Cracked by the convoys
Sailor's Heart, by Martin Campbell
Set
in the dark days of 1942, Martin Campbell's historical novel is about the lives of three seafarers fighting for their country in the Arctic Convoys. Cracking under the intense pressure, they are sent for experimental treatment at Kielder so that they can be returned to battle.
Campbell's novel goes into the suffering of people pushed past breaking point, and the work of psychiatrists expected to 'repair' those who are seen not so much as human beings but faulty parts in the war machine. The main characters are fictional, but the background is all real – and dark. Not a novel for the faint-hearted, but certainly for those interested in a compelling and neglected part of maritime history.
Sailor's Heart
By Martin Campbell
Self-published, £11.95 (available in the Nautilus Bookshop)
ISBN: 979 15272 54824
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Ken your Scottish lochs
Lochs of Scotland By Stuart FisherSeafarers who fancy spending their shore leave on the water will be well catered for in this new guide to Scottish lochs, especially if planning a spring or summer break.
Fond memories of the Bristol steam team
White Funnel Paddle Steamers in the Bristol Channel by Mike TedstoneFrom the archives of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, Mike Tedstone has compiled a selection of handsome black-and-white images depicting P&A Campbell Ltd vessels in action around the Bristol Channel.
A maritime stroll through time
River Thames Dockland Heritage, by Malcolm BattenIt's not often at the Telegraph that we see two books arrive from two different publishers that are by the same author, but Malcolm Batten has broken the mould.
Picturing a port city's recent past
Shipping on the Thames and the Port of London During the 1940s-1980s, by Malcolm Batten and Reg BattenIn the second of our three books this issue celebrating London as a port city, author Malcolm Batten brings readers a treasure trove of ship pictures taken by his father Reg Batten.