From the sinking of HMS Rawalpindi by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau just two months into the war, to the Battle of the River Plate on the other side of the world, Captain Shaw takes us on a journey across the world’s oceans, exploring how the Allies overcame the aggressive Kriegsmarine and gained control of the seas.

Rather than focusing solely on the more famous seaborne conflicts of World War Two, Shaw delves into the early engagements of the war, demonstrating just how close the isolated island of Britain came to being strangled by the terrifying German pocket battleships and U-boats. Particularly fascinating is how the initial fightback began not with large Allied battleships, but with the innovative use of miniature X-class submarines and Motor Torpedo Boats.

Interviews with combatants bring this tremendous conflict to life, revealing the understated courage all had to rely on in the face of rough seas.

Epic Naval Fights is essential reading for anyone interested in learning more about some of the most important but often forgotten battles of the Second World War. From the Arctic to the South Atlantic, Shaw provides a fresh perspective on World War Two at sea and shows just how close the Allies came to losing the war in its early years.

A life at sea, from the age of sail to the dangers of the First World War.

In 1893, at just fifteen years old, Frank H. Shaw went to sea for the first time, apprenticed to an old shipkeeper who claimed to have fired the opening gun of the Crimean War. It was the beginning of a lifetime spent crossing the world’s oceans.

These vivid reminiscences chart Shaw’s extraordinary career in the Merchant Navy and his service as a captain during the First World War, by which time he was already an established and popular writer. With warmth and humour, he recalls the curious characters he sailed with, the hardships and pleasures of life afloat, and the remarkable adventures he experienced both at sea and ashore.

Most gripping of all are Shaw’s accounts of commanding a ‘Q-boat’ during the Great War, sailing disguised as a harmless tramp steamer while secretly hunting German U-boats. The danger is constant, the stakes deadly, yet the stories are told with Shaw’s characteristically understated style.

Rich in atmosphere and first-hand detail, this is an essential read for anyone interested in maritime history, naval warfare, and the romance, peril, and excitement of a life spent at sea.

Britain’s survival in World War Two depended on men who sailed straight into danger.

The Merchant Navy carried the food, fuel, and supplies that kept the nation alive. Without them, Britain would have starved. Yet these civilian sailors were relentlessly hunted by U-boats, bombers, and mines.

Ships vanished in explosions of fire and steel. Crews froze in open lifeboats. Convoys crossed oceans where every shadow might mean death.

Still they sailed.

In this gripping account, Captain Frank H. Shaw draws on a lifetime at sea to reveal the brutal reality of wartime merchant service. He recounts extraordinary true stories of endurance, courage, and sacrifice — ordinary seamen facing overwhelming danger simply to deliver vital cargo.

This powerful history reveals how the Merchant Navy became Britain’s lifeline — and why their contribution was essential to Allied victory.

The Merchant Navy at War is essential reading for anyone interested in the struggle to keep Britain supplied, the dangers of convoy life, and the untold stories of civilian courage at sea. A compelling tribute to the men who risked everything to keep a nation alive.