The history beneath our hulls
Shipwrecks of the Solent, by Richard M Jones
This slim volume of maritime history is a fascinating book to have by your side when you're crossing the busy Solent sea area.
Telegraph readers will no doubt remember the Singapore-flagged car carrier Hoegh Osaka, which came to grief in the Solent in 2015. Its master and pilot were praised for their quick thinking in deliberately grounding the ship after it took a sudden 'life-threatening' list.
Other vessels detailed in Shipwrecks of the Solent were less fortunate, including Henry VIII's flagship Mary Rose, and more recently the cement-laden cargo ship Flag Theofano, which sadly sank without even a distress call.
It's a sobering reminder of how challenging seafaring can be, even so close to the English coast.
Shipwrecks of the Solent
By Richard M Jones
Amberley, £15.99
ISBN: 978 13981 17501
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