5 Interesting Books On Merchant Marine And Shipping Industry

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The shipping industry is an industry that often goes unnoticed. Even though 90% of international transportation depends on ships, the industry and its people are “invisible” to the extent that people on land have less to negligible knowledge on the life at sea and how one of the world’s biggest and oldest industries works.

Books are a great medium to make people aware not only about the ships but also about the great men that run this massive industry. So when an interesting book on merchant marine/ shipping industry is out there in the market, we make sure people get to know about it.

Mentioned below are details on five of the most interesting books on merchant marine and shipping industry that we have read lately (Though a few of them are a bit old, we were only recently introduced to them.)

1. Ninety Percent of Everything : Inside Shipping, The Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes On Your Back, Gas in Your Car and Food On Your Plate / Deep Sea and Foreign Going  by Rose George ( VIEW ON AMAZON)

Ninety Percent of Everything takes you inside the invisible industry of merchant marine, revealing untold stories of the brave seafarers, the contribution of the shipping industry and the unfortunate events that haunt the seas. Author Rose George travels on a Maersk Container ship for five weeks from the Port of Felixstowe to Singapore to get a first-hand experience of the “life at sea”. From sophisticated container terminals to dangerous pirate-infected waters, the author lives the life of seafarers (minus the work) to understand their perils and hardships. Unravelling the often “neglected” lives of seafarers and emphasizing the importance of the shipping industry to the world, “Ninety Percent of Everything” is a book every seafarer and non-seafarer must-read.

2. Seized : A Sea Captain’s Adventures Battling Scoundrels and Pirates While Recovering Stolen Ships in the World’s Most Troubled Waters by Max Hardberger (VIEW ON AMAZON)

Rarely comes a book about the shipping industry which is extremely entertaining and informative at the same time. Captain Max Hardberger is a man who has lived his life to the fullest – an airplane pilot, a maritime lawyer, a high school English teacher, a writer, an adventurer, a sea captain of commercial freighters and a ship repossession specialist. In “Seized”, he takes readers through his experiences of recovering stolen or illegally-seized ships from “hell holes” ports, pirates and con-men. A real-life account of his adventures as a commercial captain, “Seized” recounts the efforts of the author and his crew retrieving ships with risks of imprisonment and death. This book is one of the best adventure nonfiction books based on shipping I have recently read.

3. The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and The World Economy Bigger by Marc Levinson (VIEW ON AMAZON)

Shipping containers are usually looked upon as boring metal boxes but the fact remains that they have changed the face of cargo transportation over the years. “The Box” tells the dramatic story of the container’s creation and the long struggle it faced before getting globally accepted. Author Marc Levinson takes you through the interesting journey of containerization and how it slashed the rates of transporting goods around the world. The book also recounts the story of the entrepreneur Malcolm Mclean, who turned the impractical idea of containerization into reality and persuade the world of container’s potential. “The box” gives great insights into the transformation of international shipping as a result of containerization and how it helped in bringing a boom in the global trade. Read this book to know more about one of the main aspects of the shipping industry today – containers.

4. The Shipping Man by Matthew Mccleery (VIEW ON AMAZON)

The Shipping Man is a story about a man who is not a part of the shipping industry but desperately wants to become one. The book will especially interest those who are inclined towards the commercial aspect of shipping. The Shipping Man is a work of fiction about a hedge fund manager’s adventures in the international shipping as he deals with Greek shipping magnets, Norwegian Tycoons, German Bankers and Chinese Traders. The book is a mix of both, a gripping novel and a ship finance text. It provides a look in to the business of ship owners and the commercial finance that surrounds it.  It’s a must read for anyone who is interested in reading a book on dry subject like “capital formation of shipping”, but in an enjoyable and fun way.

This book has received mix reviews, and might not interest seafarers or those who are not interested in the commercial side of shipping.

5. Freighter Captain by Max Hardberger (VIEW ON AMAZON)

We love Captain Max Hardberger’s books and therefore are a bit biased to add a second one of his to this list.

Freight Captain is a prequel to the above-mentioned book “Seized” and is an actual account of Captain Max’s six months as master on the Motor Vessel Erika. Just like “Seized”, the Freighter Captain deals with the desperation and dangers of tramp shipping as the Captain and his crew fights a non-stop battle with corrupt agents, officials and charterers. From Stowaways to witch doctor, the crew of Erika face all kinds of perils at sea, escaping bandits, thieves and lawless countries. If you are a seaman or hold interest in shipping matters, then this adventurous and entertaining book is a must read for you.

The above list is not based on best / worst order or any other preferences.

Note: All the books mentioned above have been read and reviewed by us. Though many books we read and review come directly from publishers, please note that we are not paid to review any of these books, and that everything we say about a book is our own opinion.

For every book we review – whether sent by publisher, author or books we buy, we’ll grade them on our honest opinions.

Over to you..

Do you want us to review any book or add one to the above list?

Let’s know in the comments below.