April brings longer days, gardens awash with daffodils, and the steady drumbeat of the sailing season's approach. As boats are readied for the season and sailors either dust off their charts or order new ones (going by our recent sales – there's life for paper charts yet, hopefully producers will notice!), we're marking the month with our largest collection of new releases yet.
Our pre-order list is particularly impressive this April, with an unprecedented number of paperback releases making previously premium titles more accessible. For our core cruising audience, the arrival of Rod and Lucinda Heikell's updated West Aegean and Ivar Dedekam's revised Illustrated Seamanship will be welcome additions to the chart table or your bookshelf.
April also carries special significance for maritime history enthusiasts, coinciding with the anniversary of Titanic's fateful maiden voyage. Several new titles explore different facets of this enduring story – from the forgotten Chinese survivors to the grim practicalities of recovering the dead.
We've noticed your growing appetite for quality nautical literature beyond the traditional cruising guides – and we aim to satisfy it. Whether your interests run to naval history, maritime ecology, or tales from coastal communities, you'll find something to intrigue you in this month's selection. With summer on the horizon and passage planning in full swing, there's no better time to add to your maritime library.
Contents
- Practical Seamanship & Navigation
- Maritime History
- Naval & Military History
- Coastal & Marine Exploration
- Children's & Young Readers
- Admiralty Small Craft Charts
Practical Seamanship & Navigation
Illustrated Seamanship
Author: Ivar Dedekam | Published: 1 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £15.99
New Edition: Illustrated Seamanship is an essential guide for mastering traditional seamanship techniques. While modern yachts come equipped with bow thrusters and autopilots, this book emphasises the importance of understanding the fundamentals. Dedekam brings over 40 years of sailing experience to this highly acclaimed manual, covering practical techniques for handling ropes, boat manoeuvring skills, and anchoring methods. Perfect for both novice sailors and those looking to refine their skills.
West Aegean: Fifth Edition
Authors: Rod Heikell & Lucinda Heikell | Published: 30 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £24.95
New Edition: Rod and Lucinda Heikell's West Aegean covers the coasts and islands near Athens, the adjacent islands in the Cyclades and the Eastern Peloponnisos to Monemvasia. Also covered is the mainland coast of Greece from Sounion to Volos and the adjacent coast of Evia, and the Northern Sporades including Skiathos. This fifth edition has been thoroughly revised with updated harbour information, new photos, and revised plans, making it the essential companion for anyone cruising these spectacular waters.
Paddle the East of England: The Best Places to Go with a Paddleboard, Kayak or Canoe
Authors: Oliver Jordan, Matthew Payne, Andrew Large & Jessica Ashley | Published: 24 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £17.99
New Title: Discover the tranquil waterways of eastern England with this comprehensive guide to the region's best paddling routes. From the Norfolk Broads to the estuaries of Essex, this book details over 50 routes suitable for paddleboarders, kayakers, and canoeists of all abilities. Each route includes practical information on launch points, difficulty levels, and safety considerations, along with beautiful photography and insights into the local wildlife and history. Whether you're planning a peaceful afternoon paddle or a multi-day adventure, this is your essential companion to exploring the East of England from the water.
Maritime History
The Titanic Files (Vol. 1): Collected Writings on RMS Titanic
Author: George Behe | Published: 10 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £25.00
New Title: For the past fifty years, George Behe has been researching and writing about the Titanic, searching archives and assembling rare accounts. This first volume of his collected writings brings together decades of meticulous investigation, offering fresh perspectives on one of history's most studied maritime disasters. Behe's work combines rigorous historical investigation with a storyteller's ability to bring the past to life – essential reading for Titanic enthusiasts.
The Six: The Untold Story of Titanic's Chinese Survivors
Author: Steven Schwankert | Published: 3 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £22.00
New Title: When Titanic sank in 1912, less than half of those aboard survived. Among these survivors were six Chinese men who, unlike their Western counterparts, faced an entirely different experience upon reaching New York. Schwankert uncovers their forgotten story – how they survived the sinking, navigated immigration restrictions, and built new lives in the shadow of history's most famous maritime disaster. A powerful tale of survival, prejudice, and resilience.
