by Tom McCarthy
First published 2016
Daniel Collins and his crew aboard the Betsey depart for Cuba in 1824, completely unaware of the catastrophe that will soon engulf them. Their story opens this collection of five authentic maritime disasters and piracy accounts that plunge young readers into the brutal realities of ocean travel. Each tale reveals how quickly fortune could turn deadly on the high seas, where merchant vessels faced both natural disasters and ruthless pirates like Barbarossa. The book also follows adventurer John Franklin as he confronts his own maritime perils. These true stories capture the terror of sailors who watched their ships break apart in storms or found themselves at the mercy of pirates who showed no quarter. The accounts demonstrate how survival often depended on split-second decisions and sheer luck. Through these gripping narratives, readers experience the constant danger that made every ocean voyage a gamble with death.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: survival, true-story
Setting: Cuba
Period: 1824
128 pages · Paperback · Nomad Press