The Sea Shall Embrace Them

The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic

By: David W. Shaw

Write A Review

Paperback | 6 May 2003

At a Glance

Paperback
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.78

Paperback

$44.90

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.22 with

Aims to ship in 15 to 18 business days

The 1854 collision at sea between the American ship Arctic and the Vesta, a much smaller French steamship, set in motion one of the most harrowing events in maritime history. David W. Shaw has based this fascinating account on the firsthand testimony of the few who survived the wreck, including the Arctic's heroic captain, James C. Luce, who was forced to fight his mutinous crew as they took the lifeboats and left hundreds of passengers to suffer a cruel and painful death. Not only did 400 people -- including Luce's own frail son -- die by daybreak, but the wreck also ended the domination of the seas by the American maritime fleet for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Utterly compelling, The Sea Shall Embrace Them is a stirring slice of heretofore little-known American history. Beautifully written, it puts the reader on deck as a ship full of men, women, and children do battle both with a mighty ocean and with their own baser instincts.

Industry Reviews

Walter Lord Author of A Night to Remember A riveting story told by a superb writer.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $99.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

More in History

A Very Secret Trade

The dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.50

19%
OFF

Unruly

A History of England's Kings and Queens

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$22.95

15%
OFF

Great-Uncle Harry

A Tale of War and Empire

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Tokyo Noir

In and out of Japan's underworld

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

Thorns, Lust and Glory

The betrayal of Anne Boleyn

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

Yuupurnju

A Warlpiri song cycle

Paperback

RRP $80.00

$58.90

26%
OFF

Private Revolutions

Coming of Age in a New China

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.50

19%
OFF

Death on Bloody Ridge

Chunuk Bair - the battle that decided the fate of the Gallipoli Campaign

Paperback

RRP $29.99

$24.90

17%
OFF

Let the Bastards Come

The Battle for Kapyong Korea, 23 â" 25 April 1951

Paperback

RRP $32.99

$26.95

18%
OFF

Alice

The biggest untold story in the history of money

Paperback

RRP $35.00

$28.50

19%
OFF

A Very Different War

RAAF Operations in the Korean War

Paperback

RRP $19.99

$18.25

How the World Made the West

A 4,000-Year History

Paperback

RRP $39.99

$31.75

21%
OFF

An African History of Africa

From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

A Short History of Flowers

The stories that make our gardens

Hardcover

RRP $35.00

$28.50

19%
OFF

The Diggers of Kapyong

The story of the Aussies who changed the course of the Korean War

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.50

19%
OFF

Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me

Two women's journeys from war-torn Europe to a new life in Australia

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.50

19%
OFF

The Survivor

How I Survived Six Concentration Camps and Became a Nazi Hunter

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

The Book Of Roads And Kingdoms

Winner Indie Book Awards 2023 Non Fiction Book of the Year. The thrilling story of an empire's rise & fall from the best-selling author of GOLDEN MAZE & GHOST EMPIRE.

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

Guts Glory and Blunder

Noreuil, 1917 â" The Forgotten Fight

Paperback

RRP $32.99

$26.95

18%
OFF

Should We Fall to Ruin

New Guinea, 1942. The untold true story of a remote garrison and their battle against extraordinary odds.

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$22.95

15%
OFF

Half of a Yellow Sun

Paperback

RRP $22.99

$20.35

11%
OFF

Aboriginal Victorians

A history since 1800

Paperback

RRP $39.99

$31.75

21%
OFF

The Queen Is Dead

The passionate and powerful bestselling book by critically acclaimed journalist and author of Talking to My Country and Australia Day

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Back to Bangka

Searching for the truth about a wartime massacre

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.50

19%
OFF

Preface	p. xi
Prologue: September 28, 1854	p. 1
Gentlemanly Demeanor	p. 7
Symmetry of Form	p. 19
Sea Trial	p. 29
Speed at All Costs	p. 39
Fortune of War	p. 51
Portent	p. 63
Unwitting Passengers	p. 75
Collision Course	p. 85
The Fisherman's Escape	p. 101
A Noble Gesture	p. 107
Deadly Damage	p. 115
Bravery Tested	p. 125
Cowardice	p. 133
Final Moments	p. 143
Death's Cold Grasp	p. 153
Battle for Life	p. 163
Rescue	p. 173
Distressing News	p. 181
Resurrection	p. 193
Aftermath	p. 201
Author's Note	p. 215
"The Loss of the Arctic"	p. 221
Glossary	p. 225
Bibliography	p. 231
Acknowledgments	p. 233
Index	p. 235
Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved.

The Sea Shall Embrace Them

The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in History

A Very Secret Trade

The dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania

Unruly

A History of England's Kings and Queens

Great-Uncle Harry

A Tale of War and Empire

Tokyo Noir

In and out of Japan's underworld

Thorns, Lust and Glory

The betrayal of Anne Boleyn

Yuupurnju

A Warlpiri song cycle

Private Revolutions

Coming of Age in a New China

Death on Bloody Ridge

Chunuk Bair - the battle that decided the fate of the Gallipoli Campaign

Let the Bastards Come

The Battle for Kapyong Korea, 23 â" 25 April 1951

Alice

The biggest untold story in the history of money

A Very Different War

RAAF Operations in the Korean War

How the World Made the West

A 4,000-Year History

An African History of Africa

From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence

A Short History of Flowers

The stories that make our gardens

The Diggers of Kapyong

The story of the Aussies who changed the course of the Korean War

Stories My Grandmothers Didn't Tell Me

Two women's journeys from war-torn Europe to a new life in Australia

The Survivor

How I Survived Six Concentration Camps and Became a Nazi Hunter

The Book Of Roads And Kingdoms

Winner Indie Book Awards 2023 Non Fiction Book of the Year. The thrilling story of an empire's rise & fall from the best-selling author of GOLDEN MAZE & GHOST EMPIRE.

Guts Glory and Blunder

Noreuil, 1917 â" The Forgotten Fight

Should We Fall to Ruin

New Guinea, 1942. The untold true story of a remote garrison and their battle against extraordinary odds.

Half of a Yellow Sun

Aboriginal Victorians

A history since 1800

The Queen Is Dead

The passionate and powerful bestselling book by critically acclaimed journalist and author of Talking to My Country and Australia Day

Back to Bangka

Searching for the truth about a wartime massacre

This product is categorised by

Popular Searches