The Death Ship: Recovering the Bodies of Titanic's Dead
Author: Victoria Brown | Published: 3 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £20.00
New Title: In The Death Ship, Victoria Brown examines the grim aftermath of the Titanic disaster – the recovery of bodies. Taking a forensic approach, she explores how victims died, the decomposition process, and the recovery operations. Drawing on primary sources and scientific evidence, Brown paints a comprehensive picture of this rarely discussed aspect of the Titanic story. A sobering yet essential perspective on the human cost of maritime disaster.
Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (Volume Two): A Greyhound's Downfall
Authors: J. Kent Layton, Tad Fitch, Michael Poirier, Thomas Lynskey & Levi Rourke | Published: 17 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £40.00
New Title: On 7 May 1915, the legendary liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat, taking 1,187 passengers and crew to their deaths. This second volume of her illustrated biography explores the tragedy in unprecedented detail, examining the events leading up to the attack, the sinking itself, and its aftermath. Drawing on extensive research and featuring rare photographs, this definitive account brings new clarity to one of the most controversial maritime disasters of the 20th century.
The Wide Wide Sea: The Final, Fatal Adventure of Captain James Cook
Author: Hampton Sides | Published: 17 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £10.99
Paperback Release: In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed – stabbed by the indigenous population. Hampton Sides explores what brought the renowned navigator to this tragic end. Examining Cook's leadership, his scientific achievements, and the cultural misunderstandings that ultimately led to violence, Sides crafts a nuanced portrait of exploration's triumphs and human limitations.
One Crew: The RNLI's Official 200-Year History
Author: Helen Doe | Published: 15 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £10.99
Paperback Release: In the 200 years since it was founded, the RNLI has saved more than 144,000 lives. One Crew tells the official story of this remarkable institution, from Sir William Hillary's proposal in 1824 to the modern service. Helen Doe chronicles the development of lifesaving technology, the heroism of volunteers, and the RNLI's evolution into a world-class rescue organisation – a fitting tribute to two centuries of courage at sea.
Glasgow Harbour: A Pictorial History
Authors: Graeme Smith & Mike McCreery | Published: 15 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £19.99
New Title: Glasgow Harbour, stretching along the River Clyde, became Scotland's greatest seaport and one of Britain's largest. Through striking illustrations, this book recounts its early history, development, and golden age as a global maritime hub. Smith and McCreery document the port's transformation through changing technologies and economies, capturing both the industrial might and the human stories that defined this remarkable maritime landscape.
Naval & Military History
British Naval Intelligence through the Twentieth Century
Author: Andrew Boyd | Published: 30 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £16.99
Paperback Release: When published in 2020, this book offered the first comprehensive account of how intelligence influenced and sustained British naval power from the mid nineteenth century through to the end of the Cold War. Boyd describes why and how intelligence was collected and assesses its real impact on policy and operations. Now available in paperback, this detailed study reveals how the Admiralty came to recognise the importance of intelligence during two World Wars and how naval intelligence developed into the complex network of global operations that it became by the late twentieth century.
The Crimean War at Sea: The Naval Campaigns Against Russia 1854-56
Author: Peter Duckers | Published: 30 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £14.99
Paperback Release: Too often historical writing on the Russian War of 1854-56 focuses narrowly on the land campaign fought in the Crimean peninsula. The wider war waged at sea by the British and French navies against the Russians is largely forgotten. This study focuses on the naval campaign, examining the operations in the Baltic and Black Seas, the Sea of Azov, the White Sea, and the Pacific. Duckers reveals how the allied navies imposed a tight blockade on the Russian coast that brought trade to a virtual standstill.
