Caine Mutiny
by Herman Wouk
During World War 2, the crew of the Caine mutinies against Captain Queeg, accusing him of incompetence. The novel reaches its climax during the court-martial when they must prove their charges.

Hunt for Red October
by Tom Clancy
The entire crew of Red October, a new Soviet submarine under the command of Marko Ramius, is defecting to the United States. Most of the Russian navy is sent to the United States Atlantic coast to find and destroy the submarine. Jack Ryan, a CIA data analyst, gets the job of making contact with Ramius, and the United States mobilizes all its resources to protect our shores and the submarine. Jack Ryan series, Book 1. Some strong language.

Master and Commander
by Patrick O'Brian
Historical sea tale chronicles the adventures of Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy, master and commander of the brig Sophie, as he and his crew battle the French and Spanish in the Mediterranean during the Napoleonic wars. Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 1.

Midshipman Bolitho
by Alexander Kent
Only 16 but already a veteran of four years in the king's navy, Richard Bolitho joins his second ship in 1771. Its mission is to investigate the brutal slave trade on Africa's west coast. This proves to be much more perilous than he expected. Some violence. Richard Bolitho series, Book 1.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
by C.S. Forester
The early career of Horatio Hornblower of the British Royal Navy is traced in a series of adventurous episodes. They illustrate the quick thinking, brilliant intuition, and decisiveness characteristic of our hero, and leave him with the rank of lieutenant. Hornblower Saga, Book 1.

Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition : The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton's Polar-Bound Cat
by Caroline Alexander
The whimsical chronicle of Mrs. Chippy, a male cat that sailed with Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to Antarctica. Recounts the perils of sailing on frozen seas, the ordeal of being stranded when the ship was crushed by ice, and the crew's miraculous escape and survival.

Mutiny on the Bounty
by Charles Nordhoff
Based on the actual mutiny that took place on board the HMS Bounty, which sailed from England in 1787 bound for Tahiti. The story recounts the sailors' rebellion against the brutal captain, and the consequences of their actions. The Bounty Trilogy, Book 1.

Run Silent, Run Deep
by Edward Beach
This novel about a submarine war patrol that pursues a Japanese ship in the Pacific Ocean is based on the author’s World War 2 experiences.

With These Hands
by Louis L'Amour
Eleven action-filled stories set in such places as Hollywood, the South Seas, and Japan. The characters range from boxers, cowboys, and detectives to pilots and sea captains. In the title piece, the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Arctic wilderness of Alaska summons the will to stay alive.