Simon Quail’s Gangway stands out for the quality of its writing as well as its tales of maritime adventure. This well-crafted fourth edition now comes with photographs and technical details of all the ships on which the author sailed, so it’s a good moment to pick up a copy if you haven’t read the memoir before.

Nautilus Telegraph's Book of the Month for December 2020.

On 15 June 1940, the British Admiralty launched Operation Ariel – a rescue effort in western France that followed the Dunkirk evacuations. Over the course of 10 days, Allied ships took terrible risks to snatch more than 500,000 civilian refugees and British soldiers from the grasp of advancing German forces.

This image-led title was produced to mark the 80th anniversary of the remarkable evacuation of more than a third of a million troops from the Normandy beaches. It highlights the ‘brilliant impromptu organisation’ to assemble a fleet of ferries, fishing vessels, coasters and other small craft to carry out the rescue work over a frantic nine-day period from 27 May to 4 June 1940.

Nautilus Telegraph's Book of the Month for November 2020. This meticulously researched and very well-produced book examines the fate of many scores of ships seized from the losing sides in both world wars.

Here’s a very credible thriller that demonstrates just how vulnerable the industry would be to a maritime 9/11-style attack.