The Falklands Factor: The Battle that Changed the Shape of Ships
Author: David Laurent Giles | Published: 17 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £30.00
New Title: After the failure of Britain's latest air-defence destroyers in the 1982 Falklands War, a public controversy began over an alternative: The S90 'Short Fat' frigate designed and proposed by Peter Thornycroft and David Giles. This is the almost incredible but well-documented story of the author's 40-year struggle to promote a design concept that has now been adopted worldwide. Giles offers an insider's perspective on naval procurement, design philosophy, and the hard lessons learned from conflict that continue to shape modern warship design.
Polaris: Submarines, Missiles, the US Navy and the Royal Navy
Author: John Boyes | Published: 30 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £29.99
New Title: The atom bombs dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War opened the door to the nuclear age. Seeing the potential for developing nuclear energy for the US Navy, Captain Hyman Rickover initiated a research programme that culminated in the launch of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. John Boyes traces this critical development in naval warfare, exploring how it fundamentally changed strategic thinking and the balance of power during the Cold War. A comprehensive examination of submarine technology, nuclear deterrence, and the special relationship between Britain and America.
Convoy PQ-17 1942: Disaster in the Arctic
Authors: Angus Konstam & Adam Tooby | Published: 24 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £16.99
New Title: A gripping account of the most famous convoy operation of the war, which marked a high-water mark for the German naval campaign in the Arctic. The Arctic was a vital conduit for transporting supplies directly from Great Britain to Russia. The British Home Fleet was tasked with protecting these convoys while seeking opportunities to strike at German warships. In July 1942, convoy PQ-17 was ordered to scatter in the face of a suspected attack, resulting in the loss of 24 of its 35 merchant vessels. Konstam and Tooby examine this naval disaster in detail, exploring the strategic context, tactical decisions, and human cost of this catastrophic operation.
Coastal & Marine Exploration
The Ocean's Menagerie: How Earth's Strangest Creatures Reshape the Rules of Life
Author: Drew Harvell | Published: 24 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £20.00
New Title: A transporting exploration of the deep sea, and how our planet's strangest, most ancient and astonishing creatures have urgent relevance to cutting-edge science today. Hundred-year-old giant clams, coral kingdoms the size and shape of cities, and jellyfish that glow in the dark: ocean invertebrates are stranger and more wonderful than anything we could imagine. Drew Harvell reveals how these remarkable creatures are helping scientists understand the fundamentals of life, adaptation, and evolution, while offering new approaches to medicine, materials science, and sustainable design.
Looking to Sea: What Coastal Art Tells Us About Modern Britain
Author: Lily Le Brun | Published: 24 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £14.99
Paperback Release: An alternative history of modern Britain, Looking to Sea is an exquisite work of cultural, artistic and philosophical storytelling. Le Brun considers ten pivotal artworks, from Vanessa Bell's Studland Beach, one of the first modernist paintings in Britain, to Paul Nash's work bearing the scars of war. Through these coastal artworks, she explores how Britain's relationship with the sea has shaped our national identity, cultural values, and artistic expression – a thought-provoking perspective on our island nation's enduring connection to its shores.
Lost to the Sea: A Journey Around the Edges of Britain and Ireland
Author: Lisa Woollett | Published: 10 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £12.99
Paperback Release: On a series of coastal walks, Lisa Woollett takes us on an illuminating journey to places where mythology and reality meet at the very edges of Britain and Ireland. From Bronze Age settlements to medieval kingdoms, notorious pirate towns to drowned churches, Woollett's narrative weaves history, folklore, and natural observation into a compelling exploration of our ever-changing coastline. Part travelogue, part natural history, this beautifully written account reveals the stories of landscapes shaped by both natural forces and human endeavour.
Welsh Folk Tales of Coast and Sea
Author: Peter Stevenson | Published: 3 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £14.99
New Title: "Just ask those mountains over there. They have heard these stories before. They have witnessed the floods." Through the travels of a Mesolithic Marsh Girl, Peter Stevenson collects the folk tales of the sea along the Welsh Coast Path. From bridge-dwelling bwbach and drunken mermaids to swan girls and salmon kings, these stories capture Wales's rich maritime folklore. Stevenson's collection preserves these ancient tales while connecting them to the landscapes that inspired them, creating a literary journey around the Welsh coast.
