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
A thrilling, horrifying and compelling portrait of human survival. Colossal terror unfolds on every page
The Bookseller, Books of the Year
A heart-thumping tale of tragedy and survival - minus the Hollywood ending
Daily Telegraph
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 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 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 This is brilliant . . Told with terrifying detail and heartfelt compassion
Dermot O'Leary