctic seas with 38 crew, including a last-minute addition - young British marine biologist Matt Lewis. Nearly half of them would never set foot on dry land again. Immediately Matt discovered his mistake - the ship was unseaworthy and the captain wasn't in command. Then a storm blew up. When the Ship started to sink, and the officers disappeared, Matt was forced into the biggest moment of his life. Ordering the evacuation, and helping injured crewmates, he was the last man off the doomed ship. But how long could he and the crew survive in freezing waters? As heard on BBC Radio 4 'Reminds us of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the courage that lies within the everyday heroes that have found themselves in hell.' Bear Grylls 'One of the most dramatic true-life tales of endurance and survival in recent memory. Should take its place alongside The Perfect Storm as a chilling account of how a fishing trip can go fatally awry. Unflinching and gripping, simultaneously terrifying and stirring.' Observer 'Required reading. Like The Perfect Storm with gruesomely, even murderously, imperfect people. Page-turning, rewarding, unsettling and richly recommended.' Sunday Times 'Colossal terror unfolds on every page.' Bookseller, Books of the Year
Industry Reviews
This is brilliant . . Told with terrifying detail and heartfelt compassion -- Dermot O'Leary
A story that reminds us of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the courage that lies within the everyday heroes that have found themselves in hell -- Bear Grylls
A dramatic tale of survival in one of the most brutal situations on earth. Feels like reading the diary of a doomed man . . . so personal and chillingly real; totally takes you there in a way that is not always comfortable -- Steve Backshall
Reads like a sinister version of The Perfect Storm...Thrilling, compelling, unsettling, rewarding . . . This breakneck race of a book isn't just required reading for fans of waterborne peril; Harvard MBAs could also scour the pages as a case study in dysfunctional workplaces and woeful man management. It's like the Perfect Storm, but with gruesomely, even murderously, imperfect people * Sunday Times *
A heart-thumping tale of tragedy and survival - minus the Hollywood ending * Daily Telegraph *
A thrilling, horrifying and compelling portrait of human survival. Colossal terror unfolds on every page * The Bookseller, Books of the Year *
For his compelling account of the hardships of fishing in remote Antarctic waters, and of what it means to abandon ship in a severe storm with inadequate equipment and a crew unprepared for survival. The book is objective but non-judgmental in its descriptiveness, so heightening the true sense of disaster. The style makes the book accessible to a wide public, but it is also essential reading for seafarers, fishermen and yachtsmen, as it concerns attitudes to safety and survival. A truly life-affirming and influential work. * The Mountbatten Maritime Award for best literary contribution - Certificate of Merit *