By the Sea: Your Coastline Companion
Authors: Susan Kelly & Katy Christianson | Published: 24 April 2025 | Format: Hardback | Price: £10.99
New Title: A beach-goer's pocket companion for lazy days on the shore, or for the armchair beachcomber recalling the feel of sand between their toes. Noticing and collecting shells is an irresistible and accessible activity for pretty much everyone who goes to the beach, young or old. Kelly and Christianson have created a delightful guide to coastal exploration, combining identification tips for common seashells and beach finds with engaging activities to inspire young naturalists. Perfect for family beach trips and cultivating a love of the natural world.
Children's & Young Readers
Under the Sea: Usborne Scratch Activities
Authors: Rosie Dickins & Klara Hawkins | Published: 10 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £7.99
New Title: This scratch activity book is filled with amazing sea creatures and inviting patches to scratch. Using the wooden scraper provided, children can scratch off whole patches to reveal hidden details or create their own designs. With ocean-themed illustrations to colour on facing pages, this interactive book offers hours of creative marine exploration for young readers aged 5 and up.
A Coral Reef Story: Animal Life in Tropical Seas
Author: Jane Burnard | Published: 17 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £8.99
New Title: "This is a coral reef. A living, limestone necklace beneath the sea – multi-coloured, ever-changing and full of animals." So begins Jane Burnard's enchanting introduction to the incredible diversity of coral reef ecosystems. Combining a spellbinding narrative with breathtaking illustrations and fascinating facts, this book is perfect for young readers curious about marine life and the interconnected communities that thrive in tropical waters. An inspiring gateway to marine biology for readers aged 7-10.
Voice of the Ocean
Author: Kelsey Impicciche | Published: 22 April 2025 | Format: Paperback | Price: £9.99
Paperback Release: From popular content creator Kelsey Impicciche comes a captivating tale of forbidden love and ancient magic. As the youngest daughter of the Siren queen, Celeste's life is tightly controlled – until she defies her people to save a human prince from drowning. This action ignites a dangerous romance amidst treacherous waters, forcing Celeste to navigate between two worlds while discovering her own voice and power. A thrilling young adult fantasy perfect for readers who love mythology-inspired fiction.
Admiralty Small Craft Charts - April 2025 New Editions
Admiralty Small Craft Charts provide the most up-to-date navigational information available, expertly crafted by the UK Hydrographic Office. They're printed on demand with all corrections applied, making them perfect for safely navigating UK and Irish waters. Each chart is priced at £16.20, but remember: electronics can fail – paper charts are the essential backup. Substantial discounts available on bulk orders: 35% off for 5-9 charts, 65% off for 10-14 charts, and 75% off for 15+ charts.
New Editions Released on 17 April 2025
The following River Humber charts provide essential navigation information for sailors exploring this important northern estuary:
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5614_16: River Humber - Spurn Head to Grimsby Middle
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5614_17: River Humber - Approaches to Grimsby
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5614_18: River Humber - Immingham to Saltend
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5614_19: River Humber - Kingston upon Hull to Humber Bridge
New Editions Released on 24 April 2025
Charts covering key areas along the south and east coasts of England include:
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5600_10: River Itchen
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5600_11: River Test
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5601_1: Start Point to The Needles
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5606_7: Havengore Bridge to Southend-on-Sea
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5606_8: Southend-on-Sea to Canvey Island
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5606_9: Medway Approach Channel
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5606_10: Mouth of River Medway and West Swale
- Admiralty Small Craft Chart 5613_8: River Ribble and Silloth
What Do You Think?
Have you spotted something to add to your reading list? With more than 20 new releases this month, we're continuing to expand our nautical book selection to complement our chart offerings. We're adding titles daily, carefully selecting books that we believe deserve a place in your maritime library.
If you're just discovering our growing range beyond charts and cruising guides, we'd love to hear your thoughts. What other nautical subjects would you like to see represented in our collection?
Join the conversation on our Facebook and Instagram pages and follow us for more on nautical charts, books, and instruments.